The Creative Arts industry is a very diverse field and offers many opportunities to follow your passion for creativity, without having to compromise on making a good living and enjoying a fulfilling career.

The next in our Careers in the Creative Arts series is Acting.

Can you think creatively and interpret how a character should feel and behave? Can you see yourself being the next Saoirse Ronan or Paul Mescal? Were you born for the stage! What is being an Actor all about?

Actor

So, what do they do?

Actors use creative thinking and skills to act out the part of a character in plays, productions and advertisements for film, TV, radio and theatre. They research all aspects of their character’s lives, and perform the part in order to entertain or to inform a variety of audiences. Actors must follow the instructions that may be given by a director. They must be able to skilfully use body movements, gestures and speech in order to make their character believable

What type of person would make a good Actor?

To become a good actor requires a great deal of creative abilities. You must be able to tell a story and immerse yourself in all aspects of your character. Acting also requires excellent concentration and memory. An ability to work as part of a team is a must, as is being flexible with your time as many acting jobs will work to tight schedules. A good deal of resilience is also required as there may be many auditions before landing a role, so being able to take it on the chin and move onto the next one is part and parcel of the profession.

OK, so how do I become an Actor?

A good starting place would be to get yourself involved with your local theatre. If you are then bitten by the bug there are plenty of courses throughout the country run at various levels. There may be acting night classes running near you or you may want to try a specialist PLC course such as those in Colaiste Stiofain Naofa CFE, Sallynoggin CFE, Bray Institute of FE and Galway Community College among others.

There are also many options in Higher Education such as the BA in Acting at The Lir Academy, TUD’s Drama (Performance) degree, Drama and Theatre Studies TCD, Drama and Theatre Studies, Mary Immaculate College Arts (Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies), NUIG, Theatre and Drama Studies, CIT and IT Sligo’s Performing Arts (Acting) stream. You can find out about other related degree options on our Course Finder.

Finally, are there jobs and what’s the pay like?!

Although the sky can be the limit for actors that ‘make it’ with huge salaries commanded for the big feature films and series, most acting salary rates will fall into the lower range from €8k - €35k. Many local theatre groups operate on a voluntary basis, and amateur actors do it for the love of the art. There are a number of professional theatre companies in the country who pay their own actors. Many actors will get employment in radio and television advertising which can often keep them going until their next paid acting job.

If you are interested in finding out more information about what an Actor is, what they do and how you might become one, just go to our Career Explorer where you will find detailed information on this occupation and over 1,000 other careers.

You might also do some research on the Film, TV & Online Video and Drama & Theatre sectors which are also relevant to this occupation.

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