{{short description|Common theatre phrase meaning to stop acting}} {{Redirect|Break character|characters which break lines in text processing|Line wrap and word wrap|characters used to escape text formatting|Escape character}} {{Redirect|Corpsing|the band|Corpsing (band)|the novel|Corpsing (novel){{!}}''Corpsing'' (novel)}}
In [[theatre]] (especially in the illusionistic Western tradition) and [[film]], '''breaking character''' occurs when an [[actor]] fails to maintain the illusion that they are the [[Character (arts)|character]] they are supposedly portraying. This is considered unprofessional while performing in front of an audience or camera (except when the act is a deliberate breaking of the [[fourth wall]]). [[British English]] uses a slang term, '''corpsing''', to specifically describe one of the most common ways of breaking character—when an actor loses their composure and laughs or giggles inappropriately during a scene.{{efn |Attributed to multiple sources:<ref name="Kohl_Page_25">{{cite book |last1=Kohl |first1=Herbert R. |author1-link=Herbert R. Kohl |title=Making Theater: Developing Plays with Young People |date=1988 |publisher=Teachers & Writers Collaborative |location=New York |isbn=9780915924172 |page=25 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mm54xx5Bpf0C&pg=PA25}}</ref><ref name="Clayton_Page_132">{{cite book |last1=Clayton |first1=Alex |title=Funny How?: Sketch Comedy and the Art of Humor |date=2020 |publisher=State University of New York Press |location=Albany |isbn=9781438478296 |page=132 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hrrrDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA132}}</ref><ref name="Stewart_Page_327">{{cite book |last1=Stewart |first1=Patrick |author1-link=Patrick Stewart |title=Making It So: A Memoir |date=2023 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |location=New York |isbn=9781982167752 |page=327 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VGmsEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA327}}</ref><ref name="Tropiano_Page_148">{{cite book |last1=Tropiano |first1=Stephen |last2=Ginsberg |first2=Steven |title=The SNL Companion: An Unofficial Guide to the Seasons, Sketches, and Stars of Saturday Night Live |date=2024 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |location=Lanham, Maryland |isbn=9781493072613 |page=148 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GC0eEQAAQBAJ&pg=PA148}}</ref>}} The British slang term is derived from an actor laughing when their character is supposed to be a corpse.<ref name="Tropiano_Page_148" /> From the American critical perspective, the British slang term can also carry a deeper secondary meaning: by breaking character, the actor has pulled the audience [[Suspension of disbelief|out of the dramatic work]] and back to reality, effectively killed the character they are attempting to portray, and figuratively turned the character into a corpse.<ref name="Kohl_Page_25" /> Thus, corpsing is "the worst thing" that an actor can do on stage.<ref name="Kohl_Page_25" /> An actor's breaking character often results in an abandonment of a [[take]] in recorded or filmed drama.
==Famous breaks in film== The advent of [[DVD]] players, with the use of their precise pause and slow-motion functions, has made it far easier to spot breaks in character in motion pictures, and many internet sites collect such examples.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://twentytwowords.com/actors-breaking-character-to-laugh-with-each-other-between-takes-15-pictures/ |author= Abraham |date= June 6, 2013 |title= Actors Breaking Character to Laugh With Each Other Between Takes |publisher= twentytwowords.com |access-date= September 7, 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150906235757/http://twentytwowords.com/actors-breaking-character-to-laugh-with-each-other-between-takes-15-pictures/ |archive-date= September 6, 2015 |url-status= dead }}</ref>
Example: *[[Catherine Schell]], who found it difficult to act with [[Peter Sellers]] in ''[[The Return of the Pink Panther]]'' and maintain her composure. Several scenes showing her laughing at his antics remain in the film.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://varley.net/movie_review/return-of-the-pink-panther/ |author= Varley, John |author-link= John Varley (author) |date= 2013 |title= Movie Reviews: The Return of the Pink Panther |publisher= John Varley |access-date= September 7, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.ciaranbrown.com/schell.html |author= Brown, Ciaran |title= Ciaran Meets the Stars |publisher= Ciaran Brown |access-date= September 7, 2015}}</ref>
==On television== Examples of actors breaking character on television include:
* [[Lucille Ball]], in a rare example of breaking character for her, was forced to break character during filming of "Lucy and Viv Put in a Shower", a season 1 episode of ''[[The Lucy Show]]''. In the climactic scene, the titular shower filled with water due to a drain malfunction, and Ball nearly drowned attempting to unplug it. Co-star [[Vivian Vance]] hastily reworked the script to allow Ball to recover her composure.<ref>{{Cite book | title=The Other Side of Ethel Mertz | author=Frank Castelluccio & Alvin Walker | publisher=Knowledge, Ideas & Trends | page=[https://archive.org/details/othersideofethel00cast/page/270 270] | year=1998 | isbn=1-879198-26-6 | url-access=registration | url=https://archive.org/details/othersideofethel00cast/page/270 }}</ref> Ball's near-drowning was included in the finished episode, which was one of several from the series to lapse into the [[public domain]].
