The 20 best character actors in television history

Camryn Manheim has recently returned to mainstream public attention due to appearing in the rebooted Law & Order (taking over from S. Epatha Merkerson), in which she appears as Kate Dixon. Television fans know her from a wide variety of other roles, ranging from The Practice, Ghost Whisperer, and Person of Interest. She has a great deal of screen presence, and she particularly excels at playing powerful women with strong personalities. She even appeared on the original version of Will & Grace, playing the psychic, Sue.

The late Lance Reddick was one of those actors who simply had that indefinable quality known as presence. He electrified the screen any time he appeared, and though he did a lot of work in film, he was also a steady presence on television. Of particular note are his roles in The Wire, Fringe, and Bosch. However, he also had guest or recurring roles in some other major television series, including Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Oz, and CSI: Miami, in addition to one of his most recent high-profile roles, Charon, in the various films in the John Wick franchise. 

Before she hit her truly big break with the HBO series The White Lotus, Jennifer Coolidge was one of the hardest-working TV character actors out there. Though some of her most high-profile roles were in such films as American Pie and Best in Show, she also had supporting roles in several notable TV series, including Joey, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, and 2 Broke Girls (the latter of which was probably her most famous role before The White Lotus). She is one of those formidable talents who has leveraged her fame as a character actress into new and more prominent roles, as well as two Emmy Awards. 

Even though Herb Edelman passed away in 1996, he earned a form of immortality thanks to his role as Stan Zbornak in the hit sitcom The Golden Girls. Somehow, he managed to be lovable and infuriating simultaneously, both for the audience and for Bea Arthur’s Dorothy. Even though this would become his most recognizable role, Edelman was a regular presence in television throughout his career, appearing in such series as Maude, St. Elsewhere, Cagney & Lacey, and Fantasy Island. His most recognizable appearances outside The Golden Girls were arguably in the beloved mystery series Murder, She Wrote. 

Lorraine Toussaint is a familiar face across film and television, having appeared in a wide variety of roles. She has been particularly prolific in television, and audiences undoubtedly recognize her as Yvonne "Vee" Parker in the second season of the hit Netflix series Orange is the New Black. However, she has appeared in numerous television series, including Forever, Rosewood, and Into the Badlands. Given her considerable talent and the sheer number of roles she’s been in, it’s no surprise that she has been nominated for and won numerous awards, including a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Critics Choice Award (both for her work in Orange is the New Black). 

Throughout her career, Kathryn Hahn has established herself as one of Hollywood's most charismatic character actresses (though she also worked in various films, sometimes as the star). No one can forget, for example, her role as the ruthless political operator Jennifer Barkley in Parks and Recreation or Mrs. Fletcher, in which she was the major star. It was really Agatha Harkness, the scheming and manipulative witch in WandaVision, who demonstrated why Hahn is so entertaining and compelling to watch, and it’s no surprise she will be at the center of her own series, showing the extent to which she has leveraged her character actress credentials into new and bigger projects. 

Denis O’Hare is probably most familiar to viewers thanks to his long involvement with Ryan Murphy, particularly in American Horror Story, where he has appeared in several seasons (most fantastically in Hotel, where he plays a transgender bartender named Liz Taylor). O’Hare excels at playing a wide range of characters, and most have something of an edge — some cruelty they want to inflict on the world. This is particularly true of one of his other notable roles, Russell Edgington of True Blood, a powerful and vengeful vampire who goes more than a little mad after the murder of his lover.

Though Nancy Walker got her start in film, she found her greatest success on the small screen. She is particularly well-known for playing Rhoda’s wisecracking mother, Ida Morgenstern, in The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spin-off, Rhoda, as well as a similarly cantankerous role in McMillan & Wife, in which she played housekeeper Mildred. One of her best-known later roles was in The Golden Girls. She appeared in two different episodes as Sophia’s sister, Angela. It was a perfect bit of casting, as Walker made for a great foil for Getty, and it’s easy to see why she earned an Emmy nomination for her role. 

There’s no doubt that Nancy Kulp’s most visible and notable role was as the secretary Miss Hathaway in the sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies, which made ample use of her androgynous appearance and mannerisms. However, like many other actresses of her era, she also made a number of noted guest appearances in various television series throughout the 1950s and into the 1980s. Among others, she appeared in I Love Lucy, Perry Mason, and The Twilight Zone. In the last years of her career, she even made an appearance in the 1980s series Quantum Leap, which would prove to be one of her final roles.

If there were ever a character actor who personified the notion of camp, it would have to be Paul Lynde. Lynde relished his ability to deliver witty (and often risque one-liners), and thus, it’s no wonder that he would be such a fixture of television for much of his career. He was particularly noted for his appearance as Uncle Arthur on Bewitched, but he was also very well-known for appearing in the game show Hollywood Squares. Aside from these live-action roles, he was also quite prolific in animation, particularly for Hanna-Barbera, playing such well-known characters as Mildew Woof and The Hooded Claw.

