An actuator for an elevator system, which actuator can adopt an activated state and a released state, has a restoring element. The actuator is brought from the released state into the activated state by the restoring element. The restoring element is made of a shape memory alloy. At a first temperature, the restoring element adopts a first length, and a second length at a second temperature. After the actuator has been released, the restoring element changes from the first length into the second length, and back into the first length. In this way, the restoring element returns the actuator to the activated state.