Protagonist - Learn to Play The Lead/Star Role
As the protagonist, do you know what is expected of you? In acting, the protagonist can be many things and he or she can be any age, social status and background, regardless of the genre. What he/she does will be the result of his/her motivations and emotions. Are you ready for protagonist acting? Here's what you should know:
What is a protagonist?
The protagonist is the main character in a movie, play, TV series or novel. Contrary to what most people think, the protagonist doesn’t even have to be the good guy. He can be anything from a man, woman, child, even an animal, as long as he or she is the central character around which the story revolves. It is possible to have more than one protagonist in a given medium, especially if you'll be working with an ensemble cast.
What to expect when you're acting as the protagonist
In protagonist acting, you are the core around which the progress of the play or film depends. You, as the protagonist, will not always have control of the situation but very often, it is your point of view that will be in focus. Your character's thoughts, what he does and says will have an impact on how the drama is played out.
As the protagonist, your character will be well-rounded, meaning that your audience will be able to know your character well enough to understand why you do what you do. Your character will be joined and interacted with by the antagonist, deuterogamist and other supporting actors.
How you act as the protagonist will depend on the role. If you play the standard hero, you will be presented as the character who faces a challenge and works against it to emerge victorious in the end. As a tragic hero, you will be faced with difficulties that you won’t be able to surmount, even if you started out with good circumstances.
Another type of protagonist is the anti-hero, someone who isn’t always likeable and whose motivations may not always be pure but who has a story that is exciting enough as to interest the audience and make the drama work.
Famous protagonist roles
If you want to be familiar with protagonist acting, there are several protagonist roles you’ll need to know. A good example would be from the works of Shakespeare, who often showed clear delineation lines between protagonist and antagonist. Some of his famous protagonists include: Macbeth, Othello, Romeo, Juliet, Hamlet and Richard III. In films, there's Capt. Willard (Apocalypse Now), Terry Malloy (On the Waterfront) and Michael Corleone (The Godfather), among others.