Making a character come to life before an audience is a job that has great psychic rewards. Acting requires persistence, practice and hard work as well as a special talent. Only a few actors and actresses achieve recognition as stars on the stage, in motion pictures or on television. Others may be employed by theater companies and teach acting courses to the public. Formal dramatic training or acting experience is generally necessary, although some people enter the field without it.
Many experienced actors get formal training to learn new skills and improve old ones.
Training can be obtained at dramatic arts schools in New York and Los Angeles, and at over 500 colleges and universities throughout the country offering bachelor's or higher degrees in dramatic and theater arts. There are no post-secondary schools offering acting courses in Missouri. Employment of actors is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2005 as the number of theatrical and motion picture production increases. Nevertheless, the large number of people desiring acting careers and the lack of formal entry requirements will cause keen competition for acting and directing jobs. Only the most talented will find regular employment.