\n<\/p>\n
For a whole lot of people making not a whole lot of money, actors are strangely obsessed with the lovely, horrible stuff<\/a>. To some, it\u2019s a symbol of status; to others, money signals a degree of security until the next rent cheque is due. And for everybody\u2014especially the non-actors in a performer\u2019s circle\u2014money is an indicator of one\u2019s stability and success in a notoriously harsh industry. This is perhaps where fascination with the term \u2018working actor\u2019 originates. It\u2019s not just a job classification, it\u2019s a symbol that one\u2019s art has become that rarest of things in our society: profitable.<\/p>\n \u2018Working actor\u2019 is a loose status awarded to actors who are paid to perform their art. A working actor may be somebody for whom acting is their sole source of income; it could also be used to describe an actor who performs occasional professional (paid) jobs in bit parts, stage shows or commercials. While it is less common, \u2018working actor\u2019 can also be attributed to actors who are engaging in acting jobs\u2014regardless of whether they are actually paid.<\/strong><\/p>\n Like so many classifications in this business, \u2018working actor\u2019 is a contentious term. If you clicked on this article hoping for a curt definition of when an actor gets to bestow this title upon themselves, you\u2019re likely to be disappointed. However, what we do <\/em>hope to offer on this page is a vitally important discussion around how actors (and their wider communities) see and value themselves.<\/p>\n In the immortal words of Laurence Laurentz: \u201cWould that it were so simple\u2026\u201d<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n \u201cA working actor is a full-time, paid performer.\u201d <\/em>Acting is their sole source of income. When they don\u2019t have the next acting job lined up they simply wait for the next opportunity\u2014either provided by their agent<\/a>, or hustled under their own steam. A working actor does nothing<\/span> but act. Except, well, wait a second\u2026 Obviously they\u2019re\u00a0still\u00a0<\/em>an actor in between those paid acting jobs. Otherwise they\u2019d only\u00a0technically\u00a0<\/em>be a paid actor when they were on stage or on set\u2026 We\u2019ve messed this up, let\u2019s try again:<\/p>\n \u201cA working actor is a paid performer.\u201d<\/em> They engage in professional work on stage or screen, but also keep a full- or part-time job to sustain themselves. Except, well, wait a second\u2026 Their last paid gig was five years ago?! It\u2019s not their fault: they self-test<\/a> for something every month! But between then and now there were strikes<\/a>, a global pandemic and their agent ran away to Antarctica. Have they secretly not<\/em> been an actor working hard on their career this whole time? Okay, this definition\u2019s another bust. Let\u2019s try:<\/p>\n \u201cA working actor is a performer who only makes money performing Shakespeare on stage.\u201d <\/em>Acting for screen? It\u2019ll never catch on! A commercial? That\u2019s not acting, that\u2019s sales. A working actor has integrity<\/span>, and only selects jobs that define and re<\/em>fine them as a-<\/p>\n Take our point? There are too many variables in an actor\u2019s life and career to give a single, binary definition of when an actor is a working actor. Every journey is different, each driven by an individual\u2019s own goals and opinions. As best we can, we offer this: an actor is a working actor when they work towards their craft and career goals.<\/strong><\/p>\n Simply put: it\u2019s an easy way for somebody to try and grasp your level of success. \u2018Working actor\u2019 implies that you\u2019re steadily employed as a performer and, therefore, doing well. It\u2019s why you hear this question a lot when you talk about your acting career with people outside of the industry<\/a>: with strangers, acquaintances, family, friends.<\/p>\n While the question can come across at times as a little pointed\u2014even rude\u2014it\u2019s seldom meant in that manner. This is because most non-actors fail to understand how much of the acting profession is unpaid labour. Taking classes, networking<\/a>, preparing auditions, the endless requirements of self-tapes\u2026 most of the time you\u2019re lucky if these things\u00a0don\u2019t<\/em> cost you. They\u2019re all necessities that fit firmly within the purview of a professional actor\u2019s job; and yet they defy definition to the average person because they don\u2019t come with a paycheque.