Acting Is Serious Business

Once you've got an Actor, you probably want to know more about the actual business of acting - how you get Roles for your Actors, what you do to perform on set, and how your career improves.

What are Roles, then?

Roles are the parts in a show that an Actor portrays -- characters played by characters, so to speak. While performing in a Show, Actors are effectively compelled to portray their Role, with all the benefits and detriments that Role brings. The better they do, the more Renown they get -- we'll talk more about that in a minute.

So how does my Actor get a Role?

Shows announce Casting Calls when they have new Roles to fill - either because a new Show is starting, or because an old Show is expanding its Cast (or replacing some of its Cast members!) Actors can apply for specific Roles (if they have enough Star Power), or can just announce their availability and let the Director choose what Role they'll be given. As a rule, Directors show a preference for high Star Power and appropriate talents and skills.

Certain Shows will have an ongoing need for short-term Roles -- people to play 'destined victim of the week' in crime shows, fellow students in a school-based show, and so forth. While in most cases, Actors taking on these Roles will only appear for one Episode, it might just be the kickstart a budding career needs.

Extras and Aspiring Actors can only have one Role in one Show at a time - if you want Roles in multiple Shows, you'll have to keep working at it and gain more Renown!

What is Renown, anyhow?

Mafia men want nothing but respect; Actors want Renown. So what is Renown? Renown is the arbitrary number that shows how well known a particular Actor is, as well as what their current level of Star Power is. You earn Renown by performing well on Shows, or with good publicity; you can lose Renown by performing particularly badly on Shows or being caught in the midst of bad publicity.

How much Renown do I earn through Shows?

You earn Renown through your performance; the better your performance, the more Renown you earn. Renown is distributed among all Actors in a Show based on their performance. To find out more, check out 'The Show Must Go On.'