# Breaking character

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Breaking_character
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Breaking_character.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaking_character
> Source revision: 1356753819
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Common theatre phrase meaning to stop acting

"Break character" redirects here. For characters which break lines in text processing, see [Line wrap and word wrap](/source/Line_wrap_and_word_wrap). For characters used to escape text formatting, see [Escape character](/source/Escape_character).

"Corpsing" redirects here. For the band, see [Corpsing (band)](/source/Corpsing_(band)). For the novel, see [*Corpsing* (novel)](/source/Corpsing_(novel)).

In [theatre](/source/Theatre) (especially in the illusionistic Western tradition) and [film](/source/Film), **breaking character** occurs when an [actor](/source/Actor) fails to maintain the illusion that they are the [character](/source/Character_(arts)) 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](/source/Fourth_wall)). [British English](/source/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.[a] The British slang term is derived from an actor laughing when their character is supposed to be a corpse.[4] 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 [out of the dramatic work](/source/Suspension_of_disbelief) and back to reality, effectively killed the character they are attempting to portray, and figuratively turned the character into a corpse.[1] Thus, corpsing is "the worst thing" that an actor can do on stage.[1] An actor's breaking character often results in an abandonment of a [take](/source/Take) in recorded or filmed drama.

## Famous breaks in film

The advent of [DVD](/source/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.[5]

Example:

- [Catherine Schell](/source/Catherine_Schell), who found it difficult to act with [Peter Sellers](/source/Peter_Sellers) in *[The Return of the Pink Panther](/source/The_Return_of_the_Pink_Panther)* and maintain her composure. Several scenes showing her laughing at his antics remain in the film.[6][7]

## On television

Examples of actors breaking character on television include:

- [Lucille Ball](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Vivian_Vance) hastily reworked the script to allow Ball to recover her composure.[8] Ball's near-drowning was included in the finished episode, which was one of several from the series to lapse into the [public domain](/source/Public_domain).

- Many instances of breaking character have occurred on *[Saturday Night Live](/source/Saturday_Night_Live)*, where showrunner [Lorne Michaels](/source/Lorne_Michaels) is known to strongly discourage character breaks:[9] - [Christina Applegate](/source/Christina_Applegate) and [David Spade](/source/David_Spade) could not stop laughing at [Chris Farley](/source/Chris_Farley)'s motivational speaker character, [Matt Foley](/source/Matt_Foley).[10] - The band members in the "[More Cowbell](/source/More_Cowbell)" sketch broke character reacting to [Will Ferrell](/source/Will_Ferrell)'s antics. [Jimmy Fallon](/source/Jimmy_Fallon) often broke character, which became one of his trademarks.[11][12][13] - Perhaps the most severe example of an entire cast breaking is the first appearance of the [Debbie Downer](/source/Debbie_Downer) character, where in a 2004 skit featuring [Rachel Dratch](/source/Rachel_Dratch), guest host [Lindsay Lohan](/source/Lindsay_Lohan) and others, Dratch eventually struggles to exclaim to exaggerated effect "By the way ... I can't have children!"[9][14] - While playing [NewsNation](/source/NewsNation) host Bobbi Moore in an April 13, 2024, *SNL* skit, [Heidi Gardner](/source/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".[b]

- In the *[Doctor Who](/source/Doctor_Who)* episode "[The Feast of Steven](/source/The_Daleks'_Master_Plan)", actor [William Hartnell](/source/William_Hartnell) breaks character to wish the audience a merry [Christmas](/source/Christmas), with actors [Peter Purves](/source/Peter_Purves) and [Jean Marsh](/source/Jean_Marsh) also breaking character, erupting in laughter. The Christmas address was scripted, but the laughter was not.[c]

- On *[The Daily Show](/source/The_Daily_Show)*, [Jon Stewart](/source/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 [the then Prince Charles](/source/Charles_III) and the British tabloids' shameless use of innuendo and euphemisms to spread the rumor while avoiding [libelous](/source/Libel) statements. The segment had [Stephen Colbert](/source/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](/source/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.[22]

- [Tim Conway](/source/Tim_Conway) took great pleasure in pushing his *[The Carol Burnett Show](/source/The_Carol_Burnett_Show)* co-stars to lose composure and break out in helpless laughter – in particular, [Harvey Korman](/source/Harvey_Korman), in their Dentist Sketch as well as many others.[23] [Vicki Lawrence](/source/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](/source/Carol_Burnett) and [Dick Van Dyke](/source/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](/source/Fourth_wall) and ask Eunice (Burnett) "You sure that little asshole's through?" which brought down the cast and studio audience as well.[24] 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.[25] 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 [ceasing to interact-play](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/AFK) (momentarily or entirely) leaving the character suspended and/or lifeless.

