# How to introduce a character in a screenplay

**Quick answer:** Introduce a character with a name, a brief description, and behavior that reveals something about them. Their first appearance should give the reader something to picture, not a biography.

Source: https://scriptsolo.com/blog/how-to-introduce-a-character/ · Scriptsolo · Updated 2026-11-09

How to introduce a character in a screenplay: write their name in capitals on first appearance, as writers commonly do. Add a line or two of description, and show who they are through what they do.

Use the [guide to writing screenplay characters](https://scriptsolo.com/guides/how-to-write-screenplay-characters/) to develop the person behind that entrance. Keep the introduction focused on what they do when we meet them.

## How do you introduce a character on the page?

Introduce the character while they handle something that reveals a habit or priority. For example, let a roommate choose who gets the burnt toast.

**Action** (also called Action lines): Action is the description of what an audience sees and hears. [Action lines](https://scriptsolo.com/glossary/) commonly use present tense and short paragraphs.

**Write a character introduction**

1. **Write the name in capitals.** Follow the common convention of capitalizing the character's name when they first appear in action.
2. **Choose a brief description.** Give the reader a line or two they can picture, as introductions commonly do. Choose details that matter to this entrance.
3. **Show a revealing choice.** Let the character respond to something happening now. Give them a choice that suggests what matters to them.
4. **Cut explanations the action already carries.** Remove personality labels when the behavior makes them unnecessary. Keep the visible choice.

## How do you show who a character is through action?

Give the character a choice the audience can watch. In this original example, Mara's breakfast choice replaces a description of her personality.

**Before:** Before: the introduction explains Mara

```
INT. APARTMENT KITCHEN - MORNING

MARA is generous and hides her own discomfort to keep other
people happy. She makes toast.

Her ROOMMATE enters, dressed for work.
```

Notes:

1. The reader gets a personality label, but making toast doesn't demonstrate it.

**After:** After: the introduction gives Mara a choice

```
INT. APARTMENT KITCHEN - MORNING

MARA, still in her work apron, scrapes burnt toast over the
sink.

Her ROOMMATE enters, dressed for work. Mara slides the
golden toast toward them.

She puts the burnt toast on her own plate, blackened side
down.
```

Notes:

1. Giving away the better toast shows Mara putting her roommate first.
2. Turning the toast over suggests she doesn't want her sacrifice noticed.

## How do you introduce a large cast?

Give each entrance a distinct action rather than stacking names and descriptions. At a family dinner, let an arriving sister straighten the place settings. Let her brother move his chair away from their father. Introduce each person when their behavior gives the reader something to remember.

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## Frequently asked questions

### Should I list a character's age?

Include age when it helps the reader understand the character or situation.

### Should I describe what a character looks like?

Choose visible details that matter to the entrance, such as clothing that shows they have just come from work. Avoid a full inventory of their appearance.

### Do minor characters need introductions?

Give a minor character enough description to make their role clear. Keep the introduction proportional to what they contribute to the scene.

### Should a character's name be in capitals?

A character's name is commonly capitalized when they first appear in action.