scene-stealer

American  

[seen-stee-ler] / ˈsinˌsti lər /

noun

1. a performer in a play, motion picture, etc., who by charm, talent, or artifice, draws most of the audience's attention, often away from the leading performers.

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Etymology

Origin of scene-stealer

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

In the opening episode of Season 2 of And Just Like That …, there’s a scene stealer, and it’s not a dress or a celebrity: It’s a purse stool.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 6, 2023

Like a dog nosing around in the background, a robot vacuum cleaner is a guaranteed scene stealer.

From New York Times • May 24, 2023

Hahn is an eternal scene stealer, always claiming our attention with consistently mordant, bracing performances that are impossible to ignore.

From Salon • Dec. 26, 2021

For Wever, who has built a reputation as a world-class scene stealer in supporting roles — the buoyant Zoey in “Nurse Jackie,” the gun-toting widow Mary Agnes in “Godless,” the relentless Det.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2020

If there’s a scene stealer in “Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story,” it might be Christian Slater’s voice coming out of another man’s mouth.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2020

Related Words

• actor
• performer
• star