Becoming an actor is no mean feat – success demands talent, persistence, and a helping hand from Lady Luck. More fundamentally, you should understand what type of actor you should be. Types of acting roles range from leading parts in Hollywood blockbusters to steady recurring appearances on TV. Predicting exactly where you’ll land is impossible, but having some idea where you’d like to go is vital.
Let’s take a look at the basic acting roles in movies, TV, and theatre.
JUMP TO
Background actor or extra
These characters appear in the background for ambience and authenticity. Usually indistinguishable, they have no dialogue and instead populate scenes while performing basic actions. They aren’t necessarily played by aspiring actors, but becoming an extra can be a foot in the door. Once on set, extras may pick up additional work as stand-ins.
Pay for background actors
The Film Artistes’ Association (FAA)/Producers Alliance for Television and Cinema (PACT) stipulates a basic daily rate (BDR) of £107.19 for extras in and around London. PACT/Equity stipulates a BDR of £109.89 outside London.
Examples of background parts
- Regé-Jean Page in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
- Daniel Day-Lewis in Sunday Bloody Sunday
Walk-on
One step up from extras, walk-ons play specific yet unimportant characters who perform a certain action and may speak a few words, such as a nurse who hands a clipboard to a main character. Walk-ons may be prebooked or upgraded from available extras.
Pay for walk-on actors
- BBC BDR: £114.90
- ITV BDR: £109.46
- PACT/Equity BDR Outside London: £109.89
Examples of walk-on parts
- Idris Elba in Space Precinct
- Dominic West in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
Day player or co-star
Day players are contracted for a single day (hence the name) or to fill small but important roles that have several lines in a few specific scenes. Most professional careers start here. You’ll nail an audition, gain experience learning lines, and get a credit for your acting CV.
Pay for day players
BBC/Equity TV Agreement:
- One episode: £459
- Two or more episodes: £704
- Student/independent: at least the minimum hourly rate
- Low budget (under £1 million): minimum weekly performance rate of £644
- £1 million to £3 million budget: minimum weekly performance rate of £1,127
- £3 million or more budget: minimum weekly performance rate of £2,447.20
Examples of day player parts
- Christopher Eccleston in Casualty
- Seth Rogen in Donnie Darko
Bella Ramsey on Game of Thrones Credit: Helen Sloan/HBO
Recurring
Recurring parts see actors contracted for anything from two episodes to multiple appearances across several seasons. Appearances may be sporadic (think Janice in Friends) or part of a specific arc (such as Xaro in Game of Thrones Season 2). Most roles come through agents to actors with a few costar credits.
Pay for recurring roles
Pay varies wildly based on the actor’s reputation and the series’ budget. Supporting actors in UK soaps, for example, earn an estimated £40,000 to £100,000 per year.
Examples of recurring roles
- Paterson Joseph in Peep Show
- Bella Ramsey in Game of Thrones
Guest star
Heavily involved in a specific storyline, if only for a single episode, guest stars have a significant impact and are typically reserved for well-known actors or celebrities more interested in the show itself than advancing their careers or getting paid.
Pay for guest stars
Pay for guest roles is typically undisclosed.
Examples of guest starring roles
- Jennifer Saunders in Ghosts
- Liam Neeson in Derry Girls
- Tilda Swinton in What We Do in the Shadows
Series regular
A series regular is a lead character who appears in all (or nearly all) episodes. For actors, these roles provide security, reputation, and the chance to tackle complex roles over multiple seasons. Regulars also face long days, many lines, and much responsibility. Roles usually go to experienced actors, but not always – Daenerys Targaryen was Emilia Clarke’s third acting credit.
Pay for series regulars
Pay is estimated between £2,000 and £10,000 per episode in primetime dramas or sitcoms and between £400 and £2,000 per episode on popular soaps. Stars, however, earn considerably more. Bill Roache, for example, makes an estimated £250,000 per year as Coronation Street’s Ken Barlow.
