# How would you explain the Actor model to a newbie? **URL:** \ **Category:** How...\ **Tags:** actor-model\ **Created:** [January 18, 2022, 6:26pm UTC](https://erlangforums.com/t/how-would-you-explain-the-actor-model-to-a-newbie/947 "2022-01-18T18:26:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AstonJ](https://erlangforums.com/user_avatar/erlangforums.com/astonj/32/9_2.png) [@AstonJ](https://erlangforums.com/u/AstonJ)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 6:26pm UTC](https://erlangforums.com/t/how-would-you-explain-the-actor-model-to-a-newbie/947/1 "2022-01-18T18:26:09Z")
The Actor model is synonymous with Erlang - so if a newbie asked you about it, how would you explain it to them in a way that is easy to understand? ---
**Author:** ![marcellanz](https://erlangforums.com/user_avatar/erlangforums.com/marcellanz/32/327_2.png) [@marcellanz](https://erlangforums.com/u/marcellanz)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 8:14pm UTC](https://erlangforums.com/t/how-would-you-explain-the-actor-model-to-a-newbie/947/2 "2022-01-18T20:14:10Z")
I’d like to share a video from the source; in regards to the Actor Model, not Erlang: “Hewitt, Meijer and Szyperski: The Actor Model (everything you wanted to know…)” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/7erJ1DV_Tlo/maxresdefault.jpg "Hewitt, Meijer and Szyperski: The Actor Model (everything you wanted to know...)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7erJ1DV_Tlo) ---
**Author:** ![AstonJ](https://erlangforums.com/user_avatar/erlangforums.com/astonj/32/9_2.png) [@AstonJ](https://erlangforums.com/u/AstonJ)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2022, 12:00am UTC](https://erlangforums.com/t/how-would-you-explain-the-actor-model-to-a-newbie/947/3 "2022-01-19T00:00:03Z")
Nice find Marcel! I have bookmarked it and set a reminder to watch it next month - it looks like a fun vid! ---
**Author:** ![OvermindDL1](https://erlangforums.com/user_avatar/erlangforums.com/overminddl1/32/398_2.png) [@OvermindDL1](https://erlangforums.com/u/OvermindDL1)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2022, 3:53pm UTC](https://erlangforums.com/t/how-would-you-explain-the-actor-model-to-a-newbie/947/4 "2022-01-19T15:53:46Z")
I just watched it this morning while getting ready for work, it was cute, not a conference, more like just a few really smart people talking in a side room while at a conference, lol. Worth watching. ---
**Author:** ![LeonardB](https://erlangforums.com/user_avatar/erlangforums.com/leonardb/32/1856_2.png) [@LeonardB](https://erlangforums.com/u/LeonardB)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2022, 4:32pm UTC](https://erlangforums.com/t/how-would-you-explain-the-actor-model-to-a-newbie/947/5 "2022-01-19T16:32:51Z")
I’d think it’s a bit of an understatement, calling Carl Hewitt, one of the original authors of the Actor Model paper in 1973, a “really smart person” [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl\_Hewitt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Hewitt) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Actor\_model](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Actor_model) ---
**Author:** ![OvermindDL1](https://erlangforums.com/user_avatar/erlangforums.com/overminddl1/32/398_2.png) [@OvermindDL1](https://erlangforums.com/u/OvermindDL1)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2022, 4:35pm UTC](https://erlangforums.com/t/how-would-you-explain-the-actor-model-to-a-newbie/947/6 "2022-01-19T16:35:30Z")
Hah, didn’t know that, that explains how intelligent he sounded though! ^.^ ---
**Author:** ![LeonardB](https://erlangforums.com/user_avatar/erlangforums.com/leonardb/32/1856_2.png) [@LeonardB](https://erlangforums.com/u/LeonardB)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2022, 4:36pm UTC](https://erlangforums.com/t/how-would-you-explain-the-actor-model-to-a-newbie/947/7 "2022-01-19T16:36:58Z")
Also a fun panel discussion: Sir Tony Hoare, Joe Armstrong, and Carl Hewitt [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/37wFVVVZlVU/maxresdefault.jpg "Let's #TalkConcurrency Panel Discussion with Sir Tony Hoare, Joe Armstrong, and Carl Hewitt") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37wFVVVZlVU) ---
**Author:** ![AstonJ](https://erlangforums.com/user_avatar/erlangforums.com/astonj/32/9_2.png) [@AstonJ](https://erlangforums.com/u/AstonJ)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2022, 9:08pm UTC](https://erlangforums.com/t/how-would-you-explain-the-actor-model-to-a-newbie/947/8 "2022-01-19T21:08:10Z")
> [@OvermindDL1](#): > > I just watched it this morning while getting ready for work, it was cute, not a conference, more like just a few really smart people talking in a side room while at a conference, lol. Worth watching. That’s what I liked about it when I saw the first 5 minutes or so - in fact I’d love to see more videos like this because the ‘student’ often asks things you might have been wondering yourself! > [@LeonardB](#): > > Also a fun panel discussion: Sir Tony Hoare, Joe Armstrong, and Carl Hewitt That looks like another good one - thanks for posting @LeonardB :023: (now I just need to find the time to watch them all! :lol:)