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.

Some scene-stealers, such as Beatrice Straight and Judi Dench, have won Academy Awards for their appearances in a single scene of a movie, and others, such as William Hurt have been nominated.

List of characters or performances commonly considered scene or show stealing

• Bill Murray as a masochist in the movie version of Little Shop of Horrors
• Jack Nicholson playing the same role in the original 1960 version of the above film
• Johnny Depp as Sheldon Sands in Once Upon a Time in Mexico
• Harry Dean Stanton for his role as Lyle in the last scene of The Straight Story
• Slim Pickens as Maj. King Kong in the movie Dr. Strangelove
• William Hurt as Ritchie in A History of Violence
• Philip Glenister as Gene Hunt in Life on Mars
• Wallace Shawn as Vizzini in The Princess Bride
• Benicio Del Toro as Fred Fenster in the movie The Usual Suspects
• Gary Oldman as Drexl Spivey in True Romance
• Jennifer Hudson as Effie White in Dream Girls
• Kevin Kline as Otto in A Fish Called Wanda