crisis actor

[ krahy-sis ak-ter ]

noun

1. a professional or volunteer actor who plays a role in a staged drill in order to prepare or train first responders for a specific emergency scenario.
2. (in a false flag ( def ) conspiracy theory) a person pretending to be a victim in a hoax attack.

Word History and Origins

Origin of crisis actor¹

First recorded in 1975–80 in the sense “independent person, group, or state that engages in disruptive or hostile verbal or physical behavior in international relations”; crisis actor defs 1, 2 were first recorded in 2010–15

Example Sentences

The day after the shooting he accused one of the grieving parents who made a televised statement on behalf of the families, Robbie Parker, of being a crisis actor.

From Salon

It claimed that a patient interviewed after the attack - who was standing and appeared uninjured - and the woman on the stretcher were the same person and that she had been a crisis actor.

From Washington Times

It claimed that a patient interviewed after the attack — who was standing and appeared uninjured — and the woman on the stretcher were the same person and that she had been a crisis actor.

From Seattle Times

Ms. Kelly has asserted that the Biden administration is “on a destructive crusade to exact revenge against supporters of Donald Trump” and has accused Mr. Fanone, who was beaten unconscious by the rioters at the Capitol, of being a “crisis actor.”

From New York Times

But the words "crisis actor" - a term used to describe someone who has been paid to act out a tragedy or scenario - had been added by someone else in large font.

From BBC