diff --git a/distributed/actor.py b/distributed/actor.py
index 0facdda4cb8..77b2cda67de 100644
--- a/distributed/actor.py
+++ b/distributed/actor.py
@@ -162,10 +162,17 @@ async def run_actor_function_on_worker():
                             await self._future
                         else:
                             raise OSError("Unable to contact Actor's worker")
-                    return result["result"]
+                    return result
 
                 if self._asynchronous:
-                    return asyncio.ensure_future(run_actor_function_on_worker())
+
+                    async def unwrap():
+                        result = await run_actor_function_on_worker()
+                        if result["status"] == "OK":
+                            return result["result"]
+                        raise result["exception"]
+
+                    return asyncio.ensure_future(unwrap())
                 else:
                     # TODO: this mechanism is error prone
                     # we should endeavor to make dask's standard code work here
@@ -187,7 +194,10 @@ async def get_actor_attribute_from_worker():
                 x = await self._worker_rpc.actor_attribute(
                     attribute=key, actor=self.key
                 )
-                return x["result"]
+                if x["status"] == "OK":
+                    return x["result"]
+                else:
+                    raise x["exception"]
 
             return self._sync(get_actor_attribute_from_worker)
 
@@ -237,10 +247,16 @@ def __await__(self):
 
     def result(self, timeout=None):
         try:
+            if isinstance(self._cached_result, Exception):
+                raise self._cached_result
             return self._cached_result
         except AttributeError:
-            self._cached_result = self.q.get(timeout=timeout)
-            return self._cached_result
+            out = self.q.get(timeout=timeout)
+            if out["status"] == "OK":
+                self._cached_result = out["result"]
+            else:
+                self._cached_result = out["exception"]
+        return self.result()
 
     def __repr__(self):
         return "<ActorFuture>"
diff --git a/distributed/tests/test_actor.py b/distributed/tests/test_actor.py
index d2298c1c2c2..851ee7e8b2a 100644
--- a/distributed/tests/test_actor.py
+++ b/distributed/tests/test_actor.py
@@ -581,3 +581,48 @@ async def test_async_deadlock(client, s, a, b):
     ac2 = await client.submit(UsesCounter, actor=True, workers=[ac._address])
 
     assert (await ac2.ado_inc(ac)) == 1
+
+
+def test_exception():
+    class MyException(Exception):
+        pass
+
+    class Broken:
+        def method(self):
+            raise MyException
+
+        @property
+        def prop(self):
+            raise MyException
+
+    with cluster(nworkers=2) as (cl, w):
+        client = Client(cl["address"])
+        ac = client.submit(Broken, actor=True).result()
+        acfut = ac.method()
+        with pytest.raises(MyException):
+            acfut.result()
+
+        with pytest.raises(MyException):
+            ac.prop
+
+
+@gen_cluster(client=True)
+async def test_exception_async(client, s, a, b):
+    class MyException(Exception):
+        pass
+
+    class Broken:
+        def method(self):
+            raise MyException
+
+        @property
+        def prop(self):
+            raise MyException
+
+    ac = await client.submit(Broken, actor=True)
+    acfut = ac.method()
+    with pytest.raises(MyException):
+        await acfut
+
+    with pytest.raises(MyException):
+        await ac.prop
diff --git a/distributed/worker.py b/distributed/worker.py
index e802af68c71..94bb351b4cc 100644
--- a/distributed/worker.py
+++ b/distributed/worker.py
@@ -2830,30 +2830,36 @@ async def actor_execute(
         func = getattr(actor, function)
         name = key_split(key) + "." + function
 
-        if iscoroutinefunction(func):
-            result = await func(*args, **kwargs)
-        elif separate_thread:
-            result = await self.executor_submit(
-                name,
-                apply_function_actor,
-                args=(
-                    func,
-                    args,
-                    kwargs,
-                    self.execution_state,
+        try:
+            if iscoroutinefunction(func):
+                result = await func(*args, **kwargs)
+            elif separate_thread:
+                result = await self.executor_submit(
                     name,
-                    self.active_threads,
-                    self.active_threads_lock,
-                ),
-                executor=self.executors["actor"],
-            )
-        else:
-            result = func(*args, **kwargs)
-        return {"status": "OK", "result": to_serialize(result)}
+                    apply_function_actor,
+                    args=(
+                        func,
+                        args,
+                        kwargs,
+                        self.execution_state,
+                        name,
+                        self.active_threads,
+                        self.active_threads_lock,
+                    ),
+                    executor=self.executors["actor"],
+                )
+            else:
+                result = func(*args, **kwargs)
+            return {"status": "OK", "result": to_serialize(result)}
+        except Exception as ex:
+            return {"status": "error", "exception": to_serialize(ex)}
 
     def actor_attribute(self, comm=None, actor=None, attribute=None):
-        value = getattr(self.actors[actor], attribute)
-        return {"status": "OK", "result": to_serialize(value)}
+        try:
+            value = getattr(self.actors[actor], attribute)
+            return {"status": "OK", "result": to_serialize(value)}
+        except Exception as ex:
+            return {"status": "error", "exception": to_serialize(ex)}
 
     def meets_resource_constraints(self, key):
         ts = self.tasks[key]