Why when at the beginning of most shows when they play the theme music, for the last actor they put "and *actor name* as *character*" They don't say what the other actor's characters' names are, so why do they do that?

That's a very good question! I always thought that maybe it was to bring certain attention to a particular actor? Or sometimes it is a well known person who gets special recognition? I wonder?:confused:

Originally posted by Penny Lane
That's a very good question! I always thought that maybe it was to bring certain attention to a particular actor? Or sometimes it is a well known person who gets special recognition? I wonder?:confused:

:nod: I think that's it. It usually seems like the last actor listed is either the star of a show or a big star in their own right.

There's a lot of thought and dynamics behind credits. There are egos at work in credits, especially in movies.
I've noticed that a special star often gets last billing, but with that....and John Doe....or with John Doe....or as you said, naming the character they play.
Martin Sheen gets the last credit on The West Wing. The opening theme music is a buildup to his name.
I think George Wendt gets the....and...at the end of Cheers.
Doesn't John Mahoney get something similar on Frasier?

The only show I can think of where the opening credits for every main cast member shows the following format: *actor name* as *character name* is Small Wonder.

It's probably because there are two or three 'big/main' stars who want special crediting. In the case of there being two big stars, one of them would get 'starring' and the other 'and'. In the case of three big stars, they could have it so that one would have 'starring', one would be second billed, and the third would be the 'and'

One case that I can think of is Dynasty. The 'starring' credit was for John Forsythe, then Linda Evans would be second billed, and Bo Hopkins/Joan Collins would get the 'and' credit.

Originally posted by Sean12
Why when at the beginning of most shows when they play the theme music, for the last actor they put "and *actor name* as *character*" They don't say what the other actor's characters' names are, so why do they do that?

In the "Full House" opening, the actresses names appeared in the last opening credits are Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. In the first through seventh seasons, the names in credits are "Mary Kate/Ashley Olsen". They forgot to add "and" or "&" in the name between Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen including a hyphen between Mary and Kate, because the credits for "Full House" had only one correction. In the final season, the credits was replaced with "and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen as Michelle". What's wrong with these mistakes in the opening credits for "Full House"? Here's a picture.

http://www.olsen-twins.z3.com/4michelle147.jpg

The opening credits for "Miss Match" credit Ryan O'Neal as "And Ryan O'Neal" but there's no as.

During the opening to The Brady Bunch, towards the end, we see the words STARRING FLORENCE HENDERSON, a blank, ROBERT REED (even on the finale on which he refused to appear!), another blank, and AND ANN B. DAVIS AS ALICE superimposed on the 3x3 "grid." I guess they would have had to have a long song to include the kids in the opening sequence!

I was just watching "Romeo" and it says "And Victoria Jackson as Mrs.Rogers".

In "NewsRadio", Phil Hartman was listed last with the "&" however, they didn't say "As Bill McNeal". But to me, Dave Foley was the star. So his name was first. Phil Hartman was the big name of the show. So, I guess instead of giving him second billing, they figured last is just as good as first billing.

Originally posted by BrooklynGuy78
In the "Full House" opening, the actresses names appeared in the last opening credits are Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. In the first through seventh seasons, the names in credits are "Mary Kate/Ashley Olsen". They forgot to add "and" or "&" in the name between Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen including a hyphen between Mary and Kate, because the credits for "Full House" had only one correction. In the final season, the credits was replaced with "and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen as Michelle". What's wrong with these mistakes in the opening credits for "Full House"? Here's a picture.

http://www.olsen-twins.z3.com/4michelle147.jpg

I think it's how twins are billed on opening credits.

The twins who played Carrie Ingalls on LIttle House On The Prairie were always billed as Lindsey Sydney Greenbush instead of Lindsey and Sidney.

It's probably because there are two or three 'big/main' stars who want special crediting. In the case of there being two big stars, one of them would get 'starring' and the other 'and'. In the case of three big stars, they could have it so that one would have 'starring', one would be second billed, and the third would be the 'and'

Three stars: starring, and, with. Case in Point Spin City: Charlie Sheen /Heather Locklear/Barry Bostwick or Less than Perfect: Sara Rue/Eric Roberts/Andy Dick.

Definately an ego thing - for the entire run of Happy Days the credits finished with "and starring Tom Bosley" and in later seasons added "as Howard Cunningham", and when Ted McGinley signed on after Ron Howard left, they started with "Ted McGinley as Roger Phillips"

It was kind of confusing because it was so inconsistent; there were times when it would list the stars as "starring, also starring, co-starring, "name", "name", "name", "and starring as". Its a wonder how some shows even got done at all with all of these egos to contend with :)

no, it's not an ego thing - well, not really an ego thing.

Billing (how the cast is credited) is linked into the payscale on any movie, tv show, professional stage show, etc.

when Janice said:

"There's a lot of thought and dynamics behind credits."


