Types of Actors in 2023: Everything You Need to Know

In this article, we'll discuss the most common types of actors, from film actors to stage actors and everything in-between.

If you're looking for something different however, choose the appropriate link below:

• Types of Acting Roles ("lead," "supporting," etc.)
• How to Find Your Type as an Actor
• Types of Acting Techniques (Meisner, Method, Chekhov, etc.)

Types of Actors

An actor is someone who portrays a character in a performance. They'll either perform in-person (theater) or on screen (film, television, etc.). Their job is to bring their character to life in such a way that the audience can follow the story without being distracted by poor acting.

Actors perform in film, television, theater, radio, and many other mediums, including video games and online webseries. We'll discuss the most common types of actors and their typical career paths in this guide.

​Ready to get started?

​Types of Actors: Defined

• Film Actors: Acting in a major Hollywood feature film is often considered the gold-standard – it's the dream most actors aspire to. Booking the lead in a major feature film leads to red-carpet appearances, interviews, and a HUGE fanbase that can least for years (and even decades). For that reason, these roles are also the most competitive, meaning entry-level actors have a near 0% chance of booking them without first paying their dues in lower-level productions. There are plenty of opportunities for newer actors to work on film sets however, from performing in professionally-produced independent feature films to acting in shorts and student productions. Some actors even produce their own films!
  • Related Guide: Access Netflix Film Auditions WITHOUT an Agent
• Episodic Actors: The next-best thing to booking the lead role in a major Hollywood film is to get booked as a "series regular" on a major television show. In fact, some actors actually prefer working in episodics because it's easier to build a name for oneself, and you'll often get paid more over the long run since there are multiple episodes. Actors trying to build a screen acting career typically start by trying to book co-star (one-liner) roles in streaming episodics (Amazon Prime and Netflix Originals, for instance), and then slowly work their way up to recurring and series regular roles. Once they book their first recurring or series regular, they can use that credit to attempt a lead or supporting role in a major feature film. New actors just getting started in episodics will often focus their attention on getting booked in independent online webseries.
  • Learn more about the different types of roles in episodic acting (co-star, guest-star, etc.)
• Theater Actors: ​The gold-standard for theater actors is to make it to Broadway. Almost all formally-trained actors begin their careers in theater (performing in their high school theater group) and then slowly diverge into other areas of focus such as screen acting, commercial, etc., after graduation. Since theaters require a live audience and a large, professional stage, there are often fewer paid jobs in theatre than there are for screen actors (unless you're in a major market like New York or London). However, they typically last longer and can be some of the most fun and rewarding acting gigs due to their live nature and the ability to interact directly with the audience before and after the show.
  • Learn more about the different types of roles in theater acting (ensemble, lead, etc.)
• ​​Voice Actors: Voice acting is a great way to build a career in acting with much more flexibility. Since voice actors usually work from home, all that's required to get started is a small up-front investment in the right gear. Voice actors must develop a deep technical knowledge of how to operate their equipment and properly mix and master their recordings. Actors can get voice work in video games, audiobooks, and even as announcers at airports and train stations. Many actors use voice acting as a side hustle to pay the bills in between other acting gigs.
  • Learn about how to start a career in voice acting here.
• Commercial Actors: Some actors build a career in the commercial industry, while others use it as a way to simply earn extra cash. Because commercials are always being shot and the need for a wide variety of actors is ever-increasing, it's generally not too difficult to find work as a commercial actor or to get a commercial agent. Commercial casting directors require most of the actors they hire to have some training in improv, but besides that there are no formal requirements. The gold standard of commercial acting is booking a national commercial that pays residuals; in fact, some actors have earned hundreds of thousands of dollars from such commercials.
  • Learn how to build a commercial acting career here.
• Background Actors: Working as an "extra" on set with non-speaking roles can be an easy way to support oneself financially while still working in the industry, gaining experience, and meeting new people. While most serious actors won't pursue a career as a background actor because the pay is low and background work is generally not credited, it can still be a great way to break into the industry to start learning the ropes. Just make sure NOT to include background work on your acting resume because casting directors won't take you seriously (unless you're only applying for background roles).
  • Learn all about background acting here​​
• Character Actors: 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.
  • Learn all about character acting here.​​

A Brief History of the Types of Actors

When theatre first began in ancient Greece, actors needed to memorize lines, understand stage directions & blocking, and develop special skills such as stage combat, dancing, and singing. They performed in such a way that an audience could understand the basics of what emotion was meant to be portrayed (anger, sadness, etc.), but did not need a deep understanding of how to project emotions in an authentic and natural way.

