---
slug: "Actor"
name: "Actor"
type: "Primitives"
layer: "Infrastructure"
ref: "Actor#86fc"
sema_id: "sema:Actor#mh:SHA-256:86fc0930b97ffb4fe85d4820af8e17a43166b745d181895f576edf39edde6aa8"
tags: ["Infrastructure","Primitives"]
updated: 2026-11-11
mindscape: "bootstrap"
index_url: https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap.json
url: https://mindscape.world/bootstrap/Actor/
related: ["Act","Identity","Nature","Agent","ConfusedDeputy","Mutex","OathBind","StateLock"]
---

# Actor

A capability-bearing entity

Layer: Infrastructure · Category: Primitives

## Mechanism

A primitive entity capable of executing an [Act](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Act.md). Unlike an agent (which possesses intent and reasoning), an Actor is a pure execution container defined by its [Identity](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Identity.md), [Nature](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Nature.md), and capability set. It serves as the foundational subject for permissions and logging.

## Invariants

- Executes without intent: an Actor performs an [Act](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Act.md) it is asked to perform and does not originate one.
- Capability-bounded: an [Act](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Act.md) outside the declared capability set is refused, not attempted.

## Failure modes

—

## Data schema

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "required": [
    "identity",
    "nature",
    "capabilities"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "public_key": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Key material, where the Actor has any. Absent for physical actuators and other non-cryptographic executors."
    },
    "role": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Current active role/persona"
    },
    "status": {
      "type": "string",
      "enum": [
        "Idle",
        "Busy",
        "Offline",
        "Error"
      ],
      "description": "Availability state"
    },
    "capabilities": {
      "type": "array",
      "items": {
        "type": "string"
      },
      "description": "List of supported tool/protocol hashes"
    },
    "endpoint": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Communication address"
    },
    "identity": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "The {{identity}} this Actor executes under."
    },
    "nature": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "What kind of thing it is — process, service, device, person in a pure-execution role."
    }
  }
}
```

## Builds on

- [Act](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Act.md) (Infrastructure; Composes with)
- [Identity](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Identity.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [Nature](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Nature.md) (Infrastructure; References)

## Used by

- [Agent](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Agent.md) (Mind; References)
- [ConfusedDeputy](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/ConfusedDeputy.md) (Society; References)
- [Mutex](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Mutex.md) (Infrastructure; Accepts)
- [OathBind](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/OathBind.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [StateLock](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/StateLock.md) (Society; References)

## Identity

- Sema ID: `sema:Actor#mh:SHA-256:86fc0930b97ffb4fe85d4820af8e17a43166b745d181895f576edf39edde6aa8`
- Ref: `Actor#86fc`
- Supersedes:
  - `sema:Actor#mh:SHA-256:69261bc3b260a9235b8d5fbef8b0c53c9773e60ed6d4df04babfffffd2897a89`
  - `sema:Actor#mh:SHA-256:1ecd855bdf9fc33f99840af8b53729d917355fb151d36ff21947885fac5c5907`

## Links

- [Pattern page](https://mindscape.world/bootstrap/Actor/)
- [View in the interactive graph](https://mindscape.world/bootstrap/#Actor)
- [JSON](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Actor.json)
- [Index of all patterns](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap.json)