An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity. The ancient Greek word for an actor, ὑποκριτής (hypokrites), means literally "one who interprets"; in this sense, an actor is one who interprets a dramatic character.

Terminology

The gender-neutral term player was common in film in the early days of the Production Code, but is now generally deemed archaic. However, it remains in use in the theatre, often incorporated into the name of a theatre group or company (such as the East West Players).

History

The first recorded case of an actor performing took place in 534 BC (probably on 23 November, though the changes in calendar over the years make it hard to determine exactly) when the Greek performer Thespis stepped on to the stage at the Theatre Dionysus and became the first known person to speak words as a character in a play or story. Prior to Thespis' act, stories were only known to be told in song and dance and in third person narrative. In honour of Thespis,a 6th century B.C poet, actors are commonly called Thespians. Theatrical legend to this day maintains that Thespis exists as a mischievous spirit, and disasters in the theatre are sometimes blamed on his ghostly intervention.

Actors were traditionally not people of high status, and in the Early Middle Ages travelling acting troupes were often viewed with distrust. In many parts of Europe, actors could not even receive a Christian burial, and traditional beliefs of the region and time period held that this left any actor forever condemned and many actors were believed to be homosexual. However, this negative perception was largely reversed in the 19th and 20th centuries as acting has become an honored and popular profession and art. Part of the cause is the easier popular access to dramatic film entertainment and the resulting rise of the movie star—as regards both their social status and the salaries they command. The combination of public presence and wealth has profoundly rehabilitated their image.

In the past, only men could become actors in some societies. In the ancient Greece and Rome and the medieval world, it was considered disgraceful for a woman to go on the stage, and this belief continued right up until the 17th century, when in Venice it was broken. In the time of William Shakespeare, women's roles were generally played by men or boys. The British prohibition(Victor Andersen) was ended in the reign of Charles II who enjoyed watching female actors (actresses) on stage.

Techniques

As opposite sex

In Japan, men (onnagata) took over the female roles in kabuki theatre when women were banned from performing on stage during the Edo period. However, some forms of Chinese drama have women playing all the roles.

In modern times, women sometimes play the roles of prepubescent boys. The stage role of Peter Pan, for example, is traditionally played by a woman, as are the principal boy and dame in British pantomime. This is uncommon in film, however, except in animated films and television programmes, where boys are sometimes voiced by women. For example, in The Simpsons the voice of Bart Simpson is provided by Nancy Cartwright. Opera has several "pants roles" traditionally sung by women, usually mezzo-sopranos. Examples are Hansel in Hänsel und Gretel, and Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro.

Having an actor dress as the opposite sex for comic effect is also a long standing tradition in comic theatre and film. Most of Shakespeare's comedies include instances of overt cross-dressing, such as Francis Flute in A Midsummer Night's Dream. The movie A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum stars Jack Gilford dressing as a young bride. Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon famously posed as women to escape gangsters in the Billy Wilder film Some Like It Hot. Cross-dressing for comic effect was a frequently used device in most of the thirty Carry On films. Dustin Hoffman and Robin Williams each appeared in a hit comedy film in which they played most scenes dressed as a woman.

Several roles in modern plays and musicals are played by a member of the opposite sex (rather than a character cross-dressing), such as the character Edna Turnblad in Hairspray — played by Divine in the original film, Harvey Fierstein in the Broadway musical, and John Travolta in the 2007 movie musical. Occasionally the issue is further complicated through a woman acting as a man pretending to be a woman, like Julie Andrews in Victor/Victoria, or a woman acting as a woman pretending to be a man, like Gwyneth Paltrow in Shakespeare in Love.

Acting awards

• Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, for American film
• Cannes Film Festival Awards, international French festival for world wide films and documentaries
• Volpi Cups at the Venice Film Festival, the oldest Film Festival in the world.
• Golden Globe Awards for American film and television
• Emmy Awards for American television
• Genie Awards for Canadian film
• Gemini Awards for Canadian television
• British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award for film and television; also known as BAFTA
• Tony Awards for the theatre (specifically, Broadway theatre)
• European Theatre Awards for the theatre
• Laurence Olivier Awards for the theatre (named in honour of actor Sir Laurence Olivier)
• Screen Actors Guild Awards for American actors in film and television
• Indian National Film Awards for the Indian cinema.
• Filmfare Awards honors excellence in the Indian Film Industry (Bollywood) - limited to Hindi language films only.
• Goya Awards for Spanish film.
• San Sebastián International Film Festival Spanish film festival Celebrated in San Sebastián.
• César Awards for French film.
• AFI Awards for Australian film.
• Berlinale German film festival in Berlin (Golden and Silver Bear)
• Piala Citra (Citra Award) for Indonesian film.
• IFTA's for the Irish Film and Television
• Kids Choice Awards for Nickelodeon and TV channels based on kids.

