First actor

Dionysian priest Thespis of Ancient Greece was a member of a chorus group that put on dramatic song and dance performances about the Greek myths. However, during a performance in Athens in 534 BC, he is said to have spontaneously leapt from the chorus to act out the roles of the characters that the members of the group were singing about. This is viewed as the moment theatre was born, and actors throughout history have since referred to themselves as “Thespians”.