Acting has been derived from the Latin word ‘agere’ meaning ‘to do’. In acting, an actor tries to restrain or augment the aspects of his/her real personality in order to portray the actions and motivations of some other character for particular period of time. The actor is said to be ‘assuming the role’ of another character or trying to get into the shoes of other character, fictitious or otherwise , usually for the benefit of an audience, but also because it can bring one a sense of artistic satisfaction. According to a Greek legend the first actor was Thespis of Greece, in the honor of whom the word Thespian has been coined. Today the word stands for successful life, glamour and glitzy lifestyle, limelight, huge fan following, fabulous riches besides name and fame. The life suddenly seems to leapfrog from the ordinary to the extra-ordinary.

 

Qualifications:It is said that actors are born and not made. Well the acting schools of today specialize in making actors. Even otherwise to become a thorough professional a wannabe actor not only needs to hone his/her acting skills but certain other finer points as well. A formal programme gives a person exposure, training and education and increases the chances of success. The minimum educational qualifications required to get admitted in such a course is ‘a degree in graduation in any discipline from a recognized university in India’. A good command over the chosen language of instruction is a must. Another pre-requisite is experience in drama productions in the school or amateur drama troupes. The National School of Drama, New Delhi offers a course in the Diploma course in Dramatic Arts, which is recognized by the Government of India for the purpose of recruitment to superior posts and services under the Central Government, where specialization in the field of Dramatics is required. The prerequisite for this course is a degree in graduation with at least 10 years of experience in amateur drama.

Skills & Attributes: - Actors should have good vocal projection, clarity of speech, physical expressiveness, a good sense of perspective, emotional availability and ability to imagine and visualize.

Multi-faceted actors often acquire skills in singing, dancing, emotional expressiveness, imitating dialects and accents, improvisation observation and emulation.