NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Scene stealer

A scene stealer is a character in a film or dramatic performance who dominates the audience's attention, thus "stealing the scene" or "stealing the show". The term is usually used of a supporting character, such a sidekick, best friend, confidant, villain, etc. Often the term is used of a minor character who has unexpectedly (and perhaps inappropriately) drawn attention away from the star. One of the most famous of these is Mercutio from Romeo and Juliet. Sometimes the term is used pejoratively, and is applied to minor actors with a hammy or self-aggrandizing style. Film is a term that encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... Don Quixote and Sancho Panza unsuccessfully confront windmills. ... A Best Friend is usually a chosen friend with whom one shares a deeper level of understanding, trust and affection than most others they are close to. ... The confidant character is usually someone the lead character confides in and trusts. ... One popular concept of the villain, meant to mimic the purposely distinctive visage of villains from silent films of the early 20th century. ... A leading actor, leading actress, or simply lead, plays the role of the protagonist in a film or play. ... Mercutio is a character in William Shakespeares famous tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. ... For other meanings see Romeo (disambiguation) and Juliet (disambiguation). ... A word or phrase is pejorative if it implies contempt or disapproval. ...

Some scene-stealers, such as Beatrice Straight and Judi Dench, have won Academy Awards for their appearances in a single scene of a movie. Beatrice Straight as parapsychologist Dr. Martha Lesh in the movie Poltergeist (1982) Beatrice Whitney Straight (August 2, 1914 â€“ April 7, 2001) was an Academy Award-winning American theater and film actress. ... Dame Judith Olivia Dench, CH, DBE (born 9 December 1934), usually known as Dame Judi Dench, is an Oscar, Golden Globe, Tony, three-time BAFTA, and six-time Laurence Olivier Award-winning English actress. ... Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ...

List of characters or performances commonly considered scene or show stealing

Category: Stock characters William James Bill Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an Academy Award-nominated, Emmy-winning and Golden Globe-winning American comedian and actor. ... Little Shop of Horrors is a title that can mean: The Little Shop of Horrors, the 1960 Roger Corman cult classic. ... Steve McQueen (March 24, 1930 â€“ November 7, 1980) was an American movie actor, nicknamed The King of Cool. He was one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s due to a popular anti-hero persona. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... John Joseph Nicholson, better known as Jack Nicholson (born April 22, 1937 in Neptune, New Jersey) is an iconic, three-time Academy Award and seven time Golden Globe winning American method actor known for his often dark-themed portrayals of neurotic characters. ... The Joker can mean any of the following: The Joker is a comic strip character, also included in movies and television programs based on the comic strip. ... Batman is an American Academy Award-winning superhero film based on the DC Comics character Batman created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. ... Johnny Depp (born John Christopher Depp II[2] on June 9, 1963) is an Academy Award-nominated and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning American actor. ... Captain Jack Sparrow is a main character in the film Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl and was played by Johnny Depp. ... The Pirates of the Caribbean films are a trilogy directed by Gore Verbinski. ...