Overacting (also referred to as hamming or mugging) is the exaggeration of gestures and speech when acting. It may be unintentional, particularly in the case of a bad actor, or be required for the role. For the latter, it is commonly used in comical situations or to stress the evil characteristics of a villain. Since the perception of acting quality differs between people the extent of overacting can be subjective. Overacting can be excessively dramatic to the point where the performance becomes awkward or unintentionally amusing to the audience. Overacting is sometimes known as "chewing the scenery".
