portray someone as something
If a person in a film, book, etc. is portrayed as a particular type of character, they are represented in that way:
The father in the film is portrayed as a fairly unpleasant character.
- The book portrays him as a hero of the Wild West.
- He was portrayed as a ruthless opportunist who exploited the publicity at every opportunity.
- She was portrayed in the papers as the embodiment of evil.
- Marilyn was portrayed as some sort of dim-witted, floozy blonde.
- He was portrayed as a hopeless drunk.
