Actors work 10 to 20 hours a day, six days a week when they are starring in a main role. Supporting actors can expect to work around 30 hours a week. It largely depends on the role, filming schedule, and film studio.

Do actors get paid every week?

Actors are paid differently based on their chosen medium. Generally speaking, for screen work, actors are paid a day rate. If they are needed for more than five days, they are paid a weekly rate. Rates vary if actors are needed for the entirety of the film shoot or the entirety of a television season.

How much does an actor get per week?

As of Sep 21, 2023, the average weekly pay for an Actor in the United States is $505 a week. While ZipRecruiter is seeing weekly wages as high as $692 and as low as $212, the majority of Actor wages currently range between $384 (25th percentile) to $615 (75th percentile) across the United States.

Do actors have a day job?

Many professional actors have done multiple types of side gigs, including temp work, dog walking, and rideshare driving. Here's a list of the 10 best temporary and freelance positions for actors that offer flexible schedules and fair pay. Join Backstage to access jobs you can apply to right now!

How many actors work full-time?

Around 35% of people employed as Actors work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined.

Matt Damon Talks About What it Takes to Succeed as an Actor

What is the biggest paycheck for an actor ever?

Keanu Reeves is the highest-paid actor in history for a single film. He received 30 million dollars for Matrix Reloaded and Matrix Revolutions.

How do actors survive financially?

One of the most common ways actors survive financially is by diversifying their income streams. Many actors take on additional jobs, such as waiting tables, bartending, or working in retail, to supplement their income between acting gigs. This allows them to have a steady cash flow while pursuing their acting career.

Is acting a 9 5 job?

There are plenty of evening classes for actors, from 6-9 pm, for example. The problem are the auditions. At the beginning, if you're just auditioning for small non-union theater and student films, some auditions can be in the evening or weeekends, but all the professional castings for adults are weekdays, 9-5 mostly.

Is being an actor a fun job?

Most actors find their profession to be fun.

Bringing stories and interesting characters to life is very satisfying and often enjoyable. Actors also have the opportunity to travel for their work and get to meet all sorts of fascinating people during their productions.

What is a normal day for an actor?

Overall, work hours for an actor can be extensive and irregular. An actor's work hours may include early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays. Filming days can run from twelve to as many as twenty hours. Feature films may involve working five days a week and can last up to three months of shooting.

How much do beginner actors make?

How much does an Actor Entry Level make? As of Sep 28, 2023, the average annual pay for an Actor Entry Level in the United States is $45,141 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $21.70 an hour. This is the equivalent of $868/week or $3,761/month.

How soon do actors get paid?

Every effort will be made for this to happen as quickly as possible. The industry standard is approximately 4-6 weeks from the day you worked, but it can sometimes take up to 3 months. Commercials and corporate jobs often don't pay until after 90 days from the invoice.

Do actors get paid while filming?

Generally, they get paid during the filming, if they're being paid a weekly salary, which most film actors are. If they're in Screen Actor's Guild, they also get a cash per diem per week for meals and indidental expenses.

How do actors memorize their lines?

Most actors might write their lines out once on cue cards but the act of writing them out word for word over and over through cue cards, on pieces of paper, and on your computer will help you to fully remember every word exactly how it was written.

Do extras get paid?

A common rate for a single day of background work is between $100 and $200, though extras are paid differently depending on their union status.

What do actors do for money when not acting?

Some actors work as acting coaches, teaching classes or providing private lessons. Others may work in related fields such as voice-over work, commercials, or modeling. These side jobs not only provide financial stability but also allow actors to hone their craft and expand their professional network.

Is it risky to be an actor?

This is why it's vital to learn how to stay safe as an actor. Unfortunately, like any industry, it is not all sunshine and roses. In fact, along your acting journey there is a chance that you're going to meet some toxic personalities who don't exactly have your best interests at heart.

What are the cons of acting?

What is the hardest thing about being a working actor?

One of the biggest challenges for actors is to be believable and truthful. In fact, for most actors this is all that they are after. And it is a noble goal. For any story to come to life, it must be believable, we must “hold a mirror up to nature”, and audiences are very good at seeing fakes.

What do actors do in between gigs?

Can you become an actor while working full time?

For a non-Equity actor like yourself, I believe a steady job is a great thing for you AND your acting. There are many non-Equity (which unfortunately usually means non-paying) productions which hold auditions after work hours and on weekends. You could fill your weekend with auditions on most weekends if you wanted to.

Does height matter in acting career?

The bottom line is that there are roles for actors of all shapes and sizes. While you might occasionally lose out on a role due to your height, you may also receive a role because of your height. Don't be insecure about being vertically challenged. On balance, it's a push, casting wise.

How hard is the life of an actor?

If you're fortunate to be working as an actor usually life is pretty good. It's mostly well paid work, when on film or TV, and the people you work with are mostly passionate and friendly. Most actors live a combination of both lives, which can also be tough. The oscillation can be draining.

Can you live off being an actor?

Making a living as an actor is not impossible—but it is very, very difficult. Acting is not a steady, salaried gig in which you'll know exactly how much money you have coming in each month. You'll need to take a very different approach to your finances than someone working a traditional 9-to-5 job.

Is actors life stressful?

Actors are highly skilled, low paid workers, who experience anxiety, stress, and, most seriously, depression at high levels. They drink at a rate that is likely to lead to serious health problems,” said the study's co-author, Associate Professor Ian Maxwell from the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies.