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portrayer

portrayer

5.4
A person who plays a character in a play or film
  • noun
  • /pɔrˈtreɪər/
translation icon : intérprete
  • No one would dare put a baby anywhere near True Blood's Jason Stackhouse, but it's a different story with his portrayer, Ryan Kwanten.

Examples

  • Like Nick Jonas was Marius and and the Alfie Bo who is a very famous actor, a very famous portrayer of Jean Valjean.

  • This was even lampshaded by Carol's portrayer, Julianna Margulies, upon accepting her award, who noted, "A year ago at this time, I was dead."

    Blog text (31)
  • A troupe of strolling players are we Shakespearean portrayers are we

  • According to Lucas' portrayer, Brendan Robinson, the bonkers brunette's return to Rosewood High will impact "everybody involved with this whole situation, including Lucas."

    Blog text (26)
  • The talented portrayer captivated the audience with her emotional performance in the lead role.

  • As a skilled portrayer, he brought the complex character to life on stage.

  • The film featured a remarkable portrayer who perfectly depicted the historical figure.

Synonyms

player
vsportrayer
  • Archaic
36 2.2

A person who acts on stage in theatre shows

is the wider term for someone who represents another in art
impersonator
vsportrayer
33 6.2

A person who pretends to be someone else to trick or entertain people

is the neutral artistic act of representing someone without deceit
reenactor
vsportrayer
6 8.5

A person who acts out scenes from the past to show what happened

is used more generally for representing people beyond historical reenactment
performing artist
vsportrayer
1 3.4

A person who entertains people by acting, singing, or dancing

is more specifically about representing another person in performance
role player
vsportrayer
1 3.3

A person who plays a part in a play, movie, or show

is used for acting more broadly rather than only specific roles
representer
vsportrayer
5.8

An actor who plays a character on stage or screen

is the more common general term for that activity
depicter
vsportrayer
7.4

Something that shows people, places and events in pictures or words

refers more to live acting and performance of another person

Surface Forms

portrayer singular
portrayers plural

Morphology

portrayer = portray (transparent) = portray + er

The noun is formed by adding the agentive '-er' to 'portray', yielding 'one who portrays'; the meaning 'acts as someone else' is a straightforward application of 'portray'.

Etymology

The word portrayer comes from portray, which means to 'show' or 'represent', just like a portrait shows a person. So a portrayer can be someone who acts as or depicts another person in art or performance.