To portray a person is to show who that person is, giving a sense of their personality or character. Often, famous people don't like how they're portrayed. For example, Presidents usually hate how they're portrayed in editorial cartoons. When you portray someone, you can be positive or negative, accurate or inaccurate.

What does it mean to portray a person?

: to describe (someone or something) in a particular way. : to show (someone or something) in a painting, book, etc.

What is portrayal of a character?

An actor's portrayal of a character in a play or film is the way that he or she plays the character. ... The portrayal of something in a book or film is the act of describing it or showing it. This is a sensitive and often funny portrayal of a friendship between two 11-year-old boys. [ + of] ...