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  5. Actors and Comedians

Exploring Trades and Occupations

Actors and Comedians

On this page

  • Job description
  • Hourly wage
  • Job prospects for 2021-2025
  • Sectors of activity
  • Training and requirements
  • Main skills and characteristics
  • Personality profiles (RIASEC)
  • Additional information

Job description

Actors and comedians perform roles in a variety of productions (films, television series, plays, etc.) to entertain diverse audiences.

Drama teachers teach acting techniques and performance to students.

Environment

  • Controlled ambient temperature
  • Climatic conditions
  • Vehicle or passenger compartment
  • Humidity
  • Hazardous workplaces
  • Noise

Main tasks

Actors and Comedians

  • Research and learn different techniques (handling a weapon, playing a sport, adopting an accent, etc.) in preparation for the role.
  • Learn and rehearse texts, gestures, and expressions to interpret a role.
  • Improvise, interpret roles or narrate a text in various productions (movies, TV series, plays, etc.).
  • Improvise or interpret roles in a simulation (emergency, job interview, etc.).
  • Sing or dance, when required by certain roles.
  • Double the voice of actors who do not speak the same language.

Drama Teachers

  • Teach students the principles of drama, script interpretation, public speaking and movement.
  • Prepare students for special auditions and performances.
  • Assess students as they learn and provide feedback.
  • Detect and develop the potential of each student.

Hourly wage

Not available.

Job prospects for 2021-2025

sr.comparaison-region.titre

Les 2 champs de sélection ci-dessous vous permettent de comparer 2 régions. Les données des régions seront automatiquement mises à jour à la sélection. Par défaut, la province de Québec est sélectionnée pour la première région.

Job prospects for 2021-2025

Job prospects

All of Québec

Non available
Limited
Good
Very good
Non available

All of Québec

Non available
Limited
Good
Very good
Non available

Total jobs for 2020

All of Québec

2,000

All of Québec

na

Gender distribution

All of Québec

Not available.
47.6% Female
52.4% Male

Not available.
  • 47.6% Female
  • 52.4% Male

Job types

All of Québec

Not available.
Full time
Part time

Not available.
  • Full time
  • Part time

Yearly wage

All of Québec

Not available.

All of Québec

Other characteristics

All of Québec

  • None

All of Québec

  • None

Sectors of activity

All of Québec

Not available.
  1. Arts, Entertainment and Recreation
    NAICS 71
    61% of jobs
  2. Information and Cultural Industries
    NAICS 51
    20% of jobs
  3. Educational Services
    NAICS 61
    8% of jobs
  4. Business, building and other support services
    NAICS 55, 56
    3% of jobs
  5. Accommodation and Food Services
    NAICS 72
    2% of jobs
  6. Others
    6% of jobs

All of Québec

Not available.
  1. Arts, Entertainment and Recreation
    NAICS 71
    61% of jobs
  2. Information and Cultural Industries
    NAICS 51
    20% of jobs
  3. Educational Services
    NAICS 61
    8% of jobs
  4. Business, building and other support services
    NAICS 55, 56
    3% of jobs
  5. Accommodation and Food Services
    NAICS 72
    2% of jobs
  6. Others
    6% of jobs

Training and requirements

Formation

Most training programs are offered in French only.

College

DCS in professional Theatre (Acting) This hyperlink will open in a new window.
Code : 561C0

Placement rate: 62.2%

18.9% of graduates pursue further studies

More on graduates’ employment situation

University

Drama
Bachelor’s degree

Placement rate: 53.2%

25.5% of graduates pursue further studies

More on graduates’ employment situation
Master’s degree

Placement rate: 100%

More on graduates’ employment situation
This discipline is taught in the following institutions:
  • Bishop's University
  • Concordia University
  • Université du Québec à Montréal
  • Université Laval

Sometimes required

  • Audition or previous roles demonstrating the talent and skills are usually required.

Drama Teachers

  • Experience as an actor is usually required.

Main skills and characteristics

Skills

  • Reading comprehension
  • Oral expression
  • Active listening
  • Social perception
  • Data collection
  • Teaching
  • Result evaluation
  • Time management
  • Critical thought
More Less skills

Abilities

  • Verbal skills
  • Oral comprehension
  • Speech clarity
  • Written comprehension
  • Memorization
  • Originality
  • Near vision
  • Awareness of issues
  • Selective attention
  • Idea generation
  • Speech recognition
More Less abilities

Knowledge and attributes

  • Capacity to adapt
  • Versatility
  • Vitality
  • Creativity
  • Availability
  • Enjoy challenges
  • Knowledge of the arts
  • Knowledge of communication and media
  • Capacity to facilitate a group
  • Spoken bilingualism (French and English)

Interests

  • Work in the arts, culture, music, or leisure
  • Create, design
  • Self-employment
  • Teach or educate

Personality profiles (RIASEC)

Artistic
People with this profile prefer to express their emotions and thoughts through various art forms. They like to use their imagination.
Enterprising
People with this profile prefer having responsibilities, influencing others and responding to challenges.
Social
People with this profile prefer to be in contact with others, in particular to entertain, help or teach them.
Additional information

Official name of the NOC 5135

Actors and comedians

Job titles

  • Actress
  • Comedian
  • Performing arts extra
  • Humorist - performing arts
  • Movie actor
  • Drama actor
  • Story teller
  • Film dubber
  • Straight man
  • Comic
  • Improviser
  • Reader - performing arts
  • Dramatic reader
  • Mime
  • Stand-up comedian
  • Narrator
  • Standardized patient
  • Acting teacher - private or studio
  • Drama teacher - private or studio
  • Diction coach
  • Drama coach
  • Voice coach
  • Voice-over actor
More Less job titles

Skill type

Art, culture, recreation and sport

Related occupations

  • Announcers and other broadcasters
  • Dancers
  • Musicians and singers
  • Other performers, n.e.c.
  • University professors and lecturers

See also

  • Glossary (PDF 229 Kb)
  • Québec emploi This hyperlink will open in a new window.

Last update: December 22, 2022

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