-that was absolutely correct, but it isn't really there just to satisfy the actor or actresses ego. When the star or stars of a movie have their name before you see the title, they have been paid a higher then "average" salary for that particular project. The billing also determines in which category that actor will be allowed to compete in whatever awards cover that particular medium (I mean like they cant go for a "best lead actor in a drama" emmy if they are not credited and paid for playing a lead role in the show. )

that AND WHOEVER AS WHOEVER billing at the end of the credits goes to the "Lead Character Role" in any production, and it is considered to be a "Starring" Role. I don't know if John Mahoney has that role on Frasier or not, because he competes in the "Best Supporting Actor on a comedy" category at the emmy's, doesn't he? Martin Sheen definitely has that billing on The West Wing and he competes in the "Best Actor" category, not best supporting actor.

If John Mahoney does have that billing, that would also mean that he makes more money then David Hyde Pierce...which is interesting.

In the early episodes of Family Matters, they almost always said AND TELMA HOPKINS AS RACHEL to end the opening credits. I believe they went in the order of the Winslow parents, Winslow kids, Steve Urkel, and, finally, Rachel Crawford.

I remember on Melrose Place during the whole time Heather Locklear they had her billed as "Heather Locklear as Amanda" (or something like that) she's the only one they did that for, plus they had her listed as a "special guest star" during her whole run

Originally posted by Nanny Fine
I think it's how twins are billed on opening credits.

The twins who played Carrie Ingalls on LIttle House On The Prairie were always billed as Lindsey Sydney Greenbush instead of Lindsey and Sidney.

I always thought that was so dumb. For the longest time I thought Sindey was Lindsey's middle name. It just takes away from the twins' individuality.

I think the "and ____________ as ______________" is reserved for either the most popular (well, besides the lead) character on a series or for an actor who is the most famous of the cast, getting special recognition.

Heres one from the 4th season of "The Facts of Life:" It says "And Nancy McKeon as Jo."

On Coach the last actor was: And Shelley Fabares as Christine Armstrong

On the Dick Van Dyke Show when the announcers gave the actors name Mary Tyler Moore was the last, "and Mary Tyler Moore." Even though she was the leading actress given that Rose Marie was orignally supposed to be the leading lady of the show. That was the reason why it was friction between her and Mary.

On One Day at A Time: "and Valerie Bertinelli." later, " and Valerie Bertinelli as Barbara Cooper/Royer."

I think it kinda gives the actor/actress more of a starring credit. And then, people become so accustomed with the person being last that they are always credited last. Such as "and JOAN COLLINS as ALEXIS." Alexis was clearly a star of the show by her second season, but she was still given that credit. Same with "SPECIAL GUEST STAR HEATHER LOCKLEAR as AMANDA" with Melrose Place. She was the most famous person on the show so she was given a special guest credit. But then, she became so famous for being the SGS that she was always credited as so.

And note, both of the above characters were only planned to be on for a few episodes.

I always liked how the Donna Reed Show did their credits:

DONNA REED
in

The
DONNA REED
Show

Also Starring
CARL BETZ

With
SHELLEY FABARES

And
PAUL PETERSEN

It gives everyone a special credit.

similar to Donna Reed, Suddenly Susan used to do that too

something like
"starring"
Brooke Shields

The Irreplacable
Barbara Barrie

Welcoming Back
Nestor Carbonell

etc....

however, after David Strickland committed suicide and Andrea Bendewald/Judd Nelson left at the end of the third season, and the fourth season changed things around to revolve solely around Brooke (while it had been an ensemble show before), those cordial credits were changed

I always concluded that the special AND STARRING credit at the end was reserved for the person who was considered the second or maybe third most important person in the series. There are cases where this could be a more seasoned actor (Tom Bosley in Happy Days, Agnes Moorehead in Bewitched, William Daniels in St Elsewhere) or the breakout star of the show (Jimmie Walker in Good Times, Marla Gibbs in the Jeffersons, Valerie Bertinelli in One Day At a Time). Of those people some were nominated for supporting emmies: Bosley, Moorehead, Gibbs. Daniels was awarded as a lead actor, though. In Family Matters I think Telma Hopkins had that special billing at the end because she was already a well known performer from several other projects.

Money probably does play a factor in that crediting or in crediting an actor along with his/her character's name. Some shows bill the name of more than one actor's character, but not every actor in the show gets that special treatment (Charles Haid as Renko and Veronica as Joyce Davenport in Hill St Blues, Martin Landau who was billed second of the 5 actors in Mission Impossible was the only one who had his character name billed onscreen). Landau made a lot more money than Barbara Bain, Greg Morris or Peter Lupus in Mission:Impossible, but not as much as Peter Graves.

Also, here is one from the final season of Full House. I think Michelle was the most popular so they put her last in the final season. Most season Full House didnt put: And _______ as _______

On Whos The Boss it always said "and Katherine Helmond as Mona"

The Big Valley always ended with "and starring BARBARA STANWYCK as Victoria Bradley." It was obvious that Stanwyck was the biggest star on the show.

Don't forget, it was MISS Barbara Stanwyck.

I noticed on The Odd Couple it says Starring Tony Randall and then it says Starring Jack Klugman. Thye also do the same thing with Patrick Duffy and Suzanne Somers on Step By Step.

On Bonanza, whoever the episode revolved around was ususally introduced first in the opening credits. So, if the episode was about Little Joe, then Michael Landon would be introduced first.