In
acting, a bit part is a role in which there is direct interaction with the principal
actors and no more than five lines of
dialogue, often referred to as a five-or-less or
under-five in the United States, or under sixes in
British television, or a walk-on part with no dialogue.
A bit part is higher than that of an extra and lower than that of a
supporting actor. An actor who regularly performs in bit roles, either as a
hobby or to earn a living, is referred to as a bit player, a term also used to describe an aspiring actor who has not yet broken into supporting or leading roles.
Unlike
extras, who do not typically interact with principals, actors in bit parts are sometimes listed in the
credits
Credit refers to any form of deferred payment, the granting of a loan and the creation of debt.
Credit may also refer to:
Places
* Credit, Arkansas, a ghost town
* Credit River, a river in Ontario, Canada
* Credit River (Minnesota), a river ...
. An exception to this practice is the
cameo appearance
A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly ei ...
, wherein a well-known actor or other
celebrity
Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in spor ...
appears in a bit part; it is common for such appearances to be uncredited.
In
MGM's 1951 screen version of the musical ''
Show Boat'', the role of the cook Queenie (
Frances E. Williams
Frances Elizabeth Williams (September 17, 1905 – January 2, 1995) was an American actress, activist, theatre producer, organizer, and community worker. Williams was the first black woman to run for the California State Assembly in 1948 on the Pr ...
) was reduced from a significant
supporting role in the
stage version to a bit part in the film. Williams, whose appearance was not intended as a
cameo, was not listed at all in the credits. On the other hand,
William Warfield, whose role as Joe, Queenie's husband, was also drastically shortened in the film from the stage original, did receive screen credit because he sang "
Ol' Man River".
Bit parts are often significant in the story line and sometimes pivotal, as in
Jack Albertson's role as a postal worker in the 1947
feature film
A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...
''
Miracle on 34th Street''. Some characters with bit parts attract significant attention.
Konstantin Stanislavski remarked that "there are no small parts, only small actors".
, a bit actor, once said: "Every
character actor, in their own little sphere, is the lead".
See also
*
Extra (acting)
* ''
Ready When You Are, Mr. McGill
''Ready When You Are, Mr. McGill'' is a feature length TV drama, written by Jack Rosenthal. ITV produced two versions, in 1976 and 2003. The 1976 version was the first in a series of six single television plays which aired in the anthology tel ...
''
References
Acting
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