Actor

Creative and Cultural Skills and Equity, two industry bodies, say:

Actors interpret others words in order to bring a text to life, and to put flesh and blood on the characters they portray. Most actors are expected to be able to work across all the disciplines of theatre, film, television and radio, and may also work as models, or provide voice-overs for commercials, documentaries, talking books, dubbed foreign language films etc. Although the basic abilities required are similar, each of these disciplines demands some specific skills.

Theatre work is geared to a wide variety of audiences, and includes theatre-in-education, pantomime, rep, touring productions, West End theatre, National Theatre etc and actors must be able to adapt to the differing requirements. Actors are selected, or cast, by the producer, director, casting director or, in some cases, they may be recommended by the writer.

It wasn’t until Mancunian Harley Bartles, 26, was studying on a theatre, media and English literature access course that he realised he really wanted to act. “I kind of stumbled into theatre by taking opportunities offered. I didn’t know I wanted to be an actor until I was an actor!”

Harley toured local theatres as part of an amateur theatre company before being snapped up and has now appeared on television as well as the professional stage.

David Bond, head of acting, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama on do I want to act?