A character actor is a supporting actor skilled at playing distinctly unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters, such that they are "almost unrecognizable from part to part, and yet play many, many roles convincingly and memorably." The term, often contrasted with that of leading actor, is somewhat abstract and open to interpretation: in a general sense, all actors can be considered as character actors since they all play "characters", but the usual sense is an actor who plays a distinctive and important supporting role.