Stealing The Spotlight 20 TV Supporting Characters Who Outshined The Main Cast
One of the most important factors in whether or not a series succeeds. If a show lacks characters for its audience to invest in, they have no real reason to tune in week after week. In most cases, people tend to focus on a show's main cast members when deciding whether or not the series works. But there are some cases in which supporting players come to mean an awful lot.
Somewhat similar to when you come across a talented musician that has yet to find mainstream success, there is something really satisfying about picking out a stellar supporting character. In some extreme cases, lesser characters take up a lot more of the spotlight which is why we are looking at this list of 20 TV supporting characters that outshined the main cast.
In order for a character to be considered for possible inclusion on this list, they first and foremost need to have started out their time on the series in a supporting role. On top of that, they need to have been entertaining enough that they became one of the best parts of the series and even managed to outshine the show's original main cast in a lot of people's minds.
20 Perderick L. Hapley - Parks And Recreation
Proof positive of what makes Parks and Recreation such a stellar series: most shows would not have made much of a local television newscaster, but this sitcom is something very different.
Introducing the world to the genius that is Perd Hapley-- the character is hysterical in large part due to the perfect delivery of the actor that plays him, Jay Jackson.
Delivering every line with all of the smoothness that people expect out of network news anchors, that stands out because his words are almost always ridiculous. If that weren't enough, as the show progressed they slightly expanded his role as he also became the focus of another show within the Parks and Rec world, The Perdples Court.
19 Hooch - Scrubs
Hooch is so crazy! A surgeon that randomly was introduced in an episode of Scrubs, the defining character of Hooch as a character is his tendency to fly into rages at only the slightest of provocations. As a result, when Turk and J.D. go out of their way to needle him, the guy really loses it. Only featured in a handful of episodes, the character overcame that challenge when every moment featuring him was hysterical enough that he stole everyone else's spotlight whenever he showed up. For instance, when he spent a day being followed by Turk and J.D.'s interns and he could barely keep his rage at bay, it was pretty much impossible to keep from chuckling.
18 Cece Parekh - New Girl
Initially sold as being about a group of lovable and hilarious roommates, New Girl was focused on Jess, Nick, Schmidt, and Coach at first. However, the show introduced the character Winston in the 2nd episode and his inclusion made the show a whole lot better.
On top of that, before too long, Cece's role in the series was expanded.
Featured in every single New Girl episode, some may argue that she always was a main character, but early on that really wasn't the case. Instead, CeCe was only portrayed as the best friend of Jess and eventually Schmidt's love interest. Far too lovable to take a back seat, in the end, she was every bit as important as any of the other characters.
17 Mike Milligan - Fargo
One of the only examples of a show that was adapted from a movie that actually worked on its own merits, in a lot of ways Fargo the series has surpassed the film it is based on. Deserving of a much larger fan base than it currently has, every season so far has tackled a different timeframe exceptionally well. Introduced in the 2nd season, in most shows a character like Mike Milligan would be cookie cutter, to say the least. Fortunately, the character as written and performed by Bookwem Woodbine is extremely captivating whenever he appears on the screen. Always dressed to the nines and blessed with the gift of gab, whenever he moved his lips he lit up the screen.
16 Opie Winston - Sons of Anarchy
Whenever you have a show that is based on a large criminal enterprise, it is bound to have one thing: a long list of supporting characters. A perfect example of that, Sons of Anarchy features many characters like Happy, Chibs, Tig, Piney, Chucky, and too many more to list here.
With that said, there still was one supporting character that stood out from the rest: Opie Winston.
The best friend of the show's lead character and someone who has a love-hate relationship with the club, there is something about his struggles that are highly relatable. More than that, by the time he meets his untimely demise, many fans cared about Opie more than anyone else.
