play the role

phrase

: to act the part of (a particular character) in a film, play, etc.
He often plays the role of the villain.
often used figuratively
He was playing the role of (the) gracious host.

Examples of play the role in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Snow will play the role of Marybeth in the production from Hidden Pictures’ Todd Lieberman; Pretty Dangerous Pictures’ Laura Fischer and Feig, and Honey Trap’s Sweeney. Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 4 Aug. 2026 All The Hollywood Reporter can say is that Snow will play the role of a character named Marybeth. Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 4 Aug. 2026 Brexit, after all, undermined Britain’s ability to play the role of bridge between America and Europe. Garret Martin, The Conversation, 31 July 2026 The actor particularly relished the idea of transforming to play the role with makeup and prosthetics. Angelique Jackson, Variety, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for play the role

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Cite this Entry

“Play the role.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20the%20role. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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