* Many instances of breaking character have occurred on ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'', where showrunner [[Lorne Michaels]] is known to strongly discourage character breaks:<ref name="farout">{{Cite web |date=2023-03-22 |title=The 'SNL' mistake that Will Ferrell loved most |url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-snl-mistake-that-will-ferrell-loved-most/ |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=faroutmagazine.co.uk |language=en-US}}</ref> **[[Christina Applegate]] and [[David Spade]] could not stop laughing at [[Chris Farley]]'s motivational speaker character, [[Matt Foley]].<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv2VIEY9-A8 | title=Matt Foley: Van Down by the River - SNL | website=[[YouTube]] | date=25 September 2013 }}</ref> **The band members in the "[[More Cowbell]]" sketch broke character reacting to [[Will Ferrell]]'s antics. [[Jimmy Fallon]] often broke character, which became one of his trademarks.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://zap2it.com/2014/03/jimmy-fallon-and-james-franco-laugh-about-more-cowbell-sketch-from-snl-on-tonight-show/ |author= Reiher, Andrea |date= Mar 15, 2014 |title= Jimmy Fallon and James Franco laugh about 'more cowbell' sketch from 'SNL' on 'Tonight Show' |publisher= Zap2it |quote= 'You always cracked up!' says Franco. |access-date= September 7, 2015 |archive-date= September 8, 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150908105524/http://zap2it.com/2014/03/jimmy-fallon-and-james-franco-laugh-about-more-cowbell-sketch-from-snl-on-tonight-show/ |url-status= dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://ultimateclassicrock.com/jimmy-fallon-recalls-famous-blue-oyster-cult-more-cowbell-saturday-night-live-skit/ |author= Lifton, Dave |date= June 27, 2012 |title= Jimmy Fallon Recalls Famous Blue Oyster Cult / 'More Cowbell' Saturday Night Live Skit |publisher= ultimateclassicrock.com |quote= ...Fallon ... often had difficulty keeping a straight face. In a new interview, Fallon recalls why he broke up in the middle of the famous 'More Cowbell' sketch... |access-date= September 7, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url= http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/07/25/snl_actors_cracking_up_supercut_when_is_ok_for_snl_cast_members_to_break.html |author= Winter, Jessica |date= July 25, 2013 |title= When Is It OK to Crack Up? Some Ground Rules for the Cast of SNL |magazine= [[Slate (magazine)|Slate]] |access-date= September 7, 2015}}</ref> ** Perhaps the most severe example of an entire cast breaking is the first appearance of the [[Debbie Downer]] character, where in a 2004 skit featuring [[Rachel Dratch]], guest host [[Lindsay Lohan]] and others, Dratch eventually struggles to exclaim to exaggerated effect "By the way ... I can't have children!"<ref name="farout"/><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-24 |title=Debbie Downer: A History of Rachel Dratch's Iconic SNL Character |url=https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/debbie-downer-origin-snl-rachel-dratch |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=NBC Insider Official Site |language=en-US}}</ref> ** While playing [[NewsNation]] host Bobbi Moore in an April 13, 2024, ''SNL'' skit, [[Heidi Gardner]], who has built a reputation for maintaining composure during comedy scenes, drew considerable attention for corpsing in what ''Vulture'' magazine characterized "in spectacularly charming fashion".{{efn |Attributed to multiple sources:<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ivie |first=Devon |date=2024-04-15 |title=Heidi Gardner Couldn't Prepare for What She Saw |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/snl-heidi-gardner-beavis-and-butthead-sketch-interview.html |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=Vulture |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Perez |first=Lexy |date=2024-04-16 |title=Heidi Gardner Reacts to Breaking Character During 'SNL' 'Beavis and Butt-Head' Sketch: "I Lost It" |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/heidi-gardner-reacts-snl-beavis-and-butt-head-sketch-1235874970/ |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharf |first=Zack |date=2024-04-16 |title='SNL' Star Heidi Gardner Says 'Anxiety Set in' After Breaking So Hard During 'Beavis and Butt-Head' Sketch: 'I'll Never Be Able to Shake' What I Saw |url=https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/snl-heidi-gardner-breaking-beavis-and-butthead-sketch-1235972462/ |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-16 |title='SNL' Star Heidi Gardner Feels Terrible She Broke Character During 'Beavis And Butt-Head' Skit |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/snl-star-heidi-gardner-feels-terrible-she-broke-character-during-beavis-and-butt-head-skit_n_661e9fa8e4b046441aa31524 |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ortiz |first=Andi |date=2024-04-16 |title=SNL: Heidi Gardner Explains Why She Lost It in 'Beavis and Butt-Head' Sketch |url=https://www.thewrap.com/snl-heidi-gardner-explains-why-she-cracked-up-beavis-butt-head-sketch/ |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=TheWrap |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-18 |title='SNL' shows behind-the-scenes footage of 'Beavis and Butt-Head' skit that broke Heidi Gardner |url=https://www.today.com/popculture/tv/snl-beavis-butthead-skit-rcna147797 |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=TODAY.