break character
Exit the role
Break character means to step out of a role or persona one has been maintaining.
Actors break character when they laugh during a scene or speak as themselves rather than their character.
The phrase extends beyond theater: a politician might break character by showing genuine emotion, or someone playing a prank breaks character when they can't keep a straight face.
She almost broke character when the audience member's phone rang.
- maskFace-worn concealment
- slipMinor error or misstep
- giggleSoft, silly vocalization
- dungeon masterTabletop RPG narrator
- actorOne who portrays characters
persona · straight face · fourth wall · SNL sketch · table read · role-play · improvisation · laughter · smirk · chuckle · pause · snicker · grin · crack · blooper · corpse · immersion · misbehave
- breakbreakaway, breakdown, breakout, breakthrough, breakup
- theater jargonbackstage, center stage, curtain call, downstage, dress rehearsal
break, character, breaks, broken, breaking, breaker, breakage, outbreak, characters