Adjective

acting (not comparable)

Positive acting

Comparative not comparable

Superlative none (absolute)

1. Temporarily assuming the duties or authority of another person when they are unable to do their job.

   The Acting Minister must sign Executive Council documents in a Minister's absence.

   Acting President of the United States is a temporary office in the government of the United States.

Verb

acting

1. Present participle of act.

Noun

Singular acting

Plural actings

acting (plural actings)

1. An intended action or deed.
2. Pretending.
3. (drama) The occupation of an actor.
4. (law) The deeds or actions of parties are called actings to avoid confusion with the legal senses of deeds and actions.

Acting is the work of an actor or actress, which is a person in theatre, television, film, or any other storytelling medium who tells the story by portraying a character and, usually, speaking or singing the written text or play. Most early sources in the West that examine the art of acting (Ancient Greek: hypokrisis) discuss it as part of rhetoric. While there is a set definition for the word "acting", there is no set definition for the phrase "to act". It is thought that the actor is typically supposed to "become the other", where the actor molds his or herself to the character. In all actuality, the actor should mold the character to his or herself based on common interests and goals that the character needs to achieve. This method is commonly taught through Constantin Stanislavski.

Quotes on Acting.

Arranged alphabetically by author.

Sourced

• For an actress to be a success she must have the face of Venus, the brains of Minerva, the grace of Terpsichore, the memory of Macaulay, the figure of Juno, and the hide of a rhinoceros.
  • Ethel Barrymore quoted in George Jean Nathan's The Theatre in the fifties

• ACTOR: A professional exhibitionist who manufactures emotions in a manner convincing enough to earn a living, generally by reciting the daily specials to restaurant patrons.
  • Rick Bayan, The Cynic's Dictionary

• It's not whether you really cry. It's whether the audience thinks you are crying.
  • Ingrid Bergman, Halliwell's Filmgoer's and Video Viewer's Companion

• For the theatre one needs long arms; it is better to have them too long than too short. An artiste with short arms can never, never make a fine gesture.
  • Sarah Bernhardt, Memories of My Life, Ch. 6

• An actor's a guy, who if you ain't talking about him, ain't listening.
  • Marlon Brando, The Observer (1956)

• Acting is the expression of a neurotic impulse. It's a bum's life. Quitting acting, that's the sign of maturity.
  • Marlon Brando, Halliwell's Filmgoer's and Video Viewer's Companion

• Acting is the least mysterious of all crafts. Whenever we want something from somebody or when we want to hide something or pretend, we're acting. Most people do it all day long.
  • Marlon Brando, as quoted in The New York Times (2 July 2004)

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Tue Feb 2 21:02:08 2010