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Evans |first=Greg |date=2024-04-16 |title=Heidi Gardner Explains Butt-Head Crack-Up On Last Saturday's 'SNL' |url=https://deadline.com/2024/04/heidi-gardner-beavis-butt-head-1235886944/ |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref>}} * In the ''[[Doctor Who]]'' episode "[[The Daleks' Master Plan|The Feast of Steven]]", actor [[William Hartnell]] breaks character to wish the audience a merry [[Christmas]], with actors [[Peter Purves]] and [[Jean Marsh]] also breaking character, erupting in laughter. The Christmas address was scripted, but the laughter was not.{{efn |As ''The Feast of Steven'' was a one-off [[filler episode]], [[Doctor Who Missing Episodes|and now only survives as a home-made audio recording]], it's possible that the episode contains other instances of actors visually breaking character.}} * On ''[[The Daily Show]]'', [[Jon Stewart]] or one of the correspondents occasionally broke character during a segment. One example was a piece on an allegation of a homosexual relationship involving [[Charles III|the then Prince Charles]] and the British tabloids' shameless use of innuendo and euphemisms to spread the rumor while avoiding [[libel]]ous statements. The segment had [[Stephen Colbert]] "reporting" from Britain and explaining, in terms laden with homoerotic imagery, that it would be journalistically irresponsible to go into detail about the story. He then peeled a banana and took a huge bite of it in imitation of [[fellatio]], causing himself to smile and Stewart to begin giggling off screen. By the end of the segment, Colbert was laughing so hard he could barely speak.<ref name="colbertbanana">{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.cc.com/video/1gonk2/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-prince-charles-scandal |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210130071449/https://www.cc.com/video/1gonk2/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-prince-charles-scandal |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 30, 2021 |title=Prince Charles Scandal - The Daily Show with Jon Stewart |date=2003-11-11 |language=en-us |access-date=2024-04-30 |via=www.cc.com}}</ref> *[[Tim Conway]] took great pleasure in pushing his ''[[The Carol Burnett Show]]'' co-stars to lose composure and break out in helpless laughter – in particular, [[Harvey Korman]], in their Dentist Sketch as well as many others.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IUSM4EKcRI | title=The Dentist from the Carol Burnett Show (Full sketch) | website=[[YouTube]] | date=9 May 2019 }}</ref> [[Vicki Lawrence]], as Mama in one of their many "The Family" sketches, scored a rare turnabout on Conway (as Mickey, Ed's (Korman) hardware-store employee), who had reduced [[Carol Burnett]] and [[Dick Van Dyke]] to fits of laughter in the Siamese Elephant Sketch. After Conway's repeated interruptions during the sketch, making a bizarre story incrementally even more so, the cast attempted to resume the sketch – prompting Lawrence to break the [[fourth wall]] and ask Eunice (Burnett) "You sure that little asshole's through?" which brought down the cast and studio audience as well.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uasRKdYZ4xQ | title=Carol Burnett Outtakes - the Hysterical Elephant Story by Tim Conway! | website=[[YouTube]] | date=March 2023 }}</ref> The scene was cut and is recognized as one of the best-known "blooper" outtakes in TV history. Years later, when asked about the scene, Lawrence replied that the scene may have been an outtake, but was not a blooper. She never fully elaborated afterward.
==Virtual and gaming environments==
Breaking character or corpsing is also being used more frequently to describe a participant-player who, having assumed the role of a virtual character or avatar and is acting within a virtual or gaming environment, then breaks out of that character.<ref>Tim Marsh. 2006. Vicarious experience: staying there connected with and through our own and other characters. Chapter, In: Gaming As Culture: Essays on Reality, Identity And Experience in Fantasy Games. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, pp. 196-214.</ref> For example, this could be a player-character behaving inappropriately within the social-cultural environment depicted by the virtual or gaming environment or the participant-player [[wikt:AFK|ceasing to interact-play]] (momentarily or entirely) leaving the character suspended and/or lifeless.
== See also == * [[Fourth wall]] * [[Dramaturgy (sociology)#Communication out of character|Out of character communication in the sociological theory of dramaturgy]]
== Notes == {{notelist}}
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Breaking Character}} [[Category:Metafictional techniques]]