An ensemble cast is made up of cast member

Cast member

A cast member is:* An actor who performs in a theatrical production, motion picture, or television program. The actors who perform in the show are collectively referred to as the cast....

s in which the principal actor

Actor

An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...

s and performers are assigned roughly equal amounts of importance and screen time in a dramatic production. This kind of casting became more popular in television series because it allows flexibility for writers to focus on different characters in different episodes. In addition, the departure of players is less disruptive to the premise than it would be if the star of a production with a regularly structured cast were to leave the series.

Film

• National Board of Review Award for Best Cast
  National Board of Review Award for Best Cast
  The National Board of Review Award for Best Acting by an Ensemble is an annual film award given by the National Board of Review.-1990s:...
  
   (United States)
• Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture (United States)

Television

• Gemini Award
  Gemini Award
  The Gemini Awards are annual television broadcasting industry awards in Canada.First awarded in 1986, the Geminis celebrate the achievements of TV members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Essentially, it presents awards for the best television productions in Canada. Awards are...
  
   for Best Ensemble Performance in a Comedy Program or Series (Canada)
• Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (United States)
• Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (United States)

See also

• All-star
  All-star
  All-star is a term designating an individual as having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry...
  
  
• List of films, shows, plays and operas with an ensemble cast
• Polyphony (literature)
  Polyphony (literature)
  In literature, polyphony is a feature of narrative, which includes a diversity of points of view and voices. The concept was introduced by Mikhail Bakhtin, based on the musical concept polyphony....