Line #25 Main/DiagonalBilling


1	[[quoteright:350:[[Series/{{Cheers}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/stagger_9346.jpg]]]]
2	Also known as "staggered" or "staggered but equal" billing. When two stars of equal prominence [[DuelingStarsMovie star in a movie together]], in posters and credits billing, the two names may be staggered next to each other on the same title card -- with the one on the left being lower, the one on the right being higher. This way, reading left to right gives one actor prominence, and reading top to bottom will give the other prominence. "Staggered but equal billing" serves to avoid causing tension between the two A-list lead actors over who is more important. Often, they will receive the same payment for their roles as well.
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4	In FilmPosters, another result of a billing conflict could be a MisplacedNamesPoster. If it happens when their roles aren't equally important, it could be a case of BillingDisplacement.
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6	Diagonal billing became popular when it was used in ''Film/TheToweringInferno'', with Creator/PaulNewman and [[Creator/SteveMcQueenActor Steve McQueen]]. They also received the same salary and ''the same number of lines'' (at [=McQueen's=] insistence). The idea was originally proposed when it was thought that Newman and [=McQueen=] [[WhatCouldHaveBeen would star in]] ''Film/ButchCassidyAndTheSundanceKid'', but dropped when Creator/RobertRedford was cast instead of [=McQueen=].
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8	A variation of staggered billing can be seen on some TV series. Instead of two leads sharing the same title card, they alternate who is billed first from episode to episode.
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10	----
11	!!Examples:
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15	[[folder:Film]]
16	* As detailed above, ''Film/TheToweringInferno'', starring Creator/PaulNewman and [[Creator/SteveMcQueenActor Steve McQueen]], is the TropeMaker in film. [=McQueen=]'s role as the fire chief was expanded from a smaller role at his insistence so as to equal Newman's character.
17	* This trope dates at least as far back as 1941, providing a set of [[UrExample Ur-Examples]]:
18	** In ''Film/LoveCrazy'', Creator/WilliamPowell and Creator/MyrnaLoy, who were starring in [[ThoseTwoActors their tenth film together]] (eventually they made 14), were billed this way.
19	** That same year, co-stars Creator/CharlesBoyer and Creator/OliviaDeHavilland were billed this way in ''Film/HoldBackTheDawn''.
20	** Also that same year, Creator/HedyLamarr and [[Creator/JimmyStewart James Stewart]] were billed this way in ''Film/ComeLiveWithMe''.
21	* ''Film/{{Jaws}}'' has a three-man variant of this, with Creator/RoyScheider at lower left, Creator/RobertShaw at center top, both receiving top billing. Creator/RichardDreyfuss's name is then featured at lower right.
22	* ''Film/{{The China Syndrome}}'' also has a three-person variant, with Creator/JackLemmon at lower left, Creator/JaneFonda at center top, and Creator/MichaelDouglas at lower right.
23	* The poster for ''Film/InsideMan'' manages to do something similar with ''three'' actors: Creator/DenzelWashington, Creator/CliveOwen and Creator/JodieFoster. Washington's picture is furthest to the left while Owen's is nearest the top, while their names are angled in such a way that Foster's name is furthest to the left and Washington's is nearest the top.
24	* Creator/JamesCaan and Creator/AlanArkin in ''Film/FreebieAndTheBean'' (1974).
25	* Creator/RobertShaw and Creator/SarahMiles in ''Film/TheHireling'' (1973).
26	* Creator/RobertDeNiro and Creator/AlPacino in ''Film/RighteousKill''.
27	* In the 2002 film of ''Film/{{Chicago}}'', Creator/ReneeZellweger and Creator/CatherineZetaJones.
28	* In ''Film/SkyCaptainAndTheWorldOfTomorrow'', Creator/JudeLaw and Creator/GwynethPaltrow get diagonal billing, while Creator/AngelinaJolie gets the honored AndStarring position on the same card. [[http://vimeo.com/17006903 See it here at 00:18.]]
29	* Creator/YulBrynner and Creator/RichardBenjamin in ''Film/{{Westworld}}'' (1973).
30	* ''Theatre/BoeingBoeing'' (1965) had the names of Creator/TonyCurtis and Creator/JerryLewis criss-crossed.
