Describe an actor or actress whom you admire IELTS Cue Card

IELTS CUE CARD TOPIC

Describe an actor or actress whom you admire

You should say:

Who he/she is?

What he/she looks like?

What kind of movies he/she apperas in?

And explain why you admire this actor/actress?

NOTE – The examiner gives you one minute to plan your answer, and to help you prepare for the topic, the examiner provides you with a pencil and a notepad. You’ll have to answer the questions given on the topic for one-to-two minutes.

Sample 1

Introduction

Although I like many renowned actors, one of them is exceptional and worth mentioning.

Who is he?

He is a famous actor in Bollywood, and his name is Diljit Dosanjh.

What he looks like?

He is a devoted Sikh and always wears a turban. He is a tall and handsome youngster.

What kind of movies does he appear in?

Although he has appeared in all types of movies, comedy is his forte, and he gets on swimmingly with it.

People call him a consummate comedian because he possesses a unique sense of humour and good comic timing. He generates a guffaw of laughter by producing relatable and observational comedy because he knows the meat and potatoes of acting.

Furthermore, he usually utilises his own experiences to create and produce comedy that looks relatable and real.

Diljit has this innate ability to improvise and think on his feet, allowing him to produce fresh and spontaneous comedy.

Apart from this, he exhibits good stage presence and can combine well with the audience, which supports him to incline the comedy experience.

His comic timing is a charm for him, and he depicts punchlines with excellent comedic timing and delivery.

Overall, Diljit Dosanjh has all the attributes of a good comedian.

And explain why you admire this actor/actress.

I admire him for many reasons. Firstly he is a multi-talented artist who has proved his talent in singing, acting and dancing. Due to this reason, people consider him one of the most influential artists in Bollywood. Moreover, despite a humble beginning, he did everything from soups to nuts to become a megastar.

Secondly, he is a source of inspiration for me because, despite a humble beginning, he has gained enormous success. Due to this reason, I always seek flashes of inspiration from him.

Sample 2

I am a movie fanatic, and I have closely watched the work of many renowned actors. One of them is my favourite, and I admire him the most.

Who is he?

He is the most versatile actor in Bollywood, and his name is Ranveer Singh.

What does he look like?

He possesses a distinctive and unique style and usually carries a bearded look coupled with numerous hairstyles. His build is lean and athletic.

What kind of movies does he appear in?

His consummate acting is his forte and works like a charm for him, the love he has for his work empowers him to fit in all kinds of characters, and for this reason, he has done roles in action, comedy and romantic movies as well.

And explain why you admire this actor/actress.

I admire Ranveer Singh as an actor due to many reasons. Firstly he has this innate ability and versatility to play a wide range of roles with tremendous ease. Due to this reason, he doesn’t take much time to adapt to different characters like a gangster, a lover boy or a sportsperson.

Due to his immense work, he has received accolades for his roles in films such as “Bajiroa Mastani”, “Gunday”, and “Gully Boy”. Moreover, I admire his relentless dedication and unabated commitment to his work. He has this uncanny knack for going beyond the conventional domain, like losing or gaining weight and learning new skills to get a natural feel of the character he portrays on the screen.

Lastly, he is always full of beans which empowers him to have a charismatic on-screen presence. He is Bollywood’s real crowd-puller, and his fan following has grown exponentially in the past few years.

Sample 3

Introduction

Although I like many actors, one of them has carved out a niche, and hence he is worth mentioning.

Who is he?

He is the Hollywood actor Tom Cruise. His first movie hit the screen in 1981.

What does he look like?

He is not that tall but very handsome. Moreover, he has an athletic build which helps him to perform stunts with tremendous ease.

What kind of movies does he appear in?

Tom Cruise has this innate ability to play different kinds of roles across divergent genres. This quality has helped him throughout his career, and he has grabbed action and dramatic roles.

And explain why you admire this actor.

He has always shown relentless dedication to his skill, and his uncanny knack for performing dangerous stunts without much support woos the audience.

Apart from this, he exhibits a strong screen presence and leaves no stone unturned to connect with the audience.

Furthermore, in this changing era, it is challenging to be consistent. But, Tom Cruise has maintained consistency by giving hits across many decades. Due to this reason, I seek flashes from him because I have observed that many stars fade after giving few hits. However, due to his appetite for constant success, he is not willing to hang his boots.

