Is Sir David Attenborough an Actor?? Help us decide!

[dirtybeatfreak]

Hello all,

A few of us at work got talking about the legend that is Sir David Attenborough because of his new documentary Planet Earth 2 (which is great by the way).

While talking about this, one of us said that he was an Actor and one or two agree with him. They say that because he probably follows a script he is acting. The rest of us think he is not, but a presenter. Looking at the definitions of acting and actor it is more playing the role of a fictional character? I can kind of see their point.

What say you old wise OCUK?

EDITED to add Sir to his name because I fail. Apologies for not adding it in title.

 

[robfosters]

No, he's a presenter and narrator.

 

[peterwalkley]

By that logic, news readers are also actors, so NO, he is a presenter.

And its SIR David Attenborough !

 

[TheMightyTen]

He is a BROADCASTER and renowned naturalist and former Controller of BBC2. He is not nor ever has been and actor.

 

[CaptainComedy]

actor, acting as a presenter.

Ignore the guy who looks like me above, he ain't heavy.

He's my brother.

 

[gjrc]

No, he's a presenter and narrator.

and author.

also he writes his own scripts.

he is not acting. he is presenting as himself and not in character.

sounds like a pointless debate tbh.

 

[ttaskmaster]

If he's an actor, then so is every person who's read an audiobook.

Actors portray characters and persons (ie fictional or real).
He is a broadcaster and naturalist.

 

[CaptainComedy]

ignore me...

 

[Yaayuh!]

Broadcaster, Naturalist, Presenter, Narrator and Author.
Never seen him as an Actor in anything.

 

[Burnsy2023]

Acting requires someone to pretend to be a character they are not. Sir David Attenborough does not do that.

 

[kaiowas]

He's entirely CGI. He doesn't even exist.

 

[dirtybeatfreak]

By that logic, news readers are also actors, so NO, he is a presenter.

And its SIR David Attenborough !

Exactly what we were saying. But they are saying that News readers essentially are Actors too because they are in front of a camera. We responded "but they don't portray anyone!!"

You are right about the Sir thing, I have edited my post!

 

[Mr Badger]

I am not a world renowned naturalist and national treasure, but I play one on TV.

 

[dirtybeatfreak]

One of their arguments which got me was one where they gave an example of a program/documentary where people (as themselves) were sailing down a river but using methods that were used by people in olden times. They said they were acting the part of the people in those days because that is how they did it back then?

To me that is still not acting as they were not playing a specific person but demonstrating how it was done back then. But then they were portraying the people of old, It did make me question myself lol.

EDITED for slightly better wording (I hope )

 

[Cosimo]

He's a national treasure.

 

[FlamBango]

his brother, Richard, was the actor/director. David is the sole reason i still pay the license fee.

 

[Kronos]

his brother, Richard, was the actor/director. David is the sole reason i still pay the license fee.

+1

 

[Uncle Petey]

Your colleagues are idiots.

 

[marc2003]

his brother, Richard, was the actor/director

So Jurassic Park wasn't a documentary?

 

[Selekt0r]

Broadcaster, Naturalist, Presenter, Narrator and Author.

Don't forget LEGEND!

+1 for the best reason to stump up the license fee. Sir David (albeit heading a very large and talented team) is behind some of the very best TV documentaries ever made.

* strokes his copy of the Reader's Digest 'augmented' version of the original "Life on Earth" book published in 1980 with personal message and signature by the great man himself *