How can I not destroy an actor between scenes?

When you say scenes, do you mean levels ( maps )?

If so, then you either need to use a game instance or the save game to store the character configuration.

They are basically both the same thing, but game instance stops existing when the game stops, whereas the save game will stay on the hard drive and be ready for the next game.

This is about both:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5w594D3qtLs