Due to his tremendous work, he has received numerous awards and nominations for his consummate acting. Some famous awards he has received are Golden Globe Awards and Screen Actors Guild Awards. Achieving such awards is an uphill task, and it proves that Tom Cruise is one of the best actors.

Follow-ups

Here are some examples of follow-up questions that the examiner might ask during your speaking part 3 related to the cue card “Describe an actor or actress whom you admire”.

1. Are actors or actresses very interested in the work? Why?

Being an actor or actress is an uphill task. You need to exhibit your talent in front of others, and you can’t work in isolation. Due to this reason, only those who are very interested in their work can become established actors or actresses. Those who are not interested do not survive in the long run.

2. Is being a professional actor or actress a good career?

Yes, it is a promising career because, in the modern era, people spend a lot on leisure activities. Due to this reason, those who are in showbiz earn a substantial amount of money for their services.

Moreover, with money, you get a name and fame coupled with other enormous benefits.

3. What can children learn from acting?

A child has too much to learn from acting. Firstly those children who act remove their stage fear and build confidence. Apart from this, they become creative because, as an actor, you need to think beyond the conventional domain.

4. Why do children like special costumes?

Special costumes appeal to children because they empower them to fantasize about their ambitions. Moreover, in their minds, they create situations pivoting around those costumes, which strengthens their creativity and provides them happiness.

5. What are the differences between actors or actresses who earn much and those who earn little?

The mainstream actors earn more because of two reasons. The first one is nepotism. If they have a near or dear one in the industry, then it is very easy for them to find work. The other reason is their stellar performances. Those actors who leave a good mark on the audience earn more than those who fail to impress the audience.

Hence your earnings are directly proportional to your performance.

6. What are the differences between acting in the theatre and in the film?

The primary difference is retakes. In the case of theatre, the performance happens in one go. Due to this reason, the actors need to be flawless in their performances. On the other hand, those who work in films have a lot of liberties, like they can have umpteen retakes. Moreover, they have special effects for performing their stunts, and they can opt for body doubles for dangerous shots.

Apart from this, the camera beautifies them on-screen through special effects. So all they need to do is good acting in pieces.

7. Is it easy to become an actor or actress nowadays?

There are many platforms at people’s disposal to exhibit their talent these days. Not only do we have social media where you can create a video of your acting talent and post it on multiple platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Youtube.

Earlier, many people struggled despite being good actors due to nepotism. But currently, the scenario has changed. All you need is talent and correct timing. You can go viral quickly if you work according to the audience’s needs and provide an entertaining act. And after getting the recognition, it is easy for you to find work.

Vocab..

1. Worth mentioning

Meaning: Important enough to require a comment.

Sentence: The role of Elon Musk in space exploration is worth mentioning. He is leaving no stone unturned to colonize Mars.

2. Uncanny Knack

Meaning: Strange Habit

Sentence: Many teenagers have this uncanny knack for wasting their precious hours on social media. This pursuit declines their efficiency considerably.

3. Carve a niche

Meaning: to successfully design or obtain something, especially a work position, by working for it

Sentence: Virat Kohli has carved a niche by setting a precedent for youngsters. His determination, dedication and discipline towards fitness are worth mentioning.

4. Leave no stone unturned

Meaning: Use every possible course of action to do a task.

Sentence: The most challenging time for all countries in the last fifty years was the spread of coronavirus. All of a sudden the whole world came to a standstill. During that time scientists left so stone unturned to produce a vaccine which could save a million lives.

5. Get on swimmingly

Meaning: To get on well

Sentence: It took me years to learn the meat and potatoes of mathematics. But now I get on swimmingly with it.

6. Full of beans

Meaning: Happy One

Sentence: At the end of the day, I feel exhausted, but I am full of beans after having a cup of joe.

7. Meat and potatoes

Meaning: The essential aspects of something

Sentence: Despite not knowing the meat and potatoes of leadership, Mahendra Singh Dhoni performed well as a captain because he is a quick learner.

8. Everything from soups to nuts

Meaning: A variety of things.

Sentence: The inhabitants of developing countries must do everything from soups to nuts to lead their lives towards impressive growth.