TEN SCENE-STEALING SUPPORTING CHARACTERS ON TV (part I)

I previously wrote a post about “Supporting characters that shouldbe the stars of their shows”. On the other hand, there are shows where I wouldn’t like to shift the focus away from the leads, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t have incredible supporting actors who consistently steal scenes with awesome one-liners and solid performances. Here are some of my favorites:

Mozzie – White Collar

I think it is safe to conclude that pretty much every USA show has an awesome sidekick: Gus (Psych), Sam (Burn Notice), Auggie (Covert Affairs) and the list goes on.  One of my favorite sidekicks is Mozzie! He is such an anti-stereotypical character I just can’t help but love him. He is funny and sweet and ‘picturesque’ and also a con man just like Caffrey. Neal has all the charm and good looks and I love that they found him a partner that is equally interesting, yet completely different. I love Mozzie’s lighthearted way, his one-liners and his crazy plans. The main couple of the show may be Peter and Neal, but it is Mozzie who often steals the show.

Felicity – Arrow

Is there even a question that Felicity is the best part of Arrow? I don’t see how there could be. I guess Lauren is the leading lady of the show… but who cares? Felicity is probably one of my favorite female characters on TV right now. She has some of the best lines and she flawlessly delivers them without overdoing it. She has a very quiet type of coolness and I love that she is not the femme fatale type. I don’t necessarily ship her with Oliver, I actually enjoy the platonic thing they have going on, but Felicity is definitely one of the main reasons I enjoy Arrow.

Job – Banshee (AKA Lafayette 2.0)

I almost put Lafayette from True Blood on this list, but I’ve been talking about Pam a lot lately so I decided to focus on the other Alan Ball show: Banshee (which also happens to be one of my new TV obsessions). Alan Ball must be aware of how popular Lafayette is among the fans because he decided to cash in on the ‘sassy drag queen bad-ass character’ once again on Banshee. Normally I would complain about lack of originality but Job is such a great character I am happy to watch it on Banshee. Like Lafayette, Job’s character is built on mountains of sass and awesome one-liners. Of course Job is even more bad-ass than Lafayette since he is a professional criminal and all. If you needed a sidekick for this show, that was the way to go! What can be more awesome than a flashy kickass drag queen in the middle of Amish country? I can’t think of anything else. If you have not seen Banshee yet you definitely should! The show didn’t get much buzz before it premiered, but it quickly became a fan favorite and was much talked about online. I am sure; by the time it returns for a second season it will be a bona fide hit.

Donna – Suits

Suits was one of those summer shows where you go in with zero expectations and then it turns out to be AWESOME! Right now, Suits is my favorite USA show and I think it elevated the network’s brand. There are a million things I love about this show, starting with leading man Gabriel Match and continuing with every supporting actor. It even has geek royalty Gina Torres and an endless succession of movie ‘quote offs’, not to forget sharp writing and great character development. But one of the characters that consistently surprises me is Donna. Usually the role of the executive assistant could go completely unnoticed, but not when it is Donna! She manages to be loyal and strong and keep up with everybody else. Let’s be honest, Donna is probably the most powerful person in that office. I really like the fact that Donna is a gorgeous woman with a very close relationship with the leading man, but they didn’t see the need to make their relationship romantic. Their dynamic is different, refreshing and interesting to watch. She also is the voice of reason on many occasions, a worthy antagonist for Louis and a loyal friend to Rachel and sometimes even Mike. She just brings so much to the show and steals every scene! One of the greatest pieces of a great show.

Klaus – The Vampire Diaries

When we first met the mythical figure of Klaus, I was a little underwhelmed, to be honest (I think I was expecting someone taller), but Joseph Morgan quickly won me over with his amazing accent and general awesomeness. Damon used to take the price for best one-liners, but lately I think that price belongs to Klaus. In addition, for such an evil character, he manages to be very compelling (not like that). You can tell Klaus still has some traces of humanity and his relationship with Caroline and even with his siblings is complex and intriguing. His character is layered and has some honesty and depth to it which is more than you can say for any of the other characters lately. I have no clue what the hell is going on with Elena or Stefan and I frankly don’t care much anymore. Klaus and Rebekah have been written much better lately, I actually care for them. I want to discover more about Klaus’s vulnerabilities and I feel bad for Rebekah’s constant desire to become just a regular girl. Meanwhile I really don’t care anymore which Salvatore brother Elena picks… but maybe that’s just me. Whatever your feelings about “the triangle” I am sure no-one would argue that Klaus steals every scene whenever he is onscreen.

The best is still to come. I am saving my top 5 favorite supporting characters for the next post. TOP 5 SCENE STEALING CHARACTERS HERE

Did your favorites make the list? Who else do you think should be in here?