opponent vs actor

opponent and actor both are nouns.

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

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

Other hypernyms of opponent include doer, worker.

opponent (noun)	actor (noun)
someone who offers opposition	a theatrical performer
a contestant that you are matched against	a person who acts and gets things done

opponent (adjective)	actor (adjective)
characterized by active hostility