Why put starring *****As*****?

[RainbowGeek]

How come on some programmes such as Buffy, during the opening credits everyone gets just their name- eg Sarah Michelle Geller, Anthony Stewart Head- but then the last name says the actor/actress AND the characters eg AND Alyson Hannigan as Willow ?

  It isn't even them main character, or the newest- so what's the deal?  

[LeMarchand]

It tends to denote an actor/actress who is almost as "big" as the star, but isn't the star of the show. In Alyson H's case, I would imagine that her role in the "American Pie" movies would have granted her enough of a cachet to demand such a credit. I think such a credit also denotes a larger pay packet than most of the other actors!

[rfdgirlp]

that isn't the reason. the reason is the same in a sentence. if you say you want berries, apples, cookies, and cakes. It is just part of sentence structure. it is a good rap-up.

[LeMarchand]

I'm trying to find something to back my post up, but most search engines ignore the term "and", or assume it to be a logic term :-(. I'm pretty sure that AH only started getting the "and" credit when she became better known, but only have "Buffy" on VHS and don't have the time to search th credit sequences. If it was good sentence structure, a lot more films and shows would use it.

[liljoolz]

in a show or film the cast names unless stated otherwise are usually put as the one getting the most money first or the star of the show. in Buffy, Alyson Hannigan was getting a following of her own so she got an 'and'. its complicated.  

i cant remeber which film it was but it had a big cast of big names, all getting around the same cost etc. but it had one of the actresses in the credits listed as 'introducing....' i think it might have been Oceans Eleven and it said Introducing Julia Roberts - but i think this was a joke from one of the other actors or the director. 

[Steph84]

LeMarchand is right. As evidence I put to you the introduction of the 'And' before Alyson Hannigan's name coinciding with her rise in fame due to American Pie (1999). I belive that season 5 was the first to have Alyson appear last in the credits with her 'And' (1999). This is hardly a new thing. Can anyone give any specific examples of shows/films using this?

[liamtrader]

Didn't Tony Head get an "And" in the earlier episodes?