noun
third-rate actor; ham actor
Derogatory term for an actor of very low skill or status. 三文 (three mon) implies something cheap or worthless.
彼は三文役者だが、なぜか人気がある。
He's a third-rate actor, but for some reason he's popular.
Compound of 三文 (three mon, a trifling sum) and 役者 (actor). The expression likens a poor actor to something worth only a few coins.