In the headlines, police warn of "bad actors"
Who are they? There seem to be so many of them and so many warnings about them. There seem to be bad actors everywhere now.
a person or organization responsible for actions that are harmful, illegal, or morally wrong.
While the expression seems recent, Merriam-Webster's Unabridged Dictionary traces the first use of “bad actor” to 1901. An 1889 Sanskrit dictionary also includes a definition of the word with the synonyms “wicked” and “a bad actor.”
And how does it originate? From theatre. It says it is an actor who is unconvincing in their role. And further uses of it include: "it can be applied to someone who is representing you or your company and making a poor job of it."
Expressions seem to coalesce, coming into prominence to grab our attention. Is is an expression in greater usage now? Is it that there are so many "bad actors" now? It is a more attention-getting headline to call out a person or organization as a bad actor.
If you want to find out where all the bad actors are, you are not in luck. Cybersecurity attackers and political figures may abound, but there isn't a list of where and who they are. Now when it comes to bad actors in Hollywood, there are dozens of lists.
I wondered further about how long this expression has been in use. I went to find its jokes. There aren't any bad actor jokes. There is a 'bad actor' character improv party game, so that must count for something. | 
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