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OaSIS 2025 Version 1.0
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53121.01 – Actors and comedians

Actors and comedians perform roles in motion picture, television, theatre and radio productions to entertain a variety of audiences.

Overview

Example job titles

  • Actor/actress
  • Comedian
  • Narrator

Core competencies

  • Social Perceptiveness to accurately portray a wide range of characters, each with their own emotions, desires and relationships
  • Reading Comprehension to grasp the nuances of the script, which is essential for delivering accurate and compelling performances
  • Verbal Ability and Speech Clarity to articulate speaking lines clearly so audiences can understand dialogue, jokes or monologues
  • Auditory Attention to listen carefully to cues, timing and dialogue, ensuring they respond appropriately and stay in sync with the performance
  • Collaboration to ensure everyone involved in the production is aligned in their efforts, contributing to a unified and polished final product
  • Knowledge in Arts to understand the traditions, techniques and artistic choices to portray a character or perform in plays, modern films or stand-up comedy routines

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Study and rehearse lines, gestures and expressions to interpret a role
  • Portray roles in video or motion picture productions, television shows, theatre productions, radio dramas, commercials and other productions or perform the narration
  • Sing or dance as required by specific roles
  • Perform comedy acts in nightclubs alone or as members of comedy troupes
  • Improvise a role.

Additional information

No data has been provided for this section.

Similar occupations classified elsewhere

Exclusions:

  • Announcers and other broadcasters (52114)
  • Other performers (55109)

NOC hierarchy breakdown

NOC version

NOC 2021 Version 1.0

Broad occupational category

5 – Occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport

TEER

3 – Occupations usually require a college diploma or apprenticeship training of less than two years; or more than six months of on-the-job training

Major group

53 – Occupations in art, culture and sport

Sub-major group

531 – Occupations in art and culture

Minor group

5312 – Occupations in creative and performing art

Unit group

53121 – Actors, comedians and circus performers

Occupational profile

53121.01 – Actors and comedians

O*NET in-it

This page includes information from the O*NET 27.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Employment and Social Development Canada has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.