I love movies, but when it comes to television, I can’t get enough. While I’m always down to explore genres and hop down the rabbit-hole of various plots, I love noticing all things outside the main spotlight, like supporting characters. Oftentimes, they’re responsible for driving a story to a certain end or carrying part of a narrative, whereas other times, they make a series completely.
In honor of those who create their own spotlight all over the screen, here’s a shoutout to some of television’s most memorable supporting characters, in no particular order.
12
Vince Masuka from Dexter
With the recent resurrection of America’s favorite vigilante serial killer, I have to kick this list off with one of my favorite supporting characters from Dexter. While there are plenty of memorable supporting characters in the original series, the one who stands out the most for me is Vince Masuka (C.S. Lee).
As Dexter’s oddly charming lab mate and mentor—and the closest thing he has to a real friend, Masuka provides a form of levity that our titular character cannot, and he balances out the darkness of the show. Even when he’s being serious, he’s still funny. He manages to insert levity by, at times, doing absolutely nothing. Plus, his laugh is unforgettable and recognizable anywhere on the planet.
11
Jìan-Yáng from Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley contains one of my favorite supporting characters from one of HBO Max’s funniest original comedies, Jìan-Yáng (comedian Jimmy O. Yang).
As the show’s second main antagonist, Yáng comes out of comedy’s left field as a shady Chinese app developer who’s a giant pain in the you-know-what to pretty much everyone around him. He seems like a nice, quiet, shy kid but really, he’s diabolical as a big ole jerk who doesn’t sugar-coat anything and doesn’t care about other peoples’ feelings. Why? Because he’s been bullied before and is done taking peoples’ nonsense, most of all his landlord’s, played by TJ Miller, with whom Yang has incredible on-screen chemistry, you’ll want to experience it for yourself.
10
Klaus from The Umbrella Academy
My favorite character from Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy is Klaus (Misfits’ Robert Sheehan). Of all the powers the Hargreeves siblings possess, his are, by far, the most terrifying and traumatizing. His abilities to communicate with the dead and, albeit temporarily, return them to their tangible form haunt him and drive him to addiction just to cope daily. His role is dichotomous in that he also serves as the show’s source of levity.
He’s quirky and eccentric, hilarious and sarcastic, and is no stranger to saying what everyone else won’t. He’s also the most loyal, empathetic sibling, even if he does battle with an addictive nature. That fight equips him with an incredible emotional depth and clarity, making him the show stealer.
9
Louis Litt from Suits
First, we hated him, then we loved him, then we loved to hate, and vice versa. He is Suits‘s Louis Marlowe Litt, J.D., Esquire (Rick Hoffman, of Billions), a Harvard law alum, cat lover, and mud bath enthusiast. He’s also the most petty, ambitious, insecure corporate attorney in New York City. Underneath all that, though, is a big ole heart full of sentimentality.
Hoffman’s portrayal of Litt’s multi-layered personality functions as the show’s comedic relief, and his timing is brilliant. His character also has the most satisfying and memorable arc of the show, as do his many quirks, which capture your heart in unexpected ways during some deeply relatable and dramatic moments.
8
Morgan Tookers from The Mindy Project
No other actor on the planet could embody the socially awkward, comedic brilliance, and innocence that Ike Barinholtz does as Morgan Tookers of The Mindy Project.
As an ex-con who served time for boosting cars, he’s now attempting to be a grown-up as an obstetrics nurse. He’s a little odd and annoying, but he’s hilarious and lovable, with some impressive medical skills to match. With soft spots for dogs, his grandmother, his boss—even wind chimes, the show wouldn’t be the same without him and his strange, mistakenly cool nature
A special shoutout also goes to Barinholtz’s current excellent supporting character in the smash-hit, Emmy behemoth series The Studio, where he plays ladder-climbing studio exec, Sal Saperstein.
7
Opie & Venus from Sons of Anarchy
As a ginormous crime drama fan, it’s hard to choose just one from my first favorite crime series that left me obsessed, Sons of Anarchy.
First up is Ryan Hurst’s Opie, best friend of club VP Jax Teller (Charlie Hunnam) and fellow brother who left the club, then returned, only to make the ultimate sacrifice. Aside from what’s happening personally in Jax’s life, Opie’s narrative arc of passion and loyalty is what captures our hearts and attention next. His story is one of humble beginnings to a soul-crushing end that we as viewers felt with force and carried with us for seasons.
Next up is Walton Goggins’ best role to date, at least in my opinion, Venus Van Dam, a transgender prostitute quietly trying to survive in a world riddled with judgment and cruelty. Goggins gives the most vulnerable, heartfelt performance of his life as Venus, whose emotional complexity and authenticity will bring you to your knees. Venus and Goggins are two of television’s biggest icons, and this role is the epitome of why.
6
Deputy Liv Baker from Resident Alien
If you haven’t taken the time to giggle at Alan Tudyk and Elizabeth Bowen in Resident Alien, you’re missing out on a good serotonin boost.
Bowen plays Deputy Liv Baker, a meek, timid person who allows her superior to steamroll right over her. She’s also the most gas-lit person on the show, but she’s too sweet to speak up for herself. In place of that, she uses deadpan expressions, under-the-breath quips, and sincerely sarcastic responses in a way every viewer relates to on some level. Her input and evolution throughout this story make her the show’s most memorable and lovable character.
5
Connor from Georgie & Mandy
Thank the stars that Georgie and Mandy Cooper moved in with her parents. If they hadn’t, we’d never have met her younger brother, Connor (Australian actor Dougie Baldwin), who, as an unlikely supporting character, has emerged as the show’s star after just one season. If you’re not watching the Young Sheldon spinoff Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, do yourself a favor, hop over to Hulu, and catch up before season two premieres in October.
Connor appears to be somewhat of a Sheldon-type character, but I assure you, he’s his own oddball of quirks, obsessions, and compulsions. He’s artistically inclined in bizarre ways, from his music-making techniques to his non-sequiturs, but he’s also deeply human and full of emotional depth. Simply put, next to Georgie, Connor is the show.
4
Keith from Kingdom
Kingdom is a hidden gem of a series that was overlooked and well underappreciated.
In an addictive dramatic series about a family of MMA fighters led by former champ Alvey Kulina (Frank Grillo), Black Bird’s Paul Walter Hauser gives a memorably outstanding performance as Keith, an ex-con who befriends a fighter and close friend of the Kulina’s, but Keith is no fighter himself. With a barrage of personal and mental health issues, he just can’t help but cause trouble for everyone around him. He’s a child in a giant’s body, struggling to make sense of adulthood and the world around him.
As Hauser’s first major role of his career, it is indeed one of the best and most visceral.
3
Maya Mason from The Studio
Kathryn Hahn is memorable in anything she does, whether it’s playing a main character, a supporting character, or bit role. She just stands out and ironically screams, “Don’t look at me!” (That’s her iconic line from the movie Bad Words, which, if you haven’t seen it, you should stop everything and watch it, pronto.)
In her Emmy-nominated supporting role as the head of marketing for Continental Studios in The Studio, Maya Mason, Hahn is overly blunt and foul-mouthed, which I, personally, relate to and adore. She’s tough and quite manic, always hopped up on caffeine, and she has no filter when it comes to calling a spade a spade. She’s a ton of fun to follow.
