The III Archetypes of the Actor: Part I - Introduction

Part I of V: Using a game mechanic to navigate this wild and wonderful industry.

Hi Actor,

This one is a fun one. I came up with it too. Pretty proud!...

Have you struggled to fill your time as an actor while keeping your approach balanced across both the art and the business? You kind of know what needs to be done to improve your career but have no idea on how to go 100%, all in, all of the time? How do you fill the time and make sure the work you're doing is effective?

I myself can put months into studying different acting methods and miss industry events left right and centre. Alternately I can go through times where I miss all preparation for upcoming auditions because I attended every event I could get tickets for. Sometimes I lack the discipline needed to get up and go every day, working hard towards my acting career. Even despite my passion for it! It can be hard to balance, prioritise and keep moving forward. I'm sure I'm not alone here. Acting typically is described as unstable when discussing income and frequency of work but how often do we address the destabilisation and challenge of trying to be self motivated, passionate and business savvy?

The Question: How can I know I what to do, when to do it and how do I stay on track?

My answer: Use a compass. Use the 3 Acting Archetypes. Let me explain.

For as long as I can remember I have been a gamer. Video games have gotten me through a lot and have provided me with endless entertainment since I was a wee child. There is something thoroughly beautiful about a well made game and if you haven't ever been a gamer, I recommend trying it out because there are some truly brilliant stories to experience throughout the medium. The Last of Us, Detroit Become Human, God of War or even Marvel's Spiderman are some of the best stories out there. Even holding their own to many of my favourite tv shows. One of those was even made into a TV show funnily enough. I digress, the game relevant to this post is 'The Elder Scrolls V - Skyrim'.

When I played Skyrim, hours would just disappear. It put me effortlessly into a state of focus (or flow) each and every time I turned the game on. Last year in a frustration of not being able to stay "on" as an actor I decided to think about why it was I could be more focused on a game than I was on my passion - Acting. I wanted to be an actor, not a gamer, and yet - gaming was easier to focus on. Why? Because its design kept you moving forward through different mechanics. Conversely, Acting can be scary. The fear of failure and countless other creative blocks serve to get in the way of keeping us focused and on track. In Skyrim, "Rewards" were everywhere in the game and they came in the form of: story development, new locations, coins, weapons, armour, magic and finally skill improvement. In fact, that last piece was what had me hooked. Levelling up skills would directly change the impact you had on the world around you. This is the mechanic that got me thinking - what if I translated this to Acting. What if I analysed and wrote down everything I knew an actor needed to succeed? Could I categorise them effectively and use this "skill based game mechanic" to help me win at acting and blow through my creative blocks?

Archetypes of Skills

One of the first things you are introduced to in this wonderful open world game is The Archetypes of Skills (Your Skill Tree).

• The Wizard

• The Warrior

• The Thief

These three archetypes each carried skills, sub skills & perks within them. (are you still with me?).

So a player that primarily works on the archetypal skills of The Thief can move around the game largely undetected, stealing or stealthily taking down an enemy without a sound.

The Warrior could defend himself and those around him boasting heavy armour and deadly weapons.

The Wizard could cast magic to both grant or take away life as he wished.

The archetype you favoured practicing drastically changed your experience in-game. This mechanic is one of the reasons the game still holds up in comparison to the games being release now (some 14 yrs later).

Now for the flip... We are Actors. We each have Three Acting Archetypes.

The Artist

The Soldier

The Diplomat

On a foundational level, acting is an art form. The work we do requires the hearts and minds of giants. We need to be able to express honestly and share bravely. Then we go through rejection, setbacks, challenges and many other obstacles that require the grit of a soldier to survive. Finally this is a business and we need to connect with other individuals - we need to promote, represent and stand up for ourselves. We need to work smart and be industry savvy. A balance of all of this is whats required to be an actor. The Artist, The Soldier & The Diplomat. Sounds like the start of a joke that would have them walking into a bar together.

We've identified the archetypes - now lets flesh them out. Within each of these archetypes there is a collection of Skills/ abilities, tool, techniques, methods, lessons, quotes, abilities, books - you name it. Literally, you name it and put it under the umbrella of one of the three. We base each of the archetypes contents entirely from the things we learn, experience, discover or create ourselves.

Remember: if we can physically or mentally do something, we can practice it. If we can practice it, we can get better at it. If we can get better at it, it must be a skill & our goal is to build upon mastery of our skills.

Over the next three posts, I will be taking you through each of these archetypes in detail so you can create your very own. I'll finishing with one final additional post covering the practical application of the three! 4 more posts inbound! Strap in and buckle up because this will be a ride to remember. What am I talking about? It's a blog! Not a rollercoaster! Nerd. (self-directed). Alright, love you! Thanks for reading! Hit the like, comment or subscribe!

NEXT WEEK: We cover the first archetype, The Artist.

Talk soon,

Lachy

Lachlan is an Australian Actor who has been working within the industry for a decade. He’s worked in Film & Theatre.

© Lachlan Stuart 2025