Focusing on two of television's most popular and long-running science fiction franchises, Fantastic Acting examines the non-naturalistic techniques and approaches employed by actors to realise non-human, alien or monstrous characters in Doctor Who and Star Trek.

Drawing upon a combination of detailed textual analysis and original interviews with actors and directors, the book unpacks the processes required to portray a variety of fantastical archetypes, from the non-human humanoid (humanoid aliens, androids and 'possessed' or duplicate humans), through the demonstrably alien or monstrous, to the robotic or mechanical.

Non-naturalistic acting for the screen is an area that has yet to receive significant critical attention, and Fantastic Acting fills a major gap in the field of television performance studies. By constructing an argument for non-naturalistic performance as the verisimilitudinous representation of the alien, non-human or monstrous, it shines a much-needed light on this key - yet little-considered - aspect of the television actor's craft.