It’s easy for the protagonists of a show to get noticed by viewers; after all, they are the stars up front and center in most episodes. It’s the Background actors and small side characters who are supposed to only show up for one or two episodes that could easily go beneath a viewer’s notice.
It’s fairly common practice for shows to have some background actors who are only meant to be there for a short time, but sometimes the actors make such a big impression that they move up in the ranks, and before you know it, they’re regular fixtures. According to Redditors, these are the best small characters who made such a big splash they became regulars on their shows.
10 Felicity Smoak on ‘Arrow’ (2012-2020)
Based on characters from DC Comics, Arrow followed the story of Oliver Queen and his vigilante persona of the Green Arrow and kicked off several DC shows known as the Arrowverse. For most of the show, Oliver had tech genius Felicity by his side as a helper to heroes and his romantic partner later on.
Felicity is the perfect example of a small character that made it big. Reddit user kamalaophelia simply states, “Felicity Smoak in Arrow. From one-off background character to female lead.” Indeed, actress Emily Bett Rickards was initially only hired as a one-episode guest star but received such a positive response from the showrunners that they kept bringing her back until, eventually, she was a main character.
9 Kirk on ‘Gilmore Girls’ (2000-2007)
Gilmore Girls is a beloved series that had fans falling in love with the Gilmore family and the residents of the small town of Stars Hallow. Among the many unique residents of the town is the quirkiest character of them all, Kirk. Kirk seems to show up everywhere, working every kind of job imaginable, and has a lovable innocence to him.
It’s clear the series never intended for actor Sean Gunn to become a regular, considering he first appears as a repairman named Mick. But then he kept showing up, became named Kirk, and quickly became a fan favorite deserving of all the love. Redditor MethodInfinite6428 shares, “I love Kirk! It’s crazy when you rewatch the first season and see how he began without much to him, and now he’s considered a favorite of the series.”
8 Brittany S. Pierce on ‘Glee’ (2009-2015)
The hit musical teen series Glee featured all the dramatic ins and outs of a struggling high school glee club. Among the glee club members was Brittany S. Pierce, a bit of a ditzy cheerleader who always made viewers laugh with her hilarious one-liners.
Heather Morris wasn’t even an actress when she was hired for the show and was initially brought in to help teach the “Single Ladies” dance, and ended up becoming one of the show’s funniest characters. Reddit user Girlant explains, “She was originally a background cheerleader, then one of the two cheerleaders who joined glee club as spies for coach Sue. She was a talented dancer but hadn’t acted before. Then she got a few lines here and there, and her delivery was hilarious, and she became one of the most popular characters.”
7 Steve Urkel on ‘Family Matters’ (1989-1998)
“Did I do thaaat?” Who could forget Steve Urkel’s iconic line from Family Matters? Played by Jaleel White, Urkel is the nerdy next-door neighbor to the Winslow family, who have to deal with typical family issues.
The show was intended to be all about the Winslow family, with Steve Urkel barely existing, but it soon became all about him and affected how the rest of the cast felt about the character. Reddit user TasteCicles says, “Watched the first season of Family Matters, and Urkel was a measly side character used in some episodes for very little air time. Good thing they listened to the audience on that one cultural phenomenon.”
6 Jonathan on ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ (1997-2003)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a pop culture phenomenon during its heyday. The teen fantasy drama followed Buffy Summers and her friends as they battled numerous vampires, demons, and monsters plaguing her town. One of her peers included Jonathan Levinson.
Jonathan, played by Danny Strong, was quite literally a background one-liner character in the beginning, but soon, he became a popular recurring character during the series. Redditor devospice writes, “I always wondered if Joss intended for him to become a more significant character or if something about Danny impressed him, and they just gave him some lines, and then more lines, etc. I rewatched Buffy during lockdown, and you can see Jonathan in the background of the first episode in one of the classroom shots.”
5 Donna on ‘Parks and Recreation’ (2009-2015)
The hit comedy Parks and Recreation centers around Leslie Knope and her team of workers in the Pawnee, Indiana Parks and Recreation Department. On Leslie’s team is Donna Meagle, played by Retta, who became well-known by fans for her expressions and attitude.
During the first season of the show, Donna is very much in the background, not well known at all, and is hardly memorable. But in the following seasons, she really makes a splash with her memorable phrases. Reddit user weeble182 states, “Donna in S1 is a very different character to the ‘treat yo self’ Donna we get later on.”
4 Creed on ‘The Office’ (2005-2013)
The Office is the ultimate workplace comedy. Taking place at a paper company in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the mockumentary follows the various employees and all their antics and quirky personalities, including that of Creed Bratton.
Creed was literally supposed to remain in the background for a few episodes, but instead, he ended up being a regular for nine seasons. Redditor thejolyfrenchman says, “Creed Bratton from the US version of The Office is the poster child for this. He wasn’t even supposed to have spoken lines in the first season, but he managed to wheel and deal his way onto the main cast.”
3 Trent Crimm on ‘Ted Lasso’ (2020-2023)
Sports comedy Ted Lasso has no shortage of great characters. James Lance plays Trent Crimm, a reporter who follows the exploits of American football coach Ted Lasso as he navigates coaching an English football team (or soccer for the Americans).
No one could have ever expected the small character of Trent Crimm to become as popular as he did or that he would become such a game-changer in the third season. Redditor GDRaptorFan shares, “Trent Crimm is a great example of this! Obviously, he had a few lines right away as a “lead”-type reporter the first episodes. We had familiar faces in the press room, but they didn’t anticipate his extreme popularity.”
2 Penelope Garcia on ‘Criminal Minds’ (2005-)
When it comes to hunting serial killers, no one does it better than the FBI’s BAU in the hit crime drama Criminal Minds. On the team is tech genius Penelope Garcia, played by Kristen Vangsness, who always adds a splash of color and personality to the show.
After 16 seasons, it’s hard to imagine the show without Penelope Garcia in it, but she was almost barely in it. As Reddit user catsonpluto explains, “Garcia on Criminal Minds was just supposed to be there for one episode, but Kirsten Vangsness had a ton of chemistry with Shemar Moore. Several writers heard them cracking jokes together after a read-through and added the character to the next episode.”
1 Boyd Crowder on ‘Justified’ (2010-2015)
Justified was a crime/law enforcement drama with very compelling characters that always had fans coming back for more. U.S. Marshall Raylon Givens returns to his hometown in Kentucky to hunt criminals and dispense justice, and also butts heads with his old friend and criminal counterpart Boyd Crowder.
Boyd Crowder, played by Walton Goggins, was never supposed to make it past the pilot episode, but his presence on screen drew viewers in. Redditor TheLaughingMannofRed writes, “His character and the actor’s talent both tracked so well that he was returned into the series and made into a regular. The chemistry of Boyd Crowder with Raylan Givens…made for one of the best pair dynamics I have ever seen on screen.’
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