<\/p>\n If ever you feel put on the spot by this question, or defensive when providing your answer, ask yourself why. Often, negative feelings around this question relate more to your own insecurities than the other person\u2019s desire to point at you and scream Starving Artist.<\/p>\n And if you really think that the person has asked you this question to shame or invalidate you, ask yourself why their opinion matters in the first place. Honestly: they sound a little jealous your life is full of art and meaning\u2026<\/p>\n A lot of actors don\u2019t feel like they\u2019ve earned it. It\u2019s tied to the same insecurity we\u2019ve spoken about above: they don\u2019t think that the term truly \u2018fits\u2019 what their experience of being an actor is, whether that\u2019s due to the lack of recent, paid credits or a lack of their name on a star in a Hollywood footpath.<\/p>\n Calling yourself a working actor, or an actor at all for that matter, requires confidence and self-respect. For a lot of people, these qualities don\u2019t come easy. So it\u2019s up to you as an actor to train these as you would any other craft-related skill.<\/p>\n If it still feels strange, do a check-in on your career and your achievements. Do you spend your days hustling and improving your skills?<\/a> Are you studying your craft, taking classes<\/a> or reading scenes<\/a> with your peers? Has your life been taken over by a constant barrage of self-tapes and indie film shoots?<\/p>\n You\u2019re an actor. Not just an working one, but a damn-hard working one. Be proud of that!<\/p>\n Absolutely. If you\u2019re yet to pick up on what we\u2019re putting down today: paid jobs themselves have little to do with the classification of a \u2018working actor\u2019. If you\u2019re making an effort, you\u2019ve more than earned the right to describe yourself this way.<\/p>\n There is perhaps some contention when you leave a longer break between periods of developing your career or craft. An actor who gives up auditioning to attend law school would probably be stretching the truth to call themselves a working actor if they hadn\u2019t seriously pursued acting goals for four years.<\/p>\n But this is not to invalidate the career that has come before this time in their life, nor their inherent skill and knowledge as a performer. Actors often take extended breaks in their careers.<\/a> Ten, fifteen, twenty years later: they can find their way back<\/a>.<\/p>\n As always, it\u2019s up to you whether or not you identify as an actor\u2014working or not. Be honest with yourself and you can\u2019t go wrong.<\/p>\n And that\u2019s okay too! Not every actor is setting out to give up their day job; some are happy pursuing roles for the love in any opportunity they can find. In some cases, actors perform entirely for their own gratification: working on, say, a sonnet<\/a> once a week for the simple joy of Shakespeare\u2019s poetry.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re not looking to become a working actor, but still feel confident enough in what you do to label yourself an actor regardless: you\u2019re more evolved than 99% of the rest of us. This life is never about the labels, any more than it is the fame or the fortune that sometimes follows.<\/p>\n Do what you wanna, and enjoy yourself along the way. Who cares\u00a0what<\/em> you\u2019re called?<\/p>\n So there you have it: a definition or two of the term \u2018working actor\u2019, and all the juicy, related discussions the term can bring about. Before we leave you to address your acting identity crisis, here\u2019s one final piece of advice.<\/p>\n \u2018Working actor\u2019 is often thought of as an evolution out of the simple \u2018actor\u2019: it\u2019s a transition one makes in their career at some point that marks new opportunities, prestige and reward\u2026 This is totally untrue.\u00a0 Some days you\u2019re a working actor, other days you\u2019re a working barista. Some months you\u2019re a professional stage performer and others you forget what a casting director<\/a> looks like.<\/p>\n Acting journeys meander: careers peak and valley, ebb and flow. Be open to\u2014and ready for\u2014it all. Regardless of how you introduce yourself at a party.<\/p>\n Good luck!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nWhen is an Actor a Working Actor?<\/h2>\n
Why do People Ask if you\u2019re a Working Actor?<\/h2>\n
\u201cWhy do I feel strange calling myself a working actor?\u201d<\/h2>\n
Are You Still a Working Actor Between Jobs?<\/h2>\n
\u201cI\u2019m pretty sure I\u2019m just an actor\u2026\u201d<\/h2>\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n