Written in one night as a reaction to her producer's comments on the rest of Actor, the song features an aggressive rock sound and lyrics addressing a deceitful lover.

St. Vincent recalled, "I wrote 'Actor Out of Work' at my mom's house in my childhood bedroom.

Pitchfork stated, "Her acerbic lyrics and skewed production—the kind that wouldn't sound out of place at the mixing board of a beardy noise-rocker—belie a crystalline voice and a face that could land any actor work.

Heather Phares of AllMusic described it as "forceful" and noted, "The song's brisk dance between hot and cold is dazzling."

Club noted how the song evoked the "tumultuous marriage of prog and new wave typified by Scary Monsters-era Bowie and early Peter Gabriel."

Pitchfork listed it as the 52nd best song of 2009, noting, "Annie Clark gave herself exactly 135 seconds for this audition, and makes the most of them.