[[quoteright:300:[[Film/TheRundown https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/walken_5532.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:300:[[Creator/ChristopherWalken In the role]] of [[TypeCasting a lifetime]].]]

->''"What matters in that kind of role is not how many lines you have, but how few. What counts is how much the other characters talk about you. Such a star vehicle really is a vehicle. All you have to do is ride."''
-->-- '''Creator/OrsonWelles''', explaining this trope and his own success in ''Film/TheThirdMan''

A character that has [[OneShotCharacter limited screen time]], and usually not much in the way of plot relevance, but is still one of the most memorable things in the movie. [[BillingDisplacement They may even be given top billing]], or at least an "AndStarring" credit, along with the more obvious stars.

This is not the same principle as EnsembleDarkHorse, who is usually a secondary character that still gets to make appearances every so often (in comparison, a One-Scene Wonder can range from primary to less than tertiary, so long as their screen time is relatively insignificant), nor is it the same as DeadStarWalking, because the intent is not to fool you into thinking that the actor will appear more often. The character just appears, gives a show-stealing performance, and then is gone. Like a SpearCarrier, only way more righteous. Like TheCameo, except you don't have to recognize the actor to appreciate the scene for all it's worth. You know you're dealing with this sort of character if you start referring to "their scene."

Many characters of this type will be clergymen of some kind, particularly in comedy. A good reason this works is because of TheVicar principle, and because clergymen are really only needed for wedding scenes anyway. The character type needn't be played for comedy, but frequently is. Often a LargeHam.

A one-scene wonder that's very weird and out of place results in a BigLippedAlligatorMoment.

Also see KentBrockmanNews. Compare HamAndCheese, SpotlightStealingSquad, OneTakeWonder, and SmallRoleBigImpact. {{Fanfic}} authors are prone to make characters like this via OCStandIn. If the character becomes so popular that the writers decide to come up with an excuse just so be able to use him again, he's an AscendedExtra. Don't confuse with SceneOfWonder.

If the movie is particularly bad, the One Scene Wonder may be [[SignatureScene the only thing remembered about it]], or indeed [[JustHereForGodzilla the only reason anyone watches it]]. When a minor character in a musical does this through the use of one fantastic song, it's MinorCharacterMajorSong. This trope is part of the SlidingScaleOfCharacterAppreciation
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!!Examples:

[[index]]
* OneSceneWonder/AnimeAndManga
* OneSceneWonder/ComicBooks
* [[OneSceneWonder/AnimatedFilms Films — Animation]]
* [[OneSceneWonder/LiveActionFilms Films — Live-Action]]
* OneSceneWonder/{{Literature}}
* OneSceneWonder/LiveActionTV
* OneSceneWonder/{{Music}}
* OneSceneWonder/{{Religion}}
* OneSceneWonder/{{Theatre}}
* OneSceneWonder/VideoGames
* OneSceneWonder/WebOriginal
* OneSceneWonder/{{Webcomics}}
* OneSceneWonder/WesternAnimation
* OneSceneWonder/OtherMedia
[[/index]]
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->''"ItsAllAboutMe, it's all about me,''\\
''It doesn't matter where I'm listed on Website/{{IMDb}}''\\
''And if I had the screentime I deserved, you'd see--''\\
''It's all about me!"''
-->-- "All About Me", ''WebVideo/CommentaryTheMusical''

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