Actors
Machines can already do 13% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 39%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Actors in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 13% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 10% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2039, and 39% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 55,000 people do this job in the United States.
- Contact with people: it scores 73% for contact with people.
- Also called: Actress, Stage Actor, Film Actor, Entertainer.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study and rehearse roles from scripts to interpret, learn and memorize lines, stunts, and cues as directed | 21% | 3% to 30% | |
| Portray and interpret roles, using speech, gestures, and body movements, to entertain, inform, or instruct radio, film, television, or live audiences | 18% | 3% to 30% | |
| Attend auditions and casting calls to audition for roles | 11% | 3% to 30% | |
| Work closely with directors, other actors, and playwrights to find the interpretation most suited to the role | 10% | 20% to 40% | |
| Collaborate with other actors as part of an ensemble | 10% | 3% to 30% | |
| Learn about characters in scripts and their relationships to each other to develop role interpretations | 7% | 85% to 97% | |
| Perform humorous and serious interpretations of emotions, actions, and situations, using body movements, facial expressions, and gestures | 7% | 3% to 30% | |
| Read from scripts or books to narrate action or to inform or entertain audiences, utilizing few or no stage props | 3% | 20% to 40% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills actors use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Dancers33% of tasks by 2035
- Athletes and Sports Competitors33% of tasks by 2035 · US median $66,710
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Actors?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2039. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of actors?
Machines can do 13% of the tasks of actors today and 39% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 27-2011.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Actors: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/actors/