An actor is any person who participates in a theatrical or film production. The term was originally used for both men and women. Today it is most commonly associated with men, while the term actress is reserved for women. The word is derived from the Latin actus which means "doing". Acting, the way that it is thought of today, is generally attributed to the Greek performer Thespis, which is the root of another, less commonly used term for an actor, thespian.

The tradition of acting may be old, but the idea of actors being famous is relatively recent. The late 19th and early 20th centuries brought about the recognition of famous actors. This is partly due to the "Hollywood" style of film production, which focused advertising on which actors would be in films. Though acting was once considered a little respected profession, today actors grace the covers of magazines and attend the most prestigious red carpet events.

The growing fame of many actors lead to the creation of the Screen Actors Guild. The Actors Guild was established in 1933 to fight for the rights of these newly established artists. This union represents 120,000 actors and actresses who work in all forms of theater. The SAG enables actors to get fair compensation and benefits for the work that they do, and protect the work of actors from unlawful use.

Forbes Magazine recently published a list of the highest paid male actors in Hollywood. It is no surprise that the list contained names like Will Smith, Johnny Depp, and Leonardo DiCaprio. The five actors on the list made a combined total of $ 487 million dollars from June 2007 to June 2008.