Character Acting in 2024: The Ultimate Guide

Character acting is an extremely confusing term because so many people have different definitions for it. At it's core, it's all about playing non-lead roles. Typically, character actors will play unusual or eccentric characters – characters who have a very particular physical look or off-beat personality.

In this article, we'll dive deep on what character acting really is, and I'll show you how to use it to book more work as an actor.

Character Acting

Since there is no general consensus on what character acting really is, here are the three most popular definitions you'll find for it:

• Character Acting Definition #1: Playing characters that are significantly different from your natural personality. Basically, this means that any actor who plays characters who are WAY different than themselves in real life can be considered a character actor.
• Character Acting Definition #2: Playing characters with eccentric personalities or looks. Some actors play really weird or strange characters that are quite memorable, and if this is the case, that actor could be considered a character actor.
• Character Acting Definition #3: Rarely or never playing lead characters (while still having a recognizable face or name). One famous character actor example would be Maggie Smith, who played Professor McGonagall in the Harry Potter series – she almost never plays the lead role but always plays a memorable character in films and TV shows.

If any of the above definitions are met, you can safely say it's a form of character acting.

Character Acting vs. ​Straight Acting

One way to think about character acting is about the technique itself. In Definition #1 above, we define character acting as an actor who plays a character significantly different than themselves. This definition is required to understand the difference between character acting and straight acting:

• Straight Acting refers to playing characters very similar to oneself. It typically doesn't require an in-depth analysis and deep research of the character before beginning rehearsals, and instead relies heavily on instinct and responding in the way you yourself would respond. Learn more about straight acting by reading about Meisner Technique.
• Character acting, on the other hand, involves deep character research and in some cases even living as the character for a period of time before production starts. One form of this is called Method Acting.

The biggest difference between the two types of acting is that character acting requires one to play a role significantly different than one's own personality, where deep research is required to play the character realistically.

Character acting is often considered more difficult than straight acting, but this only applies when Definition #1 is being used. Some actors who play eccentric, oddball characters are actually that way in real life, so for them it's easy!

​Facts About Character Acting

Here are some other differentiators and facts about character acting:

• Character acting is necessary to provide contrast to leads. For films and TV shows that don't highlight a character actor as the lead, character actors are still used to give the film more dimensionality. Super specific characters like The Oracle in The Matrix can give audiences a new perspective on a character's dilemma, or funny characters like Fred and George Weasley in Harry Potter can provide comic relief.
• Character acting roles are less glamorous. Unlike leads, character actors aren't well-recognized and therefore have less star power (and are paid less) than well-known names like Brad Pitt. If you recognize their face but not their name, they're probably a character actor.
• Some actors switch between leading roles and character acting. As actors get older (or if something happens to them that changes their face or voice), they might find it more difficult to book lead roles, and so will begin booking more character acting work.
• Character acting can sometimes be defined by Special Skills. Some actors build their character acting careers around a specific skillset they have such as boxing, dancing, acrobatics, etc. The actor will find themselves playing roles that call for that particular skillset so frequently that they'll be typecast and start to find it difficult to get work outside that particular area. Learn more about Special Skills for actors here.
• Some character actors are known as "chameleons," where they constantly play wildly different characters. Most however find one particular character type and stick to it long-term until their look changes.
• Some performers don't like being called "character actors" because they aspire be leads and don't want to always be the "supporting" actor. Actors who are labeled "character actors" often find that casting directors will rarely give them a shot at auditioning for lead, meaning they find themselves boxed into roles they might not enjoy playing. Learn more about typecasting in acting here.
• Character actors can book lots of jobs in a year compared with leads. Because the smaller roles they play require less time commitment, most character actors will have a HUGE resume with tons of roles on it, compared to actors who usually play leads.

To get a better idea of what character acting is, watch the video below:

Character Actor Examples:

Here are a few well-known Hollywood character actors:

Elizabeth Marvel

See her picture and IMDB page here.

Elizabeth Marvel is known from House of Cards, Homeland, and Law & Order: SVU. She typically plays powerful characters like Heather Dunbar in House of Cards and President Elizabeth Keane in Homeland – characters who often find their plans foiled by the end of the film/show.

Judy Greer

See her picture and IMDB page here.

