Ensemble cast

An ensemble cast is made up of cast members in which the principal actors and performers are assigned roughly equal amounts of importance and screen time in a dramatic production. In Hollywood, the term has recently begun to be used as a replacement for the old term "all-star cast"; meaning a film with many well-known actors, even if most of them only have minor or supporting roles.

Structure

The structure of an ensemble cast contrasts with the popular Hollywood centralization of a sole protagonist, as the ensemble leans more towards a sense of “collectivity and community.”

Ensemble casts in film were introduced as early as September 1916, with D. W. Griffith's silent epic film Intolerance, featuring four separate though parallel plots. The film follows the lives of several characters over hundreds of years, across different cultures and time periods. The unification of different plot lines and character arcs is a key characteristic of ensemble casting in film; whether it's a location, event, or an overarching theme that ties the film and characters together.