breaking character
Exiting the role
Breaking character is abandoning a persona or role you've been maintaining.
An actor breaks character by laughing during a serious scene or acknowledging the audience.
Someone playing a prank breaks character when they can't keep a straight face.
The phrase implies a deliberate performance that momentarily slips: She almost broke character when he mispronounced her fake name.
- personaAssumed public identity
- improvisationSpontaneous, unplanned creation
- ad-libbingUnscripted spontaneous performance
- live performanceUnrecorded staged entertainment
- self-awarenessInsight into one's psyche
stagecraft · blooper · masking · satire · mockumentary · parody · immersion · fourth wall · meta-narrative · humor · comic timing · straight man · self-presentation · dramatic irony · embarrassment · authenticity · postmodernism · monologue
- actingacting, act, performing, playacting, actor
- bloopersbloopers, blooper, fail, gag reel, outtakes
- comedy termsjokes, puns, wit, sarcasm, irony
- comedy tropespratfall, parody, sight gag, running gag, satire
- film bloopersouttake, gag reel, bloopers, flub, goof
- acting termsmethod acting, overacting, dialogue, body language, voice
breaking characterkeeping a straight face
break, breaking, breaks, broken, character, characters, characteristic, characteristically, characterize