supporting player
3
3.4
- noun
:
actor de reparto
- The actor received critical acclaim for her performance as a supporting player in the award-winning film.
- supporting player, not the star
I've had a podcast and I am a minor supporting player in this podcast.
- I've had a podcast and I am a minor supporting player in this podcast.
Examples
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In the play, the supporting players added depth to the story, enhancing the main characters' journeys.
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Little of Peron, the dangerous fascist of the post-war years, survived the transition to the pop culture musical; the former president is barely a supporting player in Evita, relegated to the background in the many Casa Rosada balcony scenes.
Academic text (2004) -
In just a moment, the names of the supporting players, and a word about next week's story of Suspense.
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Instead, he's a supporting player in the story of others' lives.
Fiction book (1999) -
Some of their more important supporting players, like Mitchell Wiggins and Lewis Lloyd, were banned for two years because of drugs.
Blog text (18) -
Suzanne Pleshette is the reliable supporting player here, the stewardess who is the lone survivor of the crash.
Blog text (19) -
Lance Reddick, a supporting player on Fox's "Fringe," said he isn't optimistic about the future, especially after his experience as a cast member of "The Wire."
Blog text (7) -
The film is likely to factor into all major categories, including lead actress Jessica Chastain, supporting players Jason Clarke and Jennifer Ehle, as well as below-the-line slots.
Blog text (23) -
Even the supporting players are all as good as the leads: Jack-Jack's ditzy babysitter, Edna Mode ("Fight! Win!") and Samuel L. Jackson screaming in frustration, "Where is my super suit?!"
Blog text (34) -
Many talented supporting players contribute to the success of a production, even if they aren't the leads.
Synonyms
12
3.9
An actor who plays memorable supporting roles, often unusual characters
How Prominent
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'an actor who is not a main character but supports the leads' is directly and compositionally derived from 'support(ing)' (helping or backing) + 'player' (performer). This adjective+noun pattern is regular and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the intended sense.
Etymology
The phrase supporting player comes from the stage: a supporting actor helps the main star and a player is an actor, so you can picture someone standing beside the lead to make the story better. That's why it means 'an actor who is not one of the main characters'.