See also

• Acting
• Voice Actor
• Leading actor
• Supporting actor
• Character actor
• Bit part
• Movie star
• Celebrity
• Extra (actor)
• Stunt work
• List of male film actors
• List of female film actors

• Method acting
• Pornographic actor
• Presentational acting and Representational acting
• Improvisational theatre
• Film producers
• Thespis
• Vaudeville
• Charisma
• Q Score
• Dramatis personæ
• List of child actors

Further reading

• An Actor Prepares by Konstantin Stanislavski (Theatre Arts Books, ISBN 0-87830-983-7, 1989)
• A Dream of Passion: The Development of the Method by Lee Strasberg (Plume Books, ISBN 0-452-26198-8, 1990)
• Sanford Meisner on Acting by Sanford Meisner (Vintage, ISBN 0-394-75059-4, 1987)
• Letters to a Young Actor by Robert Brustein (Basic Books, ISBN 0-465-00806-2, 2005).
• The Alexander Technique Manual by Richard Brennan (Connections Book Publishing ISBN 1-85906-163-X, 2004)
• The Empty Space by Peter Brook
• The Technique of Acting by Stella Adler
• Acting Power by Robert Cohen, (McGraw-Hill, 1987)
• Acting Professionally: Raw Facts About Careers in Acting by Robert Cohen (2003). (McGraw-Hill, ISBN 0-072-56259-5, 2003)

Works cited

• Elam, Keir. 1980. The Semiotics of Theatre and Drama. New Accents Ser. London and New York: Methuen. ISBN 0416720609.
• Weimann, Robert. 1978. Shakespeare and the Popular Tradition in the Theater: Studies in the Social Dimension of Dramatic Form and Function. Ed. Robert Schwartz. Baltimore and London: The John Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0801835062.

References

External links

• Actors' Equity Association (AEA): a union representing U. S. theatre actors and stage managers.
• American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA): a union representing U. S. television and radio actors and broadcasters (on-air journalists, etc.).
• British Actors' Equity: a trade union representing UK artists, including actors, singers, dancers, choreographers, stage managers, theatre directors and designers, variety and circus artists, television and radio presenters, walk-on and supporting artists, stunt performers and directors and theatre fight directors.
• Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance: an Australian/New Zealand trade union representing everyone in the media, entertainment, sports, and arts industries.
• Screen Actors Guild (SAG): a union representing U. S. film and TV actors.

The Hero Initiative, formerly known as A Commitment to Our Roots, or ACTOR, is the first federally recognized not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping comic book creators, writers and artists in need. Founded in late 2000 by a consortium of comic book and trade publishers including Marvel Comics, Image Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Wizard Entertainment, CrossGen Comics and Dynamic Forces Inc., the 501(c)(3) charity aims to assist comic creators with health, medical, and quality-of-life assistance.

Eligibility

Anyone who meets the eligibility requirements may apply for aid, which could vary from medical assistance, or paying the rent, to help finding a job (in or out of the comics industry). Hero's benefits are not meant to be a permanent crutch for needy creators, but a helping hand in getting back on one's feet or keeping their financial head above water. Any granted aid is kept confidential.

Board of directors

The Executive Board, which handles fund raising and handles operations, comprises Hero Initiative President Jim McLauchlin, former editor-in-chief of Top Cow Comics; comics creator Brian Pulido; and Joe Quesada, editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. The board members are Steve Borock, president of the Comics Guaranty Corporation; industry retailer Mike Malve; film-maker Guillermo del Toro; and Beth Widera, owner of comic book convention MegaCon. Former board members include founders Pat McCallum, editor-in-chief of Wizard Magazine; and Mike Richardson, publisher and founder of Dark Horse Comics.

The Fund Disbursement Board, who hear cases for aid and make all final decisions on who to aid, act independent of the Executive Board, and is comprised entirely of comics creators, writers, artists, and editors. They are (co-chair) George Pérez, (co-chair) Roy Thomas, Dick Giordano, (board secretary) Charlie Novinskie, Dennis O'Neil, John Romita Sr., and Jim Valentino.

The charity is currently supported by Dark Horse Comics, Dynamic Forces, Image Comics, Marvel Entertainment, Top Cow Productions, and Wizard Entertainment.

Fundraising

Name

External links

• The Hero Initiative comic fund website
• ACTOR store at DynamicForces.com
• April 2007 Interview with Jim McLauchlin for Sequential Tart Webzine