15 Dr. John A. Zoidberg - Futurama
Based in the future, within Futurama, everything takes place in the year 3000 and man has traveled the universe and built relationships with many alien races. For example, Zoidberg is a lobster-like being that works for Planet Express as the on-staff doctor even though he has no understanding of human biology. Easy to dismiss as a one-note joke, over time he is given a lot more nuance and becomes absolutely hysterical. Totally broke and desperate to find basic things like food whenever he can, Zoidberg just can't catch a break as he always manages to bungle even the surest of things. On top of that, every time he does his little lobster dance, it is hard to keep a smile off the audience's faces.
14 Ted Buckland - Scrubs
One of television's most remarkable sad sacks, Ted Buckland seemed to be miserable at pretty much every turn during Scrubs' early seasons. Constantly belittled by Dr. Kelso and seen sporting flop sweat at almost every turn, for the longest time it seems like his only joy in life is seeing his boss on the losing side of things.
However, as things progressed viewers got introduced to his highly talented a cappella group and their tendency to sing songs around the hospital, including of the tunes from television shows.
Even more amusing, when he later aligned himself with The Janitor as a member of the so-called Brain Trust, it was hilarious to see those 2 characters that couldn't be more different interact.
13 Bert Harrison - Trophy Wife
Canceled after its first season ended, Trophy Wife was far from a hit so it would be totally understandable if you have no memory of it. Despite that, for those that do remember it, there is one thing that almost is certain: Bert Harrison was the character that stood out the most. The adopted son of the show's male lead and one of his ex-wives, he is quite smart for his age, plays the saxophone, and loves to dance. The type of kid that you could easily see being bullied, there is an innocence and kindness to him that as a viewer you really want to protect. On top of that, his joyous spirit is bound to buoy even the most jaded viewer's heart.
12 Daryl Dixon - The Walking Dead
One of only a few characters that were introduced in The Walking Dead's first season that had never played a part in the comic series the show was based on, that was a major hurdle for Daryl Dixon.
Of course, if you have even a passing understanding of the show then you likely know this: he arguably became the show's most popular character.
Often seen in the role of Rick's top lieutenant, that relationship took a while to build and for a while, he took up a background role in the show. More important than his increased importance in the show, he also became so beloved that “if Daryl dies, we riot” became a common refrain among fans.
11 Daisy Johnson - Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
The highest grossing film franchise of all-time, not only have the minds behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe ruled the roost at the box office, but they have also found some TV success as well. The earliest MCU related show to truly find an audience, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was largely sold to viewers as being about Phil Coulson. Of course, the show had to introduce several other characters, including the likes of Fitz, Simmons, and Agent May. However, the most impactful supporting character from the show has to be Daisy “Skye” Johnson, an agent in training that was revealed to be an extremely powerful Inhuman. Extremely capable and easy to root for since she has grown so much throughout the series, Daisy is simply fantastic.
10 Jean-Ralphio Saperstein - Parks And Recreation
The second Parks and Recreation character to land a spot on this list, Jean-Ralphio Saperstein is the type of supporting player you are bound to love or hate. One of Tom Haverford's best friends, at first it seems like Jean-Ralphio is destined to make a handful of appearances at best.
However, he ended up showing up in an impressive 21 episodes and the character made the most of every single appearance.
Played with complete abandon by Ben Schwartz, you never know what Jean-Ralphio is going to do next but you can rest assured he will make the most of his scenes. Prone to singing random words in a conversation, that is only one example of the peculiar ways he acts.
9 Raymond Holt - Brooklyn Nine-Nine
More often than not when a show gets canceled, its most faithful viewers will be bummed out and let it be known but the show disappears with what could only be described as a whimper. An exception to that rule, when Fox announced it had put an end to Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the outcry was so fierce that NBC stepped in to save it. So popular because it is filled to the brim with great characters, it is easy to argue that Raymond Holt is the best of them. Played to perfection by Andre Braugher, Captain Holt is so serious and precise in everything he does that seeing him interact with a madcap character like Jake is precious.
8 Summer Roberts - The O.C.
An experiment that someone really should try, if you were to have someone that never watched The O.C. check out the first and last episode of the show, their reaction would be something else.
After all, they may wind up with whiplash if they try to understand how much the character Summer Roberts had changed without seeing the character development that happened in between.
