actorrole

An actor role (sometimes written as "actorrole") is the character or part portrayed by a performer in dramatic media such as theatre, film, television, radio, and interactive entertainment. It encompasses the scripted personality, objectives, relationships, and behaviors that an actor interprets and brings to life through vocal, physical, and emotional choices. Roles range from leading and supporting to bit parts and cameos, and may be further described as protagonist, antagonist, foil, character role, or stereotype.

The process of filling an actor role typically involves casting, rehearsal, character research, and collaboration with directors, writers, and fellow performers. Preparation methods vary widely and can include textual analysis, historical study, improvisation, and psychological techniques such as method acting. Typecasting occurs when an actor is regularly cast in similar roles, while versatility is valued for its adaptability across styles and genres.

Actor roles carry artistic and commercial significance: they shape storytelling, influence audience reception, and affect an actor’s career trajectory and compensation. Crediting systems and performance rights govern attribution and reuse in recorded media. The concept extends into related fields; for example, in video games roles may include motion-capture and voice work, and the term is distinct from technical meanings in computer science such as the actor model of concurrency. Understanding an actor role involves both its textual function within a narrative and the practical craft of performance.