# How does an actor steal a scene? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 2, 2020, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-actor-steal-a-scene/847372 "2020-02-02T06:10:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Arachnid_Laser_1)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2020, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-actor-steal-a-scene/847372/21 "2020-02-03T19:20:37Z")
Maybe my favorite insance is Matthew McConaughey being the most memorable part of a movie while appearing less than five minutes. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/wM6exo00T5I/maxresdefault.jpg "Wolf Of Wallstreet Matthew McConaughey [FULL SCENE] [HD]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM6exo00T5I) ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2020, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-actor-steal-a-scene/847372/22 "2020-02-03T19:23:42Z")
> [@Patch](#): > > Steve McQueen was pissed at how many more lines Yul Brenner had than he did in _The Magnificent Seven_, and set about focusing attention on himself when he could. > > There was one scene where he and Brenner rolled up in a wagon, Yul on the side of the buckboard with the camera, McQueen behind him. As Brenner is talking, McQueen breaks open his double barrel shotgun, pulls out a shell, shakes it next to his ear, chambers it, and does the same with the other. It’s a pointless activity, but gets the attention on him. Reportedly Brynner would also get pissed at how often McQueen would adjust his hat in the background. ---
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2020, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-actor-steal-a-scene/847372/23 "2020-02-03T22:32:47Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > That was when they were on the hearse to take “Injun Joe” to Boot Hill when no one else would. I’m not really into westerns, but I watched about the first thirty minutes of that a couple of days ago because I like the music. My favorite part of that scene is when the undertaker is explaining to these traveling salesmen that his regular driver won’t take Injun Joe. The salesmen exclaim, “Why, he’s prejudiced!” The undertaker says something like “He’s a downright bigot if it keeps from getting his head blown off!” Something about that line just cracks me up. The portrayal of the hapless Mexicanos that sets up the story makes me uncomfortable. ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2020, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-actor-steal-a-scene/847372/24 "2020-02-03T22:41:53Z")
Thanks to all for your responses. It’s been illuminating. (Adjusts tie, spits on ground, wipes forehead) 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2020, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-actor-steal-a-scene/847372/25 "2020-02-03T22:56:09Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Especially if they ham it up. > > Here’s a video of [Tennessee Ernie Ford singing Children Go Where I Send Thee](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_eWR2hT_YM), surrounded by a bunch of kids. Watch one of the kids steal the show. > [@teela\_brown](#): > > Do animal actors count? > > The answer is: [be a cute dog](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LP8kEjxJ8jA). Then you can even steal scenes from Jack Lemmon. That’s why W.C. Fields said “Never work with animals or children.”😃 ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2020, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-actor-steal-a-scene/847372/26 "2020-02-03T23:03:01Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > Here’s an example of a 6-year-old girl in a dance recital stealing the scene as they perform the song “Respect”: > > Her performance is so over the top and sassy that you practically don't see the other performers on the stage. However, it looks like the little girl on the left is getting ready to haul off and sock her one.😃 She was definitely not pleased! ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2020, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-actor-steal-a-scene/847372/27 "2020-02-03T23:32:25Z")
I would never want to act with a dog if the dog thought my leg had a vagina. It can happen. ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Mabes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mike_mabes/32/1782_2.png) [@Mike\_Mabes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Mabes)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2020, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-actor-steal-a-scene/847372/28 "2020-02-04T00:04:42Z")
> [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser](#): > > Maybe my favorite insance is Matthew McConaughey being the most memorable part of a movie while appearing less than five minutes. > > [https://youtu.be/wM6exo00T5I](https://youtu.be/wM6exo00T5I) I gotta see that movie again ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2020, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-actor-steal-a-scene/847372/29 "2020-02-04T01:41:15Z")
