端役(はやく)

Compound of 端(は) ('edge; margin; peripheral') and 役(やく) ('role; part'). The word evokes a position at the margins of the main action — someone who appears briefly without driving the story.

Usage

• Primarily used in theater, film, and television contexts
• Can be used figuratively to describe a person playing an insignificant part in a project or event
• Often contrasted with 主役(しゅやく) ('leading role') or 大役(たいやく) ('important role')
• The story arc of rising from 端役(はやく) to stardom is a common narrative in entertainment industry stories

Common collocations

• 端役(はやく)を演(えん)じる: to play a minor role
• 端役(はやく)ばかり: nothing but minor roles
• 端役(はやく)から始(はじ)める: to start from minor roles
• 端役(はやく)俳優(はいゆう): bit-part actor

Similar words

• 脇役(わきやく): supporting role — a more significant secondary role that contributes to the plot, unlike the marginal 端役(はやく)
• 主役(しゅやく): leading role; protagonist — the antonym; the central role in a production
• エキストラ: extra — a background performer with no lines, even smaller than a 端役(はやく)