31	* Creator/LillianGish and Creator/BetteDavis, who combined for 131 years in the movie business when they co-starred together in ''Film/TheWhalesOfAugust'' (1987), get diagonal billing in the opening credits. Davis is billed first in the closing credits.
32	* ''Film/MadMaxFuryRoad'' doesn't feature this on the poster (where SupportingProtagonist Creator/TomHardy is billed before Creator/CharlizeTheron), but does in the actual opening credits. Creator/NicholasHoult and Creator/HughKeaysByrne are listed this way during the end credits, as are Creator/ZoeKravitz and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.
33	* ''Film/HiroshimaMonAmour'' does this in the opening titles for leads Emmanuelle Riva and Eiji Okada, who together have approximately 99% of the spoken dialogue in the movie. (Posters invariably give Riva either top billing or sole billing.)
34	* ''Film/OutrageousFortune'' had an unusual variation to ensure equal billing for its stars: Creator/ShelleyLong got top billing west of the Mississippi, and Creator/BetteMidler got it on the east side.
35	* Creator/RalphRichardson and Creator/JohnMills in ''Film/TheWrongBox''.
36	* While Creator/DonaldPleasence was the undisputed biggest name and top billed in ''Film/Halloween1978'', by the time of ''Film/HalloweenII1981'' three years later, Creator/JamieLeeCurtis had started to make a name for herself in horror movies, and they split the credits this way.
37	* ''Film/TheFastAndTheFurious2001'' end credits for Creator/PaulWalker and Creator/VinDiesel ([[https://pixhost.to/show/59/227729216_fast-furious-end-credits.jpg here]]).
38	* The opening credits for ''Film/HowToLoseAGuyIn10Days'' put Creator/KateHudson and Creator/MatthewMcConaughey on the same card with Hudson in the upper right corner while [=McConaughey=] gets the lower left.
39	* The opening credits of ''Film/DontLookUp'' have Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio in the lower left and Creator/JenniferLawrence in the upper right. The closing cast list gives Lawrence the top billing.
40	* Thanks to this trope, the MisplacedNamesPoster for ''Film/NothingToLose'' identifies Creator/TimRobbins as Creator/MartinLawrence and vice versa.
41	* Creator/JohnInman, Creator/MollieSugden, Creator/FrankThornton, and Creator/TrevorBannister are billed this way in the opening credits of ''Film/AreYouBeingServed''. When Inman and Sugden are billed, Inman's face is in the top left corner of the screen with his name in the bottom left corner, while Sugden's name and face are on the top right and bottom left corners respectively. Then when Thornton and Bannister are billed, Thornton's face is in the bottom left, his name is on the top left, Bannister's name is in the top right, and his name is in the bottom left.
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44	[[folder:LiveActionTV]]
45	* Creator/JenniferAniston and Creator/ReeseWitherspoon in the opening credits of ''Series/TheMorningShow''.
46	* Creator/AdamScott and Creator/KenMarino in the closing credits of ''Series/PartyDown''.
47	* Creator/PennyMarshall and Cindy Williams in the ''Series/LaverneAndShirley'' opening title sequence.
48	* Creator/TedDanson and Creator/ShelleyLong in ''Series/{{Cheers}}'', as seen above. When Long left after season 5 and Creator/KirstieAlley replaced her, Danson was given his own title card ahead of hers (and thus top billing).
49	* The Sprouse Brothers on ''Series/TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody''.
50	* In a related way, the VanityPlate for Mike and Bill Productions (as on ''Series/GroundedForLife'') alternated whose name was in huge letters on its own line: "mike and BILL" or "MIKE and bill".
51	* Creator/BellaThorne and Creator/{{Zendaya}} in ''Series/ShakeItUp'' and the [[Creator/DisneyChannel Disney Channel Original Movie]] ''Film/{{Frenemies}}''.
52	* Creator/JonCryer and Creator/AshtonKutcher in ''Series/TwoAndAHalfMen''.
53	* On ''Series/WhatNotToWear'', Stacy and Clinton have diagonal billing first as host and then as stylist on the first and second frames of the closing credits.
54	* Creator/MadsMikkelsen and Creator/HughDancy in ''Series/{{Hannibal}}'', their names also switch sides each episode.
55	* Creator/EmilyDeschanel and Creator/DavidBoreanaz on ''Series/{{Bones}}''.
