Acting Parts
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There is a saying in the acting world that there are no small parts, only small actors. Some folks may wonder what exactly this means, so here we will try to explain. Some people get into acting and think that to be a star they have to have the biggest parts, (meaning the most lines) in the whole play, movie or TV show. They might be thinking that this role is the most important because it appears in so many scenes, but here is where they go wrong. How many lines does Marlon Brando have in Apocalypse Now? Dennis Hopper? All parts in any given film or other type of production are equally important, and it is the quality of the acting of the person portraying the character that determines how memorable or enjoyable the character is for the audience.
A couple of good examples of this, where truly great acting made two relatively "small" parts into the most memorable characters in the entire production, are Chris Rock's character in New Jack City, and the Frenchman's Wife in the final installment in the Matrix Trilogy. Chris Rock plays essentially a crackhead who can't kick and eventually succumbs tragically to his addiction. He was not meant to be the star of the film, but he truly is. His performance is so phenomenal that he made his "small" part into the most memorable character in the movie.
Another of the greatest acting jobs done with a smaller part was handed in by the actress who plays the Frenchman's Wife character, who gives hands down the best performance in the entire Matrix Trilogy. She appears in perhaps two scenes, and has merely a handful of lines, but her presence is so intense, and her energy so strong, that again, her acting turns a so-called small part into an historical, riveting performance that overshadows those of the main characters. So number one, rent these movies (again?) and pay close attention to these characters, and number two, remember again, in acting, there are no small parts, only small actors. A small actor worries about how many lines they have or how many scenes they are in; great actors make you remember the ten lines they had in one scene for the rest of your life.