is a specific kind of: performer, performing artist.

is a broader term that covers: actress | barnstormer, play-actor, playactor, trouper | character actor | comedian | ham, ham actor | heavy | ingenue | leading man | mime, mimer, mummer, pantomimer, pantomimist | plant | reenactor | scene-stealer | movie actor, screen actor | lead, principal, star | extra, spear carrier, supernumerary | tragedian | standby, understudy | upstager | walk-on ... show more.

instances of which are: Allen, Allen Stewart Konigsberg, Woody Allen | Astaire, Fred Astaire | Barrymore, Herbert Blythe, Maurice Barrymore | Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore | Barrymore, John Barrymore | Bogart, Humphrey Bogart, Humphrey DeForest Bogart | Booth, John Wilkes Booth | Burbage, Richard Burbage | Burton, Richard Burton | Cagney, James Cagney, Jimmy Cagney | Chevalier, Maurice Chevalier | Cooper, Frank Cooper, Gary Cooper | Coward, Noel Coward, Sir Noel Pierce Coward | Cronyn, Hume Blake Cronyn, Hume Cronyn | Bing Crosby, Crosby, Harry Lillis Crosby | Dean, James Byron Dean, James Dean | De Niro, Robert De Niro | Depardieu, Gerard Depardieu | Drew, John Drew | Douglas Elton Fairbanks, Douglas Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Julius Ullman | Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Fairbanks | Fonda, Henry Fonda | Clark Gable, Gable, William Clark Gable | David Garrick, Garrick | Gibson, Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson, Mel Gibson | Arthur John Gielgud, Gielgud, Sir John Gielgud | Cary Grant, Grant | Granville-Barker, Harley Granville-Barker | Alec Guinness, Guinness, Sir Alec Guinness | Hanks, Thomas J. Hanks, Tom Hanks | Harrison, Reginald Carey Harrison, Rex Harrison, Sir Rex Harrison | Heming, Hemminge, John Heming, John Hemminge | Dustin Hoffman, Hoffman | Anthony Hopkins, Hopkins, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Sir Anthony Philip Hopkins | Howard, Leslie Howard, Leslie Howard Stainer | Al Jolson, Asa Yoelson, Jolson | Boris Karloff, Karloff, William Henry Pratt | Edmund Kean, Kean | Buster Keaton, Joseph Francis Keaton, Keaton | Eugene Curran Kelly, Gene Kelly, Kelly | Charles Laughton, Laughton | Bruce Lee, Lee, Lee Yuen Kam | Jack Lemmon, John Uhler, Lemmon | Harold Clayton Lloyd, Harold Lloyd, Lloyd | Laszlo Lowestein, Lorre, Peter Lorre | Bela Ferenc Blasko, Bela Lugosi, Lugosi | Alfred Lunt, Lunt | E. G. Marshall, Marshall | Martin, Steve Martin | James Mason, James Neville Mason, Mason | Mitchum, Robert Mitchum | Dudley Moore, Dudley Stuart John Moore, Moore | Newman, Paul Leonard Newman, Paul Newman | Baron Olivier of Birghton, Laurence Olivier, Olivier, Sir Laurence Kerr Olivier | O'Toole, Peter O'Toole, Peter Seamus O'Toole | Poitier, Sidney Poitier | Charles Robert Redford, Redford, Robert Redford | Ralph Richardson, Richardson, Sir Ralph David Richardson | Edward G. Robinson, Edward Goldenberg Robinson, Robinson | George C. Scott, Scott | Peter Sellers, Sellers | Francis Albert Sinatra, Frank Sinatra, Sinatra | Otis Skinner, Skinner | Konstantin Sergeevich Alekseev, Konstantin Sergeyevich Stanislavsky, Konstantin Stanislavsky, Stanislavsky | James Maitland Stewart, Jimmy Stewart, Stewart | Israel Strassberg, Lee Strasberg, Strasberg | Erich von Stroheim, Stroheim | Spencer Tracy, Tracy | Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree, Tree | Peter Alexander Ustinov, Sir Peter Ustinov, Ustinov | Duke Wayne, John Wayne, Wayne | George Orson Welles, Orson Welles, Welles ... show more.

derivation: act, play, represent | act, play, playact, roleplay | thespian.