Judy Greer is known for her roles in 13 Going on 30, Arrested Development, and Ant-Man. With over 150 credits and a positive outlook on only getting "character acting" roles (she actually wrote a book called I Don't Know What You Know Me From: Confessions of a Co-Star) she has made the most of her acting career by diving deep on every role and getting as much out of it as she can.

​Djimon Hounsou​

See his picture and IMDB page here.

Djimon Hounsou ​finds himself playing all kinds of supporting roles. He has appeared in Gladiator, The Island, Guardians of the Galaxy, and over 50 other films as a character actor.

How to Use Character Acting to Book More Work

In general, the more specific you are with your Type(s), the more acting work you'll find yourself booking. A character actor has a few particular Types they play best, and being clear on those Types makes it easier for casting directors to know how to place them.

Here's how to use character acting to book more work:

1. First, you must figure out your Type(s). Here's my shortcut to find your Type in just 10 minutes. Getting clear on what roles you're most suited for will make it way easier to start finding work as an actor.
2. Next, you'll need to ensure your marketing materials are focused on those Types. Reshoot your headshots, rework your resume, update your reel, and redesign your website (if you have one) to ensure they each capture your newfound Types.
3. Begin submitting for roles that are focused on those Types. Start searching for roles you feel you'd be able to play naturally and submit for them constantly. Since you're perfectly suited for those Types, you'll find yourself getting invited to lots of auditions and booking them frequently.

As you book more and more consistent work, you'll eventually be able to expand your Types to start doing other acting work if you so wish!

To dive deeper on this, read my guide called Typecasting in Acting.

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​Enjoyed this article?
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Book more work by thinking "Outside the Industry."

​​​Knowing what character acting is and how to use it to grow your acting career is just one small piece of the puzzle.

​As someone who has worked with people in thousands of industries (through my headshot business), I've been able to take growth strategies that work for businesses and apply them directly to actors – to help them grow their careers faster than most would think possible  (examples: one of my clients landed his first-ever Broadway role in just 4 weeks of working with me, and a brand-new actress signed with a high-level agent in just six weeks of working with me).

I'd like to invite you to my free insider newsletter where I share my best material, including:

• How to network easily and authentically with casting directors – even if you hate self-promotion.
• How to find your Type and Brand in just 18 minutes (it doesn't require awkwardly asking lots of random people for feedback)
• How to find a hardworking and reliable agent – even if you don't have a strong resume or reel
• And much more...

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​Martin Bentsen (author of this guide) is an actor marketing coach who uses “outside the industry” thinking to help actors book more work. He’s helped over 6,000 actors with their careers and actor headshots since 2009 and his photography studio City Headshots is ranked #1 on Yelp. He’s spoken at NYU, The New England Theater Conference, The Actor’s Green Room, and other venues.
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Want to book more acting work by thinking different? Start with his free Actor’s Toolkit to create new opportunities right away, or visit his website at www.martinbentsen.com.

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​Some Additional Q&A

What is a Character Actor Example?

An example of a character actor would be someone who typically always finds themselves playing similar roles, such as detectives, or gang members, or police officers, etc.

What is the Difference Between Method Acting and Character Acting?

Character Acting is not really a style of acting, whereas Method Acting is. With Method Acting, you're preparing for your role by living as the character. With Character Acting, you're generally playing non-lead roles of specific types of characters. You can use Method Acting as a way to prepare for character acting, however!

​How Do You Get into Character Acting?

To get into character acting, you must first figure out your Type(s). The more specific you are, the better. Once you figure out the kinds of characters you're best at playing, start submitting to those roles over and over again, and you'll begin to notice that you keep getting called back by casting directors you've already worked with. Eventually, you'll find yourself typecast into those roles and will be booked solid with acting work!

Who is the Best Character Actor?

There is no one best character actor because there are so many variables to consider. That said, some of the most popular character actors include Hiam Abbass, Becky Ann Baker, Bill Camp, Jennifer Coolidge, Dale Dickey, Maggie Smith, and ​Colman Domingo. But this list is missing hundreds (or even thousands) of character actors I didn't take the time to look up. Just google "best character actors" and you'll find WAY more!

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​Further Reading:

If you enjoyed this article (Character Acting: The Ultimate Guide), you might be interested in some of these:​
​

• How to Become an Actor: The Ultimate Guide
• How to Find Auditions: The Ultimate Guide
• Types of Acting Roles (lead, co-star, etc.)
• The Best Way to Memorize Lines