A television actor is someone who acts primarily on television programs. While actors may give performances live on stage, for film to be projected in movie theaters, or only using their voices over the radio, a television actor prefers or specializes in television performances. Many actors who work on television comedies or dramas will take acting classes to learn specific methods of acting to help in their performances.
Most television actors perform on recorded episodes of a television series. An actor on such a show may be part of the principal cast that appears in every episode, part of the supporting cast who will often appear but not necessarily in every episode, or make a guest appearance for a single or limited number of episodes. Principal cast members will usually be featured or listed during the opening credits of a television show to indicate their involvement and as a way of recognizing a television actor who is important to the show.
A member of the supporting cast on a television show will not usually be shown or listed during the opening credits of a program. That may change over time, and an actor may begin appearing during the beginning credits if a character becomes popular among viewers or writers of the show. Such supporting actors are usually not paid as well as the principal cast, but it can often be a great way for a new television actor to begin building his or her career.
Guest appearances on a television program can sometimes be made by actors who are already well known or renowned. This may be an appearance by a famous movie actor who does not typically appear on television shows or by an actor who is from another well-known program. Sometimes known as a “cameo,” this sort of appearance can help boost ratings for a show or allow the writers of the program to have characters from another show briefly appear on a different program.
Though being a television actor is sometimes viewed as less difficult or less worthy than being a movie actor, especially in the United States (US), that idea began to disappear during the late 20th century. During the mid-to-late 1990s, some very popular television actors began getting paid salaries that could rival those paid to film actors. Similarly, some shows began getting recognition for writing and storytelling that often surpassed some of the movies that were receiving awards each year. As this happened, the view of being a television actor changed and many such actors began to receive the respect they deserve.