Examples of series regular roles
- Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan in The Fall
- Idris Elba in Luther
Mikey Madison in Anora Courtesy of NEON
Supporting actor
From relatively minor movie roles to major parts – including best friends, love interests, coworkers, and antagonists – supporting parts can bring big career boosts. Ralph Fiennes received a BAFTA for his portrayal of Amon Göth in Schindler’s List, while Emma Stone launched her career from a small supporting role in Superbad. “Not a doubt in my mind,” Stone said when asked if Superbad opened lots of doors for her. “I got The Rocker and The House Bunny before that movie had even come out, just based on the buzz.” Brad Pitt scooped the supporting role in Thelma & Louise that proved to be his breakout with very little experience. “I had nothing to show for myself except for my work as an extra, and they took a chance on me,” Pitt told The Sun.
Pay for supporting actors
Estimated pay for supporting actors is between £100,000 and £1 million for a studio film and between £10,000 and £50,000 for a low-budget film. Big names get big bucks though: Robert Downey Jr. earned a reported $10 million for eight minutes of screentime in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Examples of supporting actor roles
- Alan Rickman in Die Hard
- Katie Leung in the Harry Potter series
Lead role
This is the main character that stories centre on. They’re in the most scenes, typically have the most lines, and appear first in the credits. Hollywood leads usually have proven track records, but independent or lower-budget films sometimes cast unknowns. Emily Watson, for example, had no film experience when Lars von Trier cast her as the lead in Breaking the Waves.
Pay for lead actors
The BDR for a low-budget or independent film is £644. For studio films, the minimum is £2,447.20 per week for a film with a budget over £3 million. It’s typically £5,000 to £20,000 per week, but stars can earn fortunes – especially when they take a percentage of profits. Tom Cruise, for example, earned an estimated $100 million (about £74 million) for Top Gun: Maverick.
Examples of lead actor roles
- Mikey Madison in Anora
- Ralph Fiennes in Conclave
Cast of Book of Mormon Credit: Julieta Cervantes
Understudy
Understudies learn lines and movements for lead roles and step in when principles are injured, unwell, or taken away from a project at the last minute. In musicals, they’re usually part of the ensemble cast, while in smaller productions they’re often offstage and waiting in the wings.
Pay for understudies
In addition to ensemble pay, understudies receive responsibility rates for availability and performance rates when required.
The Society of London Theatre/Equity stipulates responsibility payments of £31.50 per week for a supporting role and £52.50 per week for a leading role. Performance payments are £52.50 per performance for leading roles and £31.50 for supporting roles.
Examples of understudy roles
- Shirley MacLaine understudied Carol Haney in The Pajama Game
- Dani Arlington understudied Jodie Comer in Prima Facie
Swing
A fixture of large musicals, swings prepare for multiple smaller roles and step into them when needed to keep the show running. Onstage swings participate in all scheduled performances in small ensemble roles, but most swings are offstage and perform only when an ensemble member is missing.
Pay for swing roles
Equity stipulates a £50-per-week responsibility payment.
Examples of swing roles
- Jonathan Groff in In My Life
- Kimber Sprawl in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Chorus/ensemble
Chorus and ensemble members support the main cast by providing background exposition, singing, and dancing. The current West End production of Wicked, for example, features 18 ensemble members who perform various small actions and dance numbers, as well as adding their voices in songs such as “One Short Day” and “Defying Gravity.”
Pay for chorus/ensemble actors
Pay is estimated at £750 to £950 per week on the West End.
Examples of chorus/ensemble actors
- Matthew Morrison in Footloose
- Sutton Foster in Annie and The Scarlet Pimpernel
Principal
Also known as lead performers, these are the stars who convey the primary storyline and take the final bow. Contracts can last for months, making these lucrative roles that offer considerable security. West End productions are often filled by famous stars.
Pay for principals
Society of London Theatre/Equity stipulates between £800.58 and £1,030.46 per week, depending on contract length and the number of seats in the theatre, but big names command higher rates. Tom Hiddleston, for example, earned an estimated £20,000 to £30,000 per week in Jamie Lloyd’s 2025 production of Much Ado About Nothing.
Examples of principals
- Blair Gibson and Conner Peirson in the West End production of The Book of Mormon
- Bryan Cranston, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, and Paapa Essiedu in All My Sons