Leading man
Leading man or
leading gentleman is an informal term for the
actor who plays a secondary lead or supporting role, usually a love interest, to the
leading actress in a film or play. It is not usually applied to the
leading actor in the performance if his
character is the
protagonist.
A
leading man can also be an actor who is
typecast in romantic roles. Less frequently, the epithet has been applied to an actor who is often associated with one particular actress, for example,
Errol Flynn was
Olivia de Havilland's leading man in several films,
Spencer Tracy had a similar association with
Katharine Hepburn; used in this sense, however, the woman is usually described as the
leading lady of the man.
The term is also used collectively, as in '
Hollywood's leading men' to refer to a group of notable, famous or popular actors.
*
Character actor*
Leading lady*
Movie star*
Supporting actor
