Run a script to execute an action on several JPGs + custom text in each image

You can invoke a script from within an action.

The script below formats the filename (removing the file extension), puts that into a new text layer, and sets the location and font formatting. You could modify it to read a metadata field or to accept input from a dialog box instead of using the filename.

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#target photoshop

testText();

function testText(){

    if(documents.length > 0){

        var originalDialogMode = app.displayDialogs;

        app.displayDialogs = DialogModes.ERROR;

        var originalRulerUnits = preferences.rulerUnits; //save previous ruler units

        preferences.rulerUnits = Units.PIXELS;

        try{

            var docRef = activeDocument;

            var LayerRef = docRef.artLayers.add(); //add a text layer

            LayerRef.kind = LayerKind.TEXT;

            var TextRef = LayerRef.textItem;

            var fileNameNoExtension = docRef.name;

            fileNameNoExtension = fileNameNoExtension.split('.');

            if(fileNameNoExtension.length > 1){ //remove file extension

                fileNameNoExtension.length--;

                }

            fileNameNoExtension = fileNameNoExtension.join('.');

            TextRef.contents = fileNameNoExtension;

            TextRef.position = new Array(80, 120); //location in pixels

            preferences.rulerUnits = Units.POINTS;

            TextRef.size = 96; //text formatting

            TextRef.useAutoLeading = false;

            TextRef.leading = 42;

            TextRef.font = 'Calibri-Bold';

            }

        catch(e){

            preferences.rulerUnits = originalRulerUnits;

            app.displayDialogs = originalDialogMode;

            return;

            }

        preferences.rulerUnits = originalRulerUnits;

        app.displayDialogs = originalDialogMode;

        }

    else{

        alert('You must have a document open to run this script.');

        return;

        }

    }

Are you currently entering the actor's name as metadata? If not as metadata, what about the filename or folder name?

The "obvious/correct" place to enter this is in the IPTC Extension – Person Shown field

ExifTool:

XMP-iptcExt:PersonInImage

Adobe:

<Iptc4xmpExt:PersonInImage>

            <rdf:Bag>

               <rdf:li>Firstname Surname</rdf:li>

            </rdf:Bag>

</Iptc4xmpExt:PersonInImage>

However, it may be "easier" to use the Subject/Keyword field or another more accessible field if the PersonInImage field proves hard to work with.

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EDIT: Off the top of my head, there are three possibilities so far –

1) Use/Adapt JJMack's BatchOneImageCollage script

2) Create a script to run your action and then process the action output using script functions that are not available to actions (i.e. variable metadata text)

3) Entirely recreate your action as a script so that there is no dependency for having the action loaded

Why would you want to have and automated process that requires human intervention to enter Names.   You could easily add the name you want to the image files in some way like Filename or in the image's metadata info.   The Automated process could then be fully automated and even batched.  If all you need is a is a border around a single image a specific size and a name in the border it should be easy to automate.

Filenames, a simple frame template and a batch script could do it all.

The sample video does not show the File name stamp that could be done with my  Script BatchOneImageCollage. In my

Photo Collage Toolkit

Photoshop scripting is powerful and I believe this package demonstrates this A video showing a 5 image collage PSD template  being populated with images:

The package includes four simple rules to follow when making Photo Collage Template PSD files so they will be compatible with my Photoshop scripts.

1. Size the photo collage templates for the print size you want - width, height and print DPI resolution.
2. Photo collage templates must have a Photoshop background layer. The contents of this layer can be anything.
3. Photo collage templates must have alpha channels named "Image 1", "Image 2", ... "Image n".
4. Photo collage templates layers above the background layers must provide transparent areas to let the images that will be placed below them show through.

There are fifteen scripts in this package they provide the following functions:

1. HelpPhotoCollageToolkit.jsx - Online Help
2. TestCollageTemplate.jsx - Used to test a Photo Collage Template while you are making it with Photoshop.
3. CollageTemplateBuilder.jsx - Can build Templates compatible with this toolkit's scripts.
4. LayerToAlphaChan.jsx - Used to convert a Prototype Image Layer stack into a template document.
5. InteractivePopulateCollage.jsx - Used to interactively populate Any Photo Collage template. Offers most user control inserting pictures and text.
6. ReplaceCollageImage.jsx - use to replace a populated collage image Smart Object layer with an other image correctly resized and positioned.
7. ChangeTextSize.jsx - This script can be used to change Image stamps text size when the size used by the populating did not work well.
8. PopulateCollageTemplate.jsx - Used to Automatically populate a Photo Collage template and leave the populated copy open in Photoshop.
9. BatchOneImageCollage.jsx - Used to Automatically Batch Populate Collage templates that only have one image inserted. The Collage or Image may be stamped with text.
10. BatchMultiImageCollage.jsx - Used to Automatically Batch Populate Any Photo Collage template with images in a source image folder. Easier to use than the interactive script. Saved collages can be tweaked.
11. PasteImageRoll.jsx - Paste Images into a document to be print on roll paper.
12. BatchPicturePackage.jsx - Used to Automatically Batch Populate Any Photo Collage template with an image in a source image folder.  Images Rotates for best fit.
13. BatchPicturePackageNoRotate.jsx - Used to Automatically Batch Populate Any Photo Collage template with an image in a source image folder.
14. PopulatePicturePackage.jsx - Used to Automatically populate a Photo Collage template Fill with the same single image and leave the populated copy open in Photoshop.
15. PCTpreferences.jsx - Edit This File to Customize Collage Populating scripts default setting and add your own Layer styles.

Documentation and Examples