Overacting

Overacting (also called hamming, mugging or chewing the scenery[1]) is exaggerated acting, positively or negatively.

For example, the breakthrough roles of Jim Carrey in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and The Mask (both 1994) saw him portray the lead characters in a very flamboyant fashion, as the script required.

[3] Actor Gary Oldman was almost typecast as an anti-social personality early in his screen career:[4][5] the necessity to express villainous characters in an overtly physical manner led to the cultivation of a "big" acting style that incorporated projection skills acquired during his stage training.

[9] In an article on overacting, Independent critic Leigh Singer wrote: "Unlike theatre's declamatory projecting to the back row, a 'stagey' performance onscreen isn't a compliment... ultimately, it really is a matter of personal taste.

[12][13] Guardian journalist Chris Michael, a proponent of overacting, wrote: "From Hugo Weaving's Agent Smith to Heath Ledger's Joker to the entire oeuvre of William Shatner, mannered or stylised acting is an underrated skill.