actor vs performer

actor and performer both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
actor	Yes	No	No	No
performer	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, performer is a hypernym of actor; that is, performer is a word with a broader meaning than actor:

actor: a theatrical performer
performer: an entertainer who performs a dramatic or musical work for an audience

Other hypernyms of actor include performing artist.

actor (noun)	performer (noun)
a theatrical performer	an entertainer who performs a dramatic or musical work for an audience
a person who acts and gets things done