Ensemble cast

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An ensemble cast is a cast in which the principal performers are assigned roughly equal amounts of importance in a dramatic production.

This kind of casting became more popular in television series because it allows for flexibility for writers to focus on different characters in different episodes. In addition, the departure of players is less disruptive to the premise than it would be if the star of a production with a regularly structured cast leaves.

Some films have ensemble casts, usually ones that revolve around one large theme, like the Lord of the Rings or Star Wars movies, or ones that revolve around interrelated themes persistent throughout individual subplots of the characters. American director Robert Altman is revered in the industry for his abilities in handling large casts.

Television series with ensemble casts

• Arrested Development
• Boston Public
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer
• Cheers
• Chicago Hope
• Crossing Jordan
• Dallas
• Desperate Housewives
• ER
• Firefly
• Friends
• Grey's Anatomy
• Knots Landing
• L.A. Law
• Lost
• M*A*S*H
• Newsradio
• Northern Exposure
• Picket Fences
• St. Elsewhere
• Seinfeld
• Stargate SG-1
• Stargate Atlantis
• Star Trek spinoffs (', ', ', ')
• The West Wing
• Trailer Park Boys

Movies with ensemble casts

• Grand Hotel (1932)
• 12 Angry Men (1957)
• The Great Escape (1963)
• It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963)
• the Star Wars franchise (1977), (1980), (1983), (1999), (2002), (2005)
• The Untouchables (1987)
• Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
• Dazed and Confused (1993)
• Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993)
• Heat (1995)
• Mars Attacks (1996)
• L.A. Confidential (1997)
• Playing by Heart (1998)
• The Thin Red Line (1998)
• Cradle Will Rock (1999)
• Rat Race (2001)
• The Anniversary Party (2001)
• The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001), (2002), (2003)
• The Usual Suspects (1995)
• Love Actually (2003)
• (2003)
• Crash (2004)
• Sin City (2005)
• Bobby (2006)
• Spring Ocean (2009)

• Boogie Nights (1997)
• Magnolia (1999)

• Nashville (1975)
• Short Cuts (1993)
• The Player (1992)
• Gosford Park (2001)
• Dr. T & the Women (2000)

• The Godfather (1972)
• The Godfather, Part II (1974)
• Apocalypse Now (1979)
• The Outsiders (1983)
• The Godfather, Part III (1990)
• Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)

• Traffic (2000)
• Ocean's Eleven (2001)
• Full Frontal (2002)
• Ocean's Twelve (2004)
• Ocean's Thirteen (2007)

• Reservoir Dogs (1992)
• Pulp Fiction (1994)
• Jackie Brown (1997)
• Kill Bill, Vol. 1 (2003)
• Kill Bill, Vol. 2 (2004)

 

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