Billed Above the Title: Difference between revisions

When an actor -- usuallyactor—usually the lead, but occasionally [[One-Scene Wonder|someone with a prominent and memorable supporting role]] -- and—and (almost) always the most famous person involved in a production -- isproduction—is listed more prominently in the credits and all promotional material than even the title of the work itself.

A trope mostly associated with [[Film|the cinema]], but actually dating back at least as far as [[Older Than Radio|19th-century theatre]]. Very often, the project in which our actor is appearing is a "star vehicle" -- crafted—crafted specifically with him or her in mind. This is especially true in television, where the show itself will likely be named after our star. This is a classic litmus test as to whether the actor is a bona-fide A-lister, or just a prolific [[Hey, It's That Guy!|character actor]] or product of the [[Hollywood Hype Machine]].

Compare [[And Starring]]. When multiple actors are [['''Billed Above the Title]]''', it's also an example of [[All-Star Cast]]. Actors who fall under this trope may also be guilty of [[I Am Not Leonard Nimoy]]. [[Billing Displacement]] can result in someone being [['''Billed Above the Title]]''' in later releases even when they weren't originally. Also compare [[In Case You Forgot Who Wrote It]], which is when the ''author'' of a work which is being adapted receives top billing.

* In classic ''[[Doctor Who]]'', the Doctor's face (from partway through the Second Doctor's tenure) was always shown ahead of the title -- arguablytitle—arguably billing for the actor since (per usual BBC policy at the time) actors were never credited in the opening titles.