56	* Creator/MatthewMcConaughey and Creator/WoodyHarrelson on ''Series/{{True Detective}}''.
57	* Creator/SethGreen and Creator/GiovanniRibisi on ''Series/{{Dads}}''.
58	* Creator/BenedictCumberbatch and Creator/MartinFreeman on ''Series/{{Sherlock}}''.
59	* Creator/DianeKruger and Creator/DemianBichir as detective partners on ''[[Series/TheBridgeUS The Bridge]]''; the names also ''alternate'' positions on the diagonal each episode. Especially appropriate for a series with a strong duality motif (crime on the two sides of the US/Mexico border).
60	* Creator/ChristianSlater and Creator/SteveZahn as brothers and business partners in ''Series/MindGames''.
61	* Creator/GillianJacobs and Creator/PaulRust on ''[[Series/Love2016 Love]]''.
62	* Creator/PaulGiamatti and Creator/DamianLewis on ''Series/{{Billions}}''.
63	* Creator/DrewBarrymore and Creator/TimothyOlyphant as husband and wife in ''Series/SantaClaritaDiet''.
64	* Creator/AaronPaul and Creator/MichelleMonaghan in ''Series/ThePath''.
65	* Creator/OliviaHolt and Aubrey Joseph on ''Series/CloakAndDagger2018''.
66	* The credits for the first season of ''Series/GoodOmens2019'' use a variant in order to give Creator/MichaelSheen and Creator/DavidTennant equal billing: Sheen's name fades in first, followed by "& David Tennant." Their names appear together for a moment (at the same level), and then "Michael Sheen &" fades out leaving Tennant alone for a few seconds. The second season gives them the traditional diagonal arrangement with Michael Sheen at top right and David Tennant at bottom left.
67	* The short-lived ''Series/NightmareCafe'' featured this--a case where the diagonally set names (Creator/JackColeman and Lindsay Frost) were quite not as well known as the AndStarring that follows (Creator/RobertEnglund) and, for that matter, the created by credit (Creator/WesCraven).
68	* Creator/ScottBaio and Creator/ErinMoran got staggered billing for ''Joanie Loves Chachi''--interesting considering how [[Series/HappyDays the parent show]] was known for the order of the credits shifting from season to season as {{Breakout Character}}s gained prominence.
69	* Creator/SharonGless and Creator/TyneDaly in ''Series/CagneyAndLacey''. Each character got two photos, a square glamor shot and a landscape action shot, with the name sandwiched between vertically. Tyne was on the left with the big square pic up top, so her name was lower; Sharon was on the right, with the big square pic on the bottom, so her name was higher ([[https://youtu.be/nZpr65fjWAQ?t=606 seen here]]).
70	* Done with Creator/KathyBaker and Creator/TomSkerritt on ''Series/PicketFences''.
71	* The Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse does this for some of its live-action series:
72	** In ''Series/{{Wandavision}}'', Creator/ElizabethOlsen is billed first on odd-numbered episodes, while Creator/PaulBettany is billed first on even-numbered episodes.
73	** In ''Series/TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier'', Creator/SebastianStan is billed first on odd-numbered episodes, while Creator/AnthonyMackie is billed first on even-numbered episodes.
74	* ''Series/DrakeAndJosh'' alternated Creator/DrakeBell's and Creator/JoshPeck's billing from episode to episode.
75	* The short-lived 1994 series ''The Boys Are Back'' inverted this trope for some reason: Creator/HalLinden and Creator/SuzannePleshette have their credits appear together and in a diagonal position.. but Linden is up and to the left, while Pleshette is down and to the right, meaning the positioning ensured she was doubly subordinated rather than equalized.
76	* When Creator/ReddFoxx died in mid-production on his final series, ''The Royal Family'', the show was revamped with actress Jackée brought in alongside Foxx's co-star Della Reese. Even though Reese was the established female lead of the series, she and Jackée were given diagonal billing in [[https://youtu.be/8_d5Z64-Wvo?t=192 the revised credits]]. The show did not survive the loss of Foxx and was canceled with most of the post-retool episodes unbroadcast.
77	* ''Series/GhostsUS'': Creator/RoseMcIver and Creator/UtkarshAmbudkar share top billing, with [=McIver=]'s name lower and to the left and Ambudkar's name higher and to the right.
