act in
phrasal verb.phrasal verb. to have a role in a movie, play, or television show.
phrasal verb. to perform a role within a specific dramatic production; transitive phrasal verb requiring a production as the object.
She wants to act in a famous movie one day.
Many famous Hollywood stars started their careers by acting in small independent films.
The veteran stage performer was finally persuaded to act in a contemporary television drama despite his long-standing preference for classical theater.
- perform in
- appear in
- star in
- take part in
- Particles
- in
- Separability
- inseparable
- Pattern
- act + in + object
The object is always the production (film, play, series) rather than the character name.
Contrast with 'act as' (used for the character name) or 'act out' (to perform a specific scene or behavior).
He acted in Hamlet character.He acted in Hamlet.The object of 'act in' must be the title of the work, not the name of the character.
Last updated April 24, 2026