Actor

An actor plays a character in a story.

They can play a real person. They can also play a made-up person. This is called a role.

Long ago, only men were actors. In Greece, a man named Thespis was the first. He spoke words as a character. Now, actors work on stages. They also work on TV and in films. It is a very special job.

An actor plays a character in a story.

They can play a real person or a made-up person. This part is called a role. Actors work on stages, on TV, and in films.

Acting has a very long history. In ancient Greece, a man named Thespis was the first. He spoke words as a character in a play. Because of him, actors are sometimes called Thespians. In those days, only men were actors. In England, women did not act on stage until 1660.

In Italy, a style called commedia dell'arte used professional women.

These actors used loose plans to make up plays. They used stock characters to tell stories. Later, acting became a very popular job. In the 1800s, some actors became famous stars.

One famous man was Henry Irving. He was an actor-manager. This meant he ran his own acting company. He even turned off the house lights to help people focus on the stage. Today, many people use the word "actor" for everyone. This includes both men and women.

An actor is a person who plays a character in a story. They might act out the life of a real person or a fictional character. This specific part is called a role. Actors can perform "in the flesh" on a traditional theatre stage. They also work in modern media like film, radio, and television.

Some performers even use experimental art to play themselves. This is called an interpretation of a role.

Acting involves many different ways to tell a story. In the past, actors used scrolls to help them learn their roles. In Italy, a style called commedia dell'arte became very popular. These troupes usually had 13 to 14 members. They used loose frameworks to improvise their plays. This meant they made up much of the action as they went. They also used stock characters to help the audience understand the story.

Acting has a very long history that began in ancient Greece. A man named Thespis is credited as the first known actor. In 534 BC, he stepped onto the stage at the Theatre Dionysus. Before him, stories were told only through song and dance. Because of his big step, actors are often called Thespians.

In ancient Greece, only men performed in tragedies and comedies. This changed as time moved through the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance.

Rules for who could act changed in many different places. In England, women did not appear on stage until 1660. Before that, men or boys played the female roles. In Italy, professional women like Lucrezia Di Siena were known much earlier. She is mentioned in an actor contract from 10 October 1564.

In the 19th century, some women became huge stars like Sarah Bernhardt. Acting became a very respected and popular job during this time.

Today, people use different words to talk about the profession. For a long time, the word "actress" was used for women. Now, many people prefer the word "actor" for everyone. This is a gender-neutral term that includes all performers. Some people in the theatre still use the word "player."

This term is often found in the names of theatre groups. Whether they are called actors or players, they continue to bring stories to life.

An actor is a person who performs or adapts a character within a production. This performance can happen "in the flesh" on a traditional theatre stage. It also occurs through modern media like film, radio, and television.

An actor's work involves the interpretation of a role. A role is the specific character being played, whether it is a fictional person or a real historical figure. Even in experimental performance art, an actor might interpret the role of themselves. This process of interpretation is the core of the craft.

The history of acting traces back to ancient Greece. In 534 BC, a performer named Thespis made a major change to storytelling. Before this, Greek stories were expressed only through song, dance, and third-person narration. Thespis stepped onto the stage at the Theatre Dionysus to speak words as a character. Because of this moment, actors are often called Thespians.

In ancient Greece, actors were exclusively male. They performed in three specific types of drama: tragedy, comedy, and the satyr play. The Romans later expanded these traditions into diverse forms. These included street theatre, acrobatics, and verbally elaborate tragedies.

During the Middle Ages, the status of actors changed significantly. In the Early Middle Ages, traveling troupes were often viewed with distrust. The Church sometimes denounced them as immoral or pagan. In some parts of Europe, actors were even denied Christian burials. However, by the 11th century, churches began staging liturgical dramas. These were dramatized versions of biblical events. By the Late Middle Ages, mystery plays were produced in 127 different towns. These plays used local people as actors to play characters like devils or clowns.

The Renaissance brought new professional styles to Europe. One major tradition was the Italian commedia dell'arte. This was an actor-centered theatre that required very little scenery. Troupes typically consisted of 13 to 14 members. They used loose frameworks to improvise action around stock characters.

While many countries kept acting male-only, Italy allowed professional women early on. Lucrezia Di Siena is noted in a contract from 10 October 1564. She is considered the first known Italian actress by name. Other early well-documented Italian actresses included Vincenza Armani and Barbara Flaminia.

In England, the rules for performers shifted during the 17th century. For a long time, men or boys played all female roles. This changed after the English Restoration in 1660. At this time, women were finally allowed to appear on the English stage in female roles. This period saw the rise of the first professional actresses and celebrity performers.

The 19th century saw a major shift in how society viewed the profession. While some people held negative prejudices against actresses, others became massive stars. Sarah Bernhardt was a notable example of this new era of celebrity. Acting eventually became an honored and popular profession.

As the industry grew, the role of the "actor-manager" emerged. These were individuals who formed their own companies. They controlled the productions, the financing, and the other actors.

Henry Irving was a very successful British actor-manager. He was famous for his Shakespearean roles and his technical innovations. For example, he turned out the house lights to focus attention on the stage. His success helped transition acting into a highly respected social position. By the early 20th century, the economics of large productions began to replace this model.

Terminology in the profession has often been a subject of debate. For much of history, the word "actor" meant anyone who does something. It was not used specifically for theatre performers until the 16th century. The term "actress" became common for women, influenced by the French language. However, since the 1950s and 1960s, many have adopted "actor" as a gender-neutral term. This shift happened as women's contributions to culture came under closer scrutiny. Some performers, like Whoopi Goldberg, argue that "actor" is better because it implies the ability to play any role.

In the United States, the term "player" was common during the silent film era. While it is now considered archaic in film, it is still used in theatre groups and improvisational theatre.