C’mon, just between us, didja ever break the fourth wall? Felt great, didn’t it? Here are some creative biggies who’ve done it too, just to prove that we’re never alone:
by Michael Maher
Breaking the 4th wall is a metafictional technique that dates back to the theater in the 1700s. Denis Diderot, a French philosopher and dramatist, is usually credited as the founder of the concept. In a traditional three-wall theater, thefourth wall refers to an imaginary wall at the front of the stage. It’s similar to a window the audience looks through to see the world of the play.
In terms of television and film, breaking the fourth wall refers to a character staring directly into the camera to talk to the audience. Before diving in, let’s take a look at this great 4th wall supercut from Now You See It.