Playing the leading role in a movie, play, or other performance. Can also mean featuring prominently or being the main focus of something.
From Old English 'steorra' meaning star, with the theatrical sense emerging in the 1820s when prominent actors were called 'stars.' The verb form developed as theater marketing began highlighting lead performers.
The metaphor of actors as 'stars' reflects humanity's ancient practice of using celestial bodies to represent the brightest and most prominent things. Interestingly, this theatrical usage predates Hollywood and actually comes from 19th-century stage productions.
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