chew the scenery

To be exaggeratedly or flamboyantly melodramatic or overly emotional while acting a role, as for television, theater, or film. I hated working with him on that play—every night he'd go out and chew the scenery so much that he was the only one the audience noticed! I love watching hammy actors chew the scenery in bad movies.

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Quentin	kawn-TEN (French), KWEN-tin (English)	French, English
Malaika	mah-LIEK-ah	Arabic
Purcell	['pə:sl]
Donka	-	Bulgarian
Minna	['minə]
Apollonios	-	Ancient Greek