## See also

- [Fourth wall](/source/Fourth_wall)

- [Out of character communication in the sociological theory of dramaturgy](/source/Dramaturgy_(sociology)#Communication_out_of_character)

## Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Attributed to multiple sources:[1][2][3][4]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-23)** Attributed to multiple sources:[15][16][17][18][19][20][21]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-24)** As *The Feast of Steven* was a one-off [filler episode](/source/Filler_episode), [and now only survives as a home-made audio recording](/source/Doctor_Who_Missing_Episodes), it's possible that the episode contains other instances of actors visually breaking character.

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Kohl_Page_25_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Kohl_Page_25_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Kohl_Page_25_1-2) [Kohl, Herbert R.](/source/Herbert_R._Kohl) (1988). [*Making Theater: Developing Plays with Young People*](https://books.google.com/books?id=mm54xx5Bpf0C&pg=PA25). New York: Teachers & Writers Collaborative. p. 25. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780915924172](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780915924172).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Clayton_Page_132_2-0)** Clayton, Alex (2020). [*Funny How?: Sketch Comedy and the Art of Humor*](https://books.google.com/books?id=hrrrDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA132). Albany: State University of New York Press. p. 132. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781438478296](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781438478296).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Stewart_Page_327_3-0)** [Stewart, Patrick](/source/Patrick_Stewart) (2023). [*Making It So: A Memoir*](https://books.google.com/books?id=VGmsEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA327). New York: Simon & Schuster. p. 327. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781982167752](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781982167752).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Tropiano_Page_148_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Tropiano_Page_148_4-1) Tropiano, Stephen; Ginsberg, Steven (2024). [*The SNL Companion: An Unofficial Guide to the Seasons, Sketches, and Stars of Saturday Night Live*](https://books.google.com/books?id=GC0eEQAAQBAJ&pg=PA148). Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 148. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781493072613](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781493072613).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Abraham (June 6, 2013). ["Actors Breaking Character to Laugh With Each Other Between Takes"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150906235757/http://twentytwowords.com/actors-breaking-character-to-laugh-with-each-other-between-takes-15-pictures/). twentytwowords.com. Archived from [the original](http://twentytwowords.com/actors-breaking-character-to-laugh-with-each-other-between-takes-15-pictures/) on September 6, 2015. Retrieved September 7, 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [Varley, John](/source/John_Varley_(author)) (2013). ["Movie Reviews: The Return of the Pink Panther"](http://varley.net/movie_review/return-of-the-pink-panther/). John Varley. Retrieved September 7, 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Brown, Ciaran. ["Ciaran Meets the Stars"](http://www.ciaranbrown.com/schell.html). Ciaran Brown. Retrieved September 7, 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Frank Castelluccio & Alvin Walker (1998). [*The Other Side of Ethel Mertz*](https://archive.org/details/othersideofethel00cast/page/270). Knowledge, Ideas & Trends. p. [270](https://archive.org/details/othersideofethel00cast/page/270). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-879198-26-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-879198-26-6).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-farout_10-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-farout_10-1) ["The 'SNL' mistake that Will Ferrell loved most"](https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-snl-mistake-that-will-ferrell-loved-most/). *faroutmagazine.co.uk*. 2023-03-22. Retrieved 2024-04-30.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Matt Foley: Van Down by the River - SNL"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv2VIEY9-A8). *[YouTube](/source/YouTube)*. 25 September 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Reiher, Andrea (Mar 15, 2014). ["Jimmy Fallon and James Franco laugh about 'more cowbell' sketch from 'SNL' on 'Tonight Show'"](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/). Zap2it. Archived from [the original](http://zap2it.com/2014/03/jimmy-fallon-and-james-franco-laugh-about-more-cowbell-sketch-from-snl-on-tonight-show/) on September 8, 2015. Retrieved September 7, 2015. 'You always cracked up!' says Franco.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** Lifton, Dave (June 27, 2012). ["Jimmy Fallon Recalls Famous Blue Oyster Cult / 'More Cowbell' Saturday Night Live Skit"](http://ultimateclassicrock.com/jimmy-fallon-recalls-famous-blue-oyster-cult-more-cowbell-saturday-night-live-skit/). ultimateclassicrock.com. Retrieved September 7, 2015. ...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...