78	* ''Series/ScenesFromAMarriage2021'' credits Creator/OscarIsaac and Creator/JessicaChastain equally and diagonally.
79	* ''Series/WillAndGrace'': Creator/EricMcCormack and Creator/DebraMessing, who played the titular duo, were credited this way and their positions switched each episode.
80	* After an argument between ''Series/SteptoeAndSon'' stars Creator/WilfridBrambell and Creator/HarryHCorbett over who should receive top billing ahead of the first series, the BBC alternated which one was billed first every episode, and whichever was billed second in the opening credits would be billed first in the closing credits.
81	* The billing of ''Series/TheLikelyLads'' stars Rodney Bewes and James Bolam alternated every episode; the order would also be swapped between the opening and closing credits of a given episode.
82	* ''Series/PokerFace'': Episode 5 credited Creator/SEpathaMerkerson and Creator/JudithLight like this in the opening credits, episode 6 does the same for Creator/EllenBarkin and Creator/TimMeadows, and episode 8 does it for Creator/NickNolte and Creator/CherryJones.
83	* All six rangers in the second season of ''Series/PowerRangersDinoFury''. They appear two at a time - red and pink, then blue and green, and finally black and gold. In the first season their credits appeared on screen one at a time.
84	* Franchise/TheWalkingDeadTelevisionUniverse:
85	** Creator/ChadLColeman and Creator/EmilyKinney in the fifth season of ''{{Series/The Walking Dead\|2010}}''. The final season, which adds almost a dozen of the cast to the opening credits, has the newest additions - Creator/EleanorMatsuura (Yumiko), Creator/LaurenRidloff (Connie), Creator/CaileyFleming (Judith), Creator/NadiaHilker (Magna), Creator/CassadyMcClincy (Lydia), Creator/AngelTheory (Kelly), Creator/PaolaLazaro (Princess), Creator/MichaelJamesShaw (Mercer), Creator/JoshHamilton (Lance), and Creator/LailaRobins (Pamela) - listed this way.
86	** Creator/LaurenCohan and Creator/JeffreyDeanMorgan on ''Series/TheWalkingDeadDeadCity''.
87	* Creator/PedroPascal and Creator/BellaRamsey in ''Series/TheLastOfUs2023''.
88	* Creator/KeeganMichaelKey and Creator/CecilyStrong in ''Series/{{Schmigadoon}}'', after the second season switches from listing them on two separate slides at the beginning, to listing both of them on the same end title card.
89	* Television projects featuring Franchise/TheMuppets, starting with ''Series/TheMuppets2015'' and continuing in ''Series/TheMuppetsMayhem'', started a variation of this to give all of the Muppet performers equal billing: the first episode credits them in alphabetical order, then each episode moves the one who was first-billed in the previous episode to the end of the list, so that each puppeteer gets their turn at being top-billed.
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92	[[folder:Theatre]]
93	* Posters for the 1936 Broadway musical ''Red, Hot and Blue!'' placed Creator/EthelMerman's and Creator/JimmyDurante's names in crisscrossing bands because of a billing dispute. (When the two starred again in the 1939 flop ''Stars in Your Eyes'', Merman was billed first.)
94	* Often times, even when every other principle gets their own bow, a show's co-leads will come out and bow together. Granted, they'll also do singular bows after, which means one of them will technically get the last bow.
95	* The original playbill for ''Theatre/{{Wicked}}'' credits Creator/IdinaMenzel and Creator/KristinChenoweth like this.
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98	[[folder:WesternAnimation]]
99	* ''WesternAnimation/AllGrownUp'', one of the rare animated series to feature billing in its intro, had this for twins Phil and Lil [=DeVille=].
100	* Creator/{{Filmation}} utilized an interesting variant from 1969 to 1982 in the opening and closing sequences of its shows: the word "Produced By" or "Executive Producers" would be shown with the names of two of its three co-founders Lou Scheimer and Norm Prescott revolving around it. [[https://daytonward.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/endtitle.png?w=640]]
101	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'', starting with its 2023 reboot, has a three-episode cycle in which Creator/BillyWest, Creator/KateySagal, and Creator/JohnDiMaggio alternate being first billed.
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Context Main / DiagonalBilling