The elderly actor was once a brilliant vaudevillian, touring across the country with his variety acts.

vaudevillian 是由名词 vaudeville（杂耍表演）加上后缀 -ian 构成的名词，指"从事杂耍表演的艺人"。vaudeville 是一种流行于19世纪末到20世纪初的舞台表演形式，包含歌舞、杂技、喜剧等多种表演形式。