Actors' Day – September 8, 2026

History of Actors' Day

Acting is said to have originated in Egypt as early as 4000 B.C. when priests worshiped the memory of the departed. In China, keeping alive the memory of the victory of the current emperor’s ancestors over its predecessor paved the way for the development of the first nonreligious acting.

In Ancient Greece, the forms of acting occurred with drama plays. Early actors used a mask to portray several characters in one play. They made the body express through mime what the face could not. Meanwhile, the Roman Empire’s theatrical plays were filled with spectacle and diversity.

The Middle Ages, with its season of Catholic influence, attempted to label acting as a dangerous, immoral, and pagan art form, which lowered its popularity immensely. The Renaissance period then brought acting back and transformed it again with morality plays. This was followed by William Shakespeare in the 1700s, who solidified theater acting in its place.

Italy was the birthplace of modern professional acting in the West during the early 16th century. Actors invented words and actions to breathe life into scenarios, teaching actors to collaborate. Even so, the weight is still on an individual actor’s skills and cleverness.

Since then, acting has evolved into a highly respected art form. Famous actors from all over the world play characters from books, plays, and scripts, and then convey those characters through Broadway shows, theater plays, and films.