Starting out as the typical mean girl character trope you see in high school shows and films, over time she revealed just how vulnerable and sweet she actually could be. In fact, by the time the series comes to an end, she was the character that many viewers cared about the most.
7 Arya Stark - Game of Thrones
This show that really has changed immensely from its first episode to now. And in many ways the Stark family has become less important to Game of Thrones as a whole. Sure, many of them are still around and in positions of power, but so many other characters have come to the forefront that as a group they have taken a step back. On the other hand, when the show began Arya was little more than the tomboyish daughter of series lead Ned Stark. However, even as many of her relatives met their untimely demise and she has become ever more dangerous and determined, she has somehow managed to become more awesome every season.
6 Jazz - The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air
A show that really is a cultural touchstone for most '90s kids, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was such a big deal at one time that it was destination viewing even in re-runs. In fact, it was so impactful at its zenith that almost everyone from a certain generation can sing along to every lyric of its theme song.
Filled to the brim with beloved characters that appeared in every episode, the character of Will's goofball friend Jazz still stole the screen every time he appeared.
More often than not shown on screen for only a few minutes in the few episodes he was a part of, even all these years later we still laugh with delight when we think of Uncle Phil throwing Jazz out.
5 Steve Urkel - Family Matters
The perfect example of a character that came out of nowhere to dominate a show, Steve Urkel didn't even appear in the first several episodes of Family Matters. Introduced as a character that seemed like he was destined to be stuck in a minor role in a handful of episodes, most of the show's audience seemed to adore his relationship with the Winslows. Especially true when it came to Carl, the way Steve got on the Winslow patriarch's nerves yet still remained friendly delighted the show's audience. So popular that before too long he dominated the series, Steve was the biggest thing to come out of the show to such a degree that he even inspired the so-called “Urkel Dance."
4 Topanga Lawrence - Boy Meets World
Something that is becoming more popular all the time is the act of many networks turning to reboots of their '90s shows in order to bring back an audience they've since lost. One of the first examples of this trend, Boy Meets World received a sequel series in 2014. A slight twist on the original, Girl Meets World focused on the daughter of the original series' lead, Cory Matthews and his wife Topanga.
A character that was introduced as a kooky classmate of Cory's in Boy Meets World's original season, Topanga was brought up by hippies and had some out-there ideas.
Fleshed out much further than that over that series' run, she went on to become one of its core trio of characters.
3 Richard Splett - Veep
Proof positive that we are in the midst of television's golden age, there are so many fantastic shows that many people who want to have yet to find the time to watch Veep. A real shame since that series is one of the most hilarious shows on TV, it lampoons politics while also feeling just realistic enough to work. Boasting a cast without a single lowlight, the show doesn't have even 1 actor in a recurring role that doesn't fit his part to perfection. As a result, when Richard Splett debuted it was somewhat easy to write him off. However, every time he has shown up we've grown to love how blissfully unaware and entirely positive he is even though he is surrounded by jaded people.
2 Jim Moriarty - Sherlock
A show that proves just how patient an audience can be when it comes to stellar content, the people behind Sherlock have left long gaps in between each Sherlock series. Debuting in 2010, since then the show has only featured a special and 4 seasons for a total of only 14 individual episodes.
Able to build a fan base that loyal because of how brilliant it can be at its best, the show introduced one of the best villains in TV history, Jim Moriarty.
The mental equal of Sherlock, although each would claim to have the lead in that department, Moriarty is so dangerous and charismatic that viewers can't take their eyes off him.
1 Omar Little - The Wire
The definition of an ensemble show, The Wire focuses on several law enforcement officers and the various criminals they are trying to take down. For that reason, it is pretty hard to nail down who exactly the show's main character is, although the best argument is probably for Jimmy McNulty. While that is up for debate one thing is very clear, Omar Little has to be considered among the show's best characters. Sort of the Robin Hood of the series, he is a criminal that lives by his own code--which includes the destruction of other outlaws. Fantastic enough that he has been included on multiple lists of the best characters in TV history, even former President Barack Obama revealed that he is a big Omar fan.
