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I'm not talking about main characters, and I'm not talking about supporting actors you like. Just the character in the TV series who is not one of the primary characters. For example, you can't say "George Costanza" (a main character), or Julia Louis-Dreyfus (a main actor), but you can say "Newman" since he's a secondary character.
Who, in your opinion, are/were the best (most entertaining, likable, unlikable, funny, clever, etc) secondary characters in TV shows?
My favorite is Zoey on Nurse Jackie. No clue who the actress is. Don't care. But the Zoey character is brilliantly quirky and deliciously dorky. I love her.
Another favorite of mine was Dr. Robert Romano on ER (the bald, self-important jerk who had him arm cut off by helicopter, then was later killed by another helicopter.) I loved him. Once in while you would see his softer human side, and it was such a contrast to his usual demeanor.
I also love Richard Harrow on Boardwalk Empire. He's the hit man who has to wear a mask because his face was disfigured in the war. I only watch Boardwalk Empire on DVD, so I have not seen the current season, and now he seems to be listed as a "main character." But in the seasons I saw he was a secondary character. He has many layers and is tragically conflicted.
Who are your favorite secondary TV characters, past or present?
I liked Lionel on "All in the Family." He would put a double meaning into everything he said to Archie, and it all went rocketing over Archie's head, leaving him of the opinion that Lionel was a fine young conservative fellow.
Carlton the Doorman on "Rhoda" was always funny, as was Mr. Carlton, Bob Newhart's most befuddled patient on the "Bob Newhart Show."
I liked Torpedoeman Lester Gruber on McHale's Navy...man that guy was always up to something wasn't he!? he later hacked his neighbor to bits with a scythe I heard
Lafayette on True Blood.
Larry, Dharma's dad on Dharma & Greg.
Pete and Jane, Dharma & Greg's wacky friends.
Larry, Daryl, and Daryl on Newhart.
Angel, Rockford's pesky lowlife friend, on Rockford Files.
Christian Shephard on Lost.
edit: and Eddie Haskell on Leave it to Beaver.
Last edited by biscuitmom; 12-07-2012 at 04:37 PM..
Corky Sherwood on Murphy Brown. I recall a favorite scene where she was allowed to interview some corrupt politician, and the anchors feared she would turn it into a fluff piece. Instead, she went right for the jugular and amazed all the more "seasoned" reporters like Murphy.
I am unsure I ought to mention Karen Walker of Will and Grace, since she was supposed to be a supporting character, but within a few years the two supporting characters (Karen and Jack) were almost as prominent as the two leads. But Karen was a trip and a half.
Similarly, Mary Ann Thorpe of Cybill wasalways fun and tossed off the bitchy one-liners about her lousy ex with glee.
Laverne Todd, Harry's smart-mouthed nurse on Empty Nest, always managed to say all the things we were thinking about Harry's neurotic daughters. All while never really managing to smile.
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