All actors play characters, so what is a character actor? The term is usually applied to actors who play impactful, often slightly eccentric, supporting roles. Although some character actors become typecast, many of them are known for their versatility, a chameleon-like ability to slip into these unusual roles and portray them realistically.
Although the character actor, meaning an actor specialising in colourful supporting roles, is sometimes a disputed definition, most people subscribe to this description of what a character actor is.
Can You Make a Career Out of Being a Character Actor?
Character actors are highly skilled actors, and it is possible to navigate a career as a specialist character actor. If you succeed in playing a particular type of character in a high-profile production, there is a chance that more work requiring similar portrayals comes your way.
It will be up to you to decide whether you have artistic objections to being typecast or are happy to keep on portraying a specific type of supporting role. However, there are actors who have built successful careers from doing so, so being typecast may not be a bad thing from a career perspective.
On the other hand, there are character actors who are known for their ability to slip into a wide range of eccentric roles. This may become a route towards a career as a comedy actor, crime drama actor, or period drama actor. Although this limits your scope somewhat, you can hope that your talent is recognised in other contexts too.
Can You Achieve Fame As a Character Actor?
Although it is unlikely that you will become a household name, it is possible to achieve a degree of fame as a character actor. This is particularly true of character actors in film, and of course, those cast in TV series will gain a great deal of regular exposure.
An article in The Guardian profiles some of the UK’s best-known character actors, and although their names won’t be familiar to everyone, there’s no doubt that their faces will be. As an example, the late Geoffrey Chater was typecast as the ultimate “establishment” character, but the variations on this theme, ranging from chaplains to military officers, certainly gave him some scope for creativity.
An example of just how compelling character acting can be, one Hollywood actor known for roles as an abusive, womanising gangster found that certain types of women would make overtures toward him. He is recorded as saying: “My fan mail goes up every time I tee off on a girl,” a rather disturbing consequence that not even his psychologist could explain.
Tips For Becoming a Character Actor
Some people can’t help it. They look “right” for a particular type of role, or their natural personality, voice, and mannerisms make them an obvious choice for certain roles. Think about your natural characteristics. If they seem to match a stereotype, even one you don’t particularly like in real life, this could be your route toward a career in character acting.
Taking this route does not mean you are a “bad” actor. You still need all the skills any other actor uses, but you are playing to your natural advantages. For example, if you are bespectacled, slender, and soft-spoken, you may be a good choice for roles as an intellectual, tech genius, hacker, or scholar.
Similarly, if you have a broad accent, you may have trained yourself to speak in unaccented tones when your natural inflexions make you an ideal choice for certain types of roles. It’s one more reason to understand a production before you audition for it. If you don’t, you may conceal quirks that could actually help you land character acting roles.
Techniques for Character Acting
Character acting, when all is said, is just like other forms of acting. You still need to undertake the same process, adjusting your stage or screen persona based on the story, the character’s motivations, the nature of the production, and the script.
In a sense, because the roles you play are often very eccentric, you have to work harder on your acting technique to make them believable. For example, even villains have some form of humanity, and although your portrayal should be chilling, it cannot be too two-dimensional – unless the director specifically wants a caricature.
Supposing you have been typecast and are getting a lot of similar characters to play, you should not be discouraged. Famous actors who get cast in leading roles also experience this at times, and many of them have broken out of the mould successfully. Keep practising your acting skills and seek out opportunities to exercise your range.
Between Roles? Run the Gamut of Roles With RSVP
Acting is very much a part of daily life, especially in business. However, some people seem to do it better than others. As a real actor, you can probably beat the average Jill or Joe at this game. That’s why RSVP, a London-based business process outsourcing company, employs actors for customer-facing interactions.
Apart from offering flexible work to people we know are committed to a career in acting, we believe that working for us means plenty of opportunities to practise your acting skills. Your audiences consist of individual people, and your characters are brand personas.
Landed that role? Off to auditions or acting classes? Going on tour with your stage production? We’ll be cheering for you from the sidelines instead of begrudging you the time you need to further your career as an actor. Visit our careers page to find out more.