playing vs acting

playing and acting both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
playing	Yes	No	No	No
acting	Yes	Yes	No	No

As nouns, playing and acting are synonyms defined as:

Other synonyms of playing include performing, playacting.

playing (noun)	acting (noun)
the action of taking part in a game or sport or other recreation	the performance of a part or role in a drama
the act of playing a musical instrument
the performance of a part or role in a drama

playing (adjective)	acting (adjective)
	serving temporarily especially as a substitute