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Winter, Jessica (July 25, 2013). ["When Is It OK to Crack Up? Some Ground Rules for the Cast of SNL"](http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/07/25/snl_actors_cracking_up_supercut_when_is_ok_for_snl_cast_members_to_break.html). *[Slate](/source/Slate_(magazine))*. Retrieved September 7, 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** ["Debbie Downer: A History of Rachel Dratch's Iconic SNL Character"](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/debbie-downer-origin-snl-rachel-dratch). *NBC Insider Official Site*. 2023-08-24. Retrieved 2024-04-30.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** Ivie, Devon (2024-04-15). ["Heidi Gardner Couldn't Prepare for What She Saw"](https://www.vulture.com/article/snl-heidi-gardner-beavis-and-butthead-sketch-interview.html). *Vulture*. Retrieved 2024-04-30.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** Perez, Lexy (2024-04-16). ["Heidi Gardner Reacts to Breaking Character During 'SNL' 'Beavis and Butt-Head' Sketch: "I Lost It""](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/heidi-gardner-reacts-snl-beavis-and-butt-head-sketch-1235874970/). *The Hollywood Reporter*. Retrieved 2024-04-30.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** Sharf, Zack (2024-04-16). ["'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"](https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/snl-heidi-gardner-breaking-beavis-and-butthead-sketch-1235972462/). *Variety*. Retrieved 2024-04-30.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** ["'SNL' Star Heidi Gardner Feels Terrible She Broke Character During 'Beavis And Butt-Head' Skit"](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/snl-star-heidi-gardner-feels-terrible-she-broke-character-during-beavis-and-butt-head-skit_n_661e9fa8e4b046441aa31524). *HuffPost*. 2024-04-16. Retrieved 2024-04-30.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-20)** Ortiz, Andi (2024-04-16). ["SNL: Heidi Gardner Explains Why She Lost It in 'Beavis and Butt-Head' Sketch"](https://www.thewrap.com/snl-heidi-gardner-explains-why-she-cracked-up-beavis-butt-head-sketch/). *TheWrap*. Retrieved 2024-04-30.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-21)** ["'SNL' shows behind-the-scenes footage of 'Beavis and Butt-Head' skit that broke Heidi Gardner"](https://www.today.com/popculture/tv/snl-beavis-butthead-skit-rcna147797). *TODAY.com*. 2024-04-18. Retrieved 2024-04-30.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-22)** Evans, Greg (2024-04-16). ["Heidi Gardner Explains Butt-Head Crack-Up On Last Saturday's 'SNL'"](https://deadline.com/2024/04/heidi-gardner-beavis-butt-head-1235886944/). *Deadline*. Retrieved 2024-04-30.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-colbertbanana_25-0)** [*Prince Charles Scandal - The Daily Show with Jon Stewart*](https://web.archive.org/web/20210130071449/https://www.cc.com/video/1gonk2/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-prince-charles-scandal). 2003-11-11. Archived from [the original](https://www.cc.com/video/1gonk2/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-prince-charles-scandal) on January 30, 2021. Retrieved 2024-04-30 – via www.cc.com.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-26)** ["The Dentist from the Carol Burnett Show (Full sketch)"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IUSM4EKcRI). *[YouTube](/source/YouTube)*. 9 May 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-27)** ["Carol Burnett Outtakes - the Hysterical Elephant Story by Tim Conway!"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uasRKdYZ4xQ). *[YouTube](/source/YouTube)*. March 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-28)** 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.

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Breaking character](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaking_character) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaking_character?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.