I’d posted this in another thread not too long ago but this probably isn’t the take Paul Simon would have selected from his Sesame Street appearance: [Paul Simon ruins girl’s song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1dlWmrRstc) ---
**Author:** ![GMANCANADA](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gmancanada/32/2837_2.png) [@GMANCANADA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GMANCANADA)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2020, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-actor-steal-a-scene/847372/30 "2020-02-04T02:00:51Z")
**Re: Steve McQueen** Contrary to what **Patch** notes - I’ve heard the same thing at **Kobal** says - That many actors hated working with McQueen since he was a notorious and deliberate scene stealer. It was funny because when I watched Magnificent Seven I did find McQueen’s background fiddling during the wagon scene distracting (I was looking at him wondering what he was doing, not on Yul). Then shortly after, I happened to read a story about McQueen and they mentioned his scene stealing behaviour. I’d never heard of scene stealing before that but immediately understood it. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2020, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-actor-steal-a-scene/847372/31 "2020-02-04T17:37:23Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > Here’s an example of a 6-year-old girl in a dance recital stealing the scene as they perform the song “Respect”: > > Her performance is so over the top and sassy that you practically don't see the other performers on the stage. I didn’t realize we had early videos of Mae West! ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2020, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-actor-steal-a-scene/847372/32 "2020-02-04T18:16:51Z")
In live theatre, the classic technique was to move towards the back of the stage, away from the audience. This forced the other performers(s) in the scene to sturn away from the audience in order to play to you. Or to move upstage themselves, causing the whole scene to be played while squeezed against the back wall of the set. It’s the dictionary definition of the term “upstaging”. > **[Definition of UPSTAGE](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upstage)** > > toward or at the rear of a theatrical stage; away from a motion-picture or television camera… See the full definition ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2020, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-actor-steal-a-scene/847372/33 "2020-02-04T18:47:16Z")
[quote=“zbuzz, post:3, topic:847372”] One way is to be funnier than Eddie Murphy in a scene with Eddie Murphy who is at the time radiating Peak Eddie Murphy. [/QUOTE] He stole this scene so hard he got his own popular sitcom. ‘Other Guy’ indeed. Now get off my lawn you whippersnapper while I contemplate WTF was up with girl’s hairstyles at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-actor-steal-a-scene/847372/34 "2020-02-05T02:14:04Z")
I would say that what Steve McQueen did was “upstaging.” (Thank you, **Ann Hedonia** , for the derivation of the term.) “Scene stealing” is what Bronson Pinchot did to Eddie Murphy. Another example is what Christoph Waltz did to anybody he shared a scene with in _Inglorious_ _Basterds_. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-actor-steal-a-scene/847372/35 "2020-02-05T02:32:47Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > There are two ways the term is used. > > One is that you use mannerism and tics to draw attention away from the actor who is supposed to be the center of the scene. This is looked down upon and infuriates other actors. I’d forgotten - one of my fave examples of the first type also involves Tim Conway and Harvey Korman, at 1:28 of this clip: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/X1qebkWD67o/hqdefault.jpg "My Emmy Moment: Tim Conway and Harvey Korman") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1qebkWD67o) ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-actor-steal-a-scene/847372/36 "2020-02-05T04:26:30Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > . When I saw the revival of Carousel, I noticed there was an African-American female in it. I thought “There would never be such a person in that time period in New England.” . [There have been black people in Maine at least since 1736](https://maineanencyclopedia.com/african-americans/). > **[Black people in Maine](https://www.mainememory.net/sitebuilder/site/793/page/1203/display)** > > Maine's black population has never been large, but blacks have lived and worked in communities large and small throughout the state since early colonial days. > **[In Maine, Restoring History Long Hidden (Published 2005)](https://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/09/us/in-maine-restoring-history-long-hidden.html)** > > Deborah Cummings Kadraoui long figured that the derelict building at 73-75 Newbury Street was just another abandoned property near Portland's industrial waterfront. That changed about 10 years ago, when she read in a local newspaper that the... Lots more references out there if you just look a little. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-actor-steal-a-scene/847372.md?page=1)