Actor

Working in films, television, radio or theatre, an actor uses his or her body and voice in a skilled and creative way to give a convincing portrayal of a character. Actual performance, it must be said, tends to play a relatively small part in an actor's working life, with much time invested beforehand in attending auditions to obtain work, understanding and interpreting the current role, learning lines, developing the character and undertaking rehearsals. The part may sometimes demand skills such as singing, dancing and performing fights or other stunt work.

Entry level
While you may achieve success without any qualifications or formal training, you will improve your chances enormously by going to drama school. You would have to audition for this, which usually means presenting two pieces and possibly an improvisation. Admission is exceptionally competitive, with around a 95% rejection rate, and it helps to have experience of performing regularly in productions such as school plays, youth theatre or local amateur society shows.

Some drama schools also have minimum academic requirements, often five GCSE/S grades (A-C/1-3) and sometimes two A levels/AH grades or three H grades or equivalent. Drama and performing arts subjects are very useful.

There are drama degree courses at several universities and colleges, for which you would need to meet the normal degree admission requirements.

Making the grade
Drama school courses can last one, two or three years, with a curriculum including voice projection, movement, stage makeup, audition practice, the history of drama and taking part in full-length productions. They also cover subjects such as improvisation, singing, stage fighting and various dance styles.

Drama degree courses vary considerably in content, with the emphasis often on academic studies rather than actual performance. You should therefore undertake careful research before making an application.

Once qualified, you are likely to spend considerable time looking for acting jobs and attending auditions. You would usually have an agent to help you find the best opportunities for your talent and career development.

Personal qualities
To succeed as an actor, you must be dedicated, self-disciplined and hardworking to cope with the long hours learning lines, rehearsing and possibly working on more than one project at a time. You would need the intelligence, sensitivity and imagination to understand and interpret many different roles and enthusiasm for performing to an audience. A good memory is essential for learning lines, and must be associated with a knowledge of literary works, creative skills in developing a role and the ability to work as part of a team with a director/producer and fellow cast members.

Both physical and mental strength are required to withstand the long hours of rehearsal, the emotional demands of public performance, the disappointment of rejection at audition and the sting of negative criticism.

Looking ahead
Very few actors enjoy the luxury of regular work over an extended period of time. You may find yourself with no work at times, while at others you could be working on a film or television programme and appearing in a stage production at the same time, which can mean working extremely long hours. You might also supplement your income by narrating documentaries, doing voice-overs for advertisements, recording talking books and taking other jobs that you can leave at very short notice.

Your future prospects would depend in equal measure on a combination of talent, hard work and good luck. If you can achieve a high profile, you may be approached directly by a producer or director for a particular part. Otherwise, survival can be a matter of constantly auditioning well against considerable competition.

Alternative suggestions
If your main interest is being involved in some way with performance, you might consider training as a camera operator, dancer, director/producer, musician, production assistant or stage manager. Other ideas could include training as a drama teacher, drama therapist or speech and language therapist.

Take-home pay
Sustained success can bring stardom, celebrity status and fairy-tale fees, but the reality for many actors is the basic minimum rate negotiated by the union Equity. For a once-nightly performance in a London West End show this is currently £290 a week; in a provincial show it is £240 a week. You may receive an additional lodgings allowance if working for a touring company.

Given that many acting jobs are not on a regular basis, your income would vary considerably according to the parts you are offered and the employers involved. You may leave it to your agent to negotiate the best possible terms for each role.

Effects
It can be stressful seeking to maintain your confidence and lifestyle in an extremely competitive profession where, at any one time, only about 25% of the workforce are actually in employment. The hours are long and irregular, very often including evenings and weekends.

Rehearsals or filming can feature long breaks for technical adjustments or rehearsing other actors' parts, not to mention shooting the same scene over and over again to achieve the desired result.

Auditions, rehearsals and performances can be in any part of the country, or even any other country, so you are likely spend a lot of time away from home.

Sources of information
Arts Council of Great Britain: www.artscouncil.org.uk
British Actors Equity Association: www.equity.org.uk
Conference of Drama Schools: www.drama.ac.uk
National Council for Drama Training: www.ncdt.co.uk

CRCI: Q