Later, when silent film was developed, actors needed to learn how to hit specific marks and feel comfortable working with a camera in front of them. At first, actors over-emphasized body language and facial expressions so the audience (who could not hear them) could understand what their character was going through. However, as more and more people started to watch these silent films, a preference for natural acting developed and well known acting greats such as Stanislavski created new ways to train actors for the subtlety required by film. The revolutionary closeup shot created a need for natural acting and actors were soon required to go through extensive screen acting training before being allowed to perform in most silent films.

When sound was later introduced to film, a whole new set of challenges arose. Films started shooting out of order more frequently, which forced actors to come to all scenes with a fully developed character. Auditions were no longer only done in-person – they were also filmed so a director could watch later. These "screen tests" made the audition process even more nerve-wracking for actors because they were no longer just performing for the casting director – they were also performing for the camera. Sound also required speech and accent training and new acting techniques such as Meisner Technique and Method Acting were developed.

Radio emerged next. Radio drama is a purely acoustic performance, broadcast live over the radio or recorded for later playback. With no visual component, it relies on the performance of the dialogue, mixed with music and sound effects to help the listener visualize the characters and story. Radio required actors to over-enunciate and speak with slightly more melodramatic voices than they would in film. When television later emerged, radio drama lost it's appeal, but has in recent years been making a comeback due to the popularity of audiobooks and podcasts.

In the 1950's as television emerged, the challenge of live-switching between multi camera shoots presented brand-new challenges for actors. Actors working in live television sometimes get confused about which camera to look into, and need to learn how to use lavaliere microphones and understand framing (how far out the shot is – i.e. "Will my hands be in the frame?"). Although subtle, each of these challenges was another thing to keep in mind on top of the zillions of other things an actor must deal with as they perform a role.

More recently, 3D movies (and potentially virtual reality films) have been posing new challenges to actors, but these challenges have not yet become widely known as these technologies are still so new. The verdict is still out on how actors will respond!

WANT A TALENT AGENT TO GROW YOUR CAREER?

Knowing the different types of actors is important, but it's just one small part of growing your acting career.

If you want to act full-time, your first major goal should be to get a legitimate, hardworking talent agent.

I highly recommend checking out this short podcast episode, where I share:

• The exact steps to getting a great, hardworking, and legitimate talent agent.
• How to shortcut the process significantly, especially for new actors.
• Tips to avoid scammers in the industry (there are a lot of them!)

Listen in using the player below, and be sure to hit Subscribe (you can listen in on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more).

​​Martin Bentsen (author of this guide) is an actor marketing coach who uses strategic thinking to help actors book more work. He’s helped over 14,000 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.
​
Want to book more acting work by thinking strategically? Start with his free Actor’s Toolkit to create new opportunities right away, or visit his website at www.martinbentsen.com.

---

Some Additional Q&A

​What are the 4 Key Types of Actors?

How many types of actors are there? There are four key types of actors, which are defined as Personality Actors, who use their own personality to bring life to a character; Creative Actors, or actors who go against their own personality; Chameleon Actors, who can play a wide variety of unrelated roles; and Nonprofessional Actors who add realism to stories.

​What are the Three Types of Acting?

The three main types of acting (3 types of actors) include Screen Acting, which is all about being in movies and on television; Stage Acting, which is performing in theaters in front of a live audience; and Voice Acting, which is performing with only your voice, where you won't be physically seen by an audience.

What is a Type Actor?

A Type Actor is an actor who plays very specific character Types, such as detectives, cops, and lawyers. They typically specialize in only playing those types and leave everything else to other actors.

Related: Types of Actors List

---

​Further Reading:

If you enjoyed this article (Types of Actors: Everything You Need to Know), you might be interested in some of these:​
​

• ​How to Memorize Lines: The Ultimate Guide
• The Ultimate Guide to Finding Auditions
• Types of Actors in Film
• Types of Actors in Method Acting
• How to Become an Actor at 13