The disclosure relates to a method for making an actuator based on carbon nanotubes. The method includes: providing a carbon nanotube layer; depositing a vanadium oxide (VOx) layer on the carbon nanotube layer; and annealing the VOx layer in an oxygen atmosphere to form a vanadium dioxide layer (VO2) layer. Because the drastic reversible phase transition of VO2, the actuator has giant deformation amplitude and fast response.