Even though Agnes Moorehead had quite a lengthy career in movies throughout the 1940s and 1950s, she soon became quite a powerhouse in various television series in the 1960s. Of course, most people probably recognize her as Endora, the mother of the witch Samantha in the quirky sitcom Bewitched, in which she exhibited the prickly and haughty demeanor that was so key to her star image. However, she also made a number of other notable television appearances, including one highly acclaimed appearance in The Twilight Zone (a role in which she did not speak, making her performance even more extraordinary). She appeared in other notable TV series, including The Rifleman and Rawhide. 

If there’s one actress whose name is synonymous with character actress, it must be Margo Martindale. Some of this stems from her running role on the series BoJack Horseman, in which she is sometimes referred to as “beloved character actress Margo Martindale” (as proof that she doesn’t take herself too seriously, she even voices the character). She has an earthiness and charisma that makes her the perfect choice for a wide range of roles, though she is arguably best known for appearing in The Americans. However, she has also made a number of other high-profile character appearances, including in The Good Wife and Impeachment: American Crime Story (in the latter, she played Lucianne Goldberg).

Stephen Tobolowsky has an instantly recognizable face, even though his name may not be the first thing that comes to mind. He typically plays characters who are either wimpy or put-upon, though they often show a moment of strength that surprises the other characters, leading to various hilarious situations and misunderstandings. Despite his lack of name recognition, he has appeared in many very popular sitcoms, ranging from the rebooted One Day at a Time to Glee, Californication, The Goldbergs, and The Mindy Project. He also wears many other hats and has his own podcast.

The late Michael K. Williams was one of the most talented character actors of his generation, with an ability to dive deeply into even the most minor of characters. To most audiences, he is quite familiar as the character Omar Little in the powerful drama The Wire. However, he wasn’t confined by the role, and he went on to secure notable appearances in some of the biggest series of the 2000s, including Boardwalk Empire, When They See Us, When We Rise, and Lovecraft Country. His real-life struggles with addiction lent his portrayal an extra layer of authenticity and emotional verisimilitude. 

In some ways, David Cross is the paradigmatic TV character actor. While he might not be what would be called classically handsome, he is nevertheless adept at playing supercilious characters who are more than a little in love with their own importance (as he shows in his role as Duane Bailey in Modern Family). He has had quite a prolific television career, and he has made appearances in shows like The Drew Carey Show, Tom Goes to the Mayor, King of the Hill, What We Do in the Shadows, and Community. He has proven remarkably versatile, appearing in both live-action and animated roles. 

The late Conchata Ferrell enchanted audiences thanks to her performance in the long-running sitcom Two and a Half Men, in which she portrayed outspoken housekeeper Berta. It was the perfect role for Ferrell and served as a fitting capstone for her extraordinary career. By the time she appeared in the series, she’d been in a number of beloved sitcoms, including Maude in 1974. She also appeared in Matlock, Night Court, Friends, and Grace and Frankie. Given her enormous comedic talents, it’s no surprise that she was nominated for several Primetime Emmy Awards. 

Beth Grant's face is immediately recognizable, but most people would struggle to name it. She particularly excels at playing characters who are a bit rustic and rough around the edges, and she has made guest appearances in such acclaimed sitcoms as The Golden Girls and Modern Family. However, she has also secured some meatier roles, and she is probably most well-known for playing the character Beverly Janoszewski in the sitcom The Mindy Project. Like many other TV character actors, she has also had a varied career in the movies, including the Coen Brothers’ No Country for Old Men. 

If there’s one word to describe Stephen Root, it would be prolific. He is an actor who has rarely been out of work, and he has appeared in numerous series, both live-action and animated. In the world of animation, he is probably best known for providing the voice of Bill Dauterive in the long-running series King of the Hill. He is equally comfortable in both dramatic and comedic roles, and he has become particularly well-known for playing Lynn Boyle in the acclaimed sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine, as well as for his Emmy-nominated role in the dark comedy series Barry. 

Gary Cole has had one of Hollywood's most prolific and eclectic careers. Though he’s no stranger to the movies — particularly Office Space — most of his most recognizable roles have been in television, both animation and live-action. For millennials, he’s particularly well-known for voicing Harvey Birdman in the strange series Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, in which he played the title character. More recently, he earned a lot of praise and was truly hilarious as the monotone number-cruncher Kent Davison in the hit HBO comedy Veep, a character that represents all of the things that make Kent such a beloved part of the TV landscape. 

Throughout his lengthy television career, John Fiedler was primarily known for playing mousy characters who were easily dominated either by other men or by their wives. With his boyish good looks and his soft (and faintly husky) voice, Fiedler easily fit into these types of roles, and he made appearances in some of the most famous television series, including Gunsmoke and The Golden Girls. Arguably, his most well-known role was as the voice of Piglet in the various Winnie the Pooh movies and TV series made by Disney, which he kept until he died in 2005.