leading roles
Top billing positions
Leading roles are the principal parts in a play, film, or other dramatic production—the characters around whom the story centers.
An actor in a leading role carries the narrative and typically appears in most scenes: She's had leading roles on Broadway for two decades.
Distinguished from supporting roles, which are secondary.
- protagonistStory's central figure
- starringPlaying the lead role
- headlinerTop-billed performer
- principalChief school administrator
- main characterStory's central figure
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- representationproportional representation, diverse casting, visibility, representation matters, marginalized voices
- theaterplays, stage, play, onstage, acting
- actorsactor, actors, actresses, film actor, actress
- gender rolesmasculinity, femininity, gender stereotypes, gender norms, gender binary
- hero tropesaction heroes, chosen one, superheroes, hero's journey, reluctant hero
prominence in a production
leading rolessupporting roles
Secondary characters in productions
bit parts · extras · cameos · spear carriers
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