It opens at the Museum of Cinema the exhibition In the Background.

Tuesday, November 18, 2025

The exhibition that pays tribute to supporting actors and actresses in the history of cinema.

The Museum of Cinema has inaugurated today the exhibition In the Background. Supporting Actresses and Actors in the History of Cinema, a showcase that highlights the essential role of those performers who, despite not being at the center of the scene, are indispensable for bringing strength, rhythm, and emotion to cinematic storytelling.

The exhibition, produced by the Museum of Cinema and curated by Jordi Dorca, with coordination by Jordi Pons, offers a journey through the many facets of supporting roles. The documentation and conservation of the collections were carried out by Montse Puigdevall; the exhibition design is by Cristina Masferrer; the audiovisual installations are by Salvador Àngel; and the final installation, by Rafel d’Arquer.

In the Background highlights the fundamental contribution of supporting actors and actresses, who have helped make many of the films and series that form part of our collective memory truly unforgettable.

The exhibition includes original materials from the Museum of Cinema’s collections, coming from the Vicenç Arroyo Collection, and combines images, audiovisual pieces, and informative texts that bring to life the faces and voices of these indispensable performers.

The exhibition is structured into five sections that explore the role of supporting characters from different perspectives:

Supporting actors in classic cinema: during the era of the major studios, film production multiplied, creating a high demand for actors and actresses for supporting roles. These roles, with less screen time and dramatic space, often became archetypes, and performers specialized in them according to their physical and interpretative characteristics.

When the supporting role steals the spotlight: a section dedicated to actors and actresses who, through charismatic and intense performances, manage to reach the same level as —or even overshadow— the protagonists.

Antagonists, the supporting characters who drive the story forward: a reflection on characters who oppose the protagonist and who, often in supporting roles, propel the dramatic conflict and give meaning to the narrative.

Film supporting actors, television protagonists: a space dedicated to performers who, after a career as supporting actors in film, have found in television the opportunity to develop more complex, long-running characters.

The art of shining in just a few minutes: brief but memorable performances, often awarded Oscars, demonstrating that it does not take much screen time to leave an indelible mark on the history of cinema.

The exhibition In the Background can be visited until 24 May 2026, from Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and on Sundays, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., at the Museum of Cinema in Girona.