Phrasal verb
act in
Definition
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.
Examples
“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.”
Examples
simple
“She wants to act in a famous movie one day.”
contextual
“Many famous Hollywood stars started their careers by acting in small independent films.”
complex
“The veteran stage performer was finally persuaded to act in a contemporary television drama despite his long-standing preference for classical theater.”
Usage
The object is always the production (film, play, series) rather than the character name.
Teaching tip
Contrast with 'act as' (used for the character name) or 'act out' (to perform a specific scene or behavior).
Pitfall
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.
Phrasal verb
Particles
in
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
act + in + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/act-in