There are many things that bring me back to the movies or TV
shows I love. Sometimes it’s the writing, or the experience, or the visual
appeal, but more often than not, it’s the characters that bring me back for
more. Sometimes, even if the movie isn’t that great, I’ll still be on board
just because I love the characters, and love watching them on the journey.
There are so many characters I love from various TV shows, and movies that I’ve
always wanted to highlight my personal Top 30 favorites, the cream of the crop,
the ones that have stuck with me long after viewing them. In order to give this
rather long list some variety, I’m going to break it down into three classes.
They will be my top 10 favorite animated characters, my top 10 favorite
villains and my top 10 favorite characters in general from various movies and
TV shows. Also, with some exceptions, I’m only selecting a single character
from a series or movie. With all that said, lets close my three part countdown
with my top 10 favorite characters in general from movies and TV shows ...
#10 Gandalf (Lord of
the Rings series)
To be perfectly honest, I’ve never been a big “Lord of the Rings” fan. The books were
good, but I’ve only read them once, and the original movie trilogy was very
good, but they’re not movies I re-watch too often. Having said all that, the
franchises elder wizard named Gandalf the Grey has always been one of my
favorite characters. We’ve seen the classic archetype of the old mentor
character countless times, and while Gandalf falls into this category, he just
feels more human. He definitely acts like a moral compos, and I just want to
hold onto every word he says, but more often than not he succumbs to the side
effects of his age. He can be grouchy, he can be angry, he can even be doubtful,
which makes him more relatable, rather than just being a good role model to
look up to. This also makes his words of wisdom all the more impactful when
they come from a character who’s not all together perfect. He also has a great
sense of hummer, and Sir Ian Mckellen just shines in the role. I may not be a
die hard “Lord of the Rings” fan,
but I’m definitely a fan of this great character.
#9 Evie (The Mummy)
Up next is the character who did something special for the clichéd damsel
stereotype, this being the beautiful and intelligent
Egyptologist named Evie, played by Rachel Weisz. This is the role that’s most
associated Rachel Weisz, despite winning academy awards for performances in
other films like “The Constant Gardener”. Regardless, Rachel Weisz is
just so naturally lovable in this role, and I enjoy every second she’s on
screen. The character Evie is like a little child that gets excited on
Christmas, but she’s also adventurous and very useful with her knowledge of
Egypt and its history. Also, I love that she’s more than just an attractive
damsel stereotype. Even when she does get captured it’s a pivotal part of the
story, and not just something that happens because she's a stereotype. Of course Evie made it at #1 on my top 10 Damsels list, but I’d
honestly go further and say she’s one of my personal favorite leading female
characters of all time. With her cute smile, helpful knowledge, charming,
lovable and spunky personality, Evie raises the bar for clichéd damsel’s and is
a great addition to the film.
#8 V (V for Vendetta)
In this epic comic book movie adaption, a sinister totalitarian government
has taken over London, and one lone masked terrorist simply known as “V” stands
in defiance against them. If I had the opportunity to perform as any movie
character, it would have to be the mysterious, poetic, masked vigilante “V”. Without
any doubt, this was the performance of a life time for star Hugo Weaving, who
is outstanding in the role. We’ve seen hero’s in movies that stand against the
oppressors condemning the innocent people of the world, but “V” is very
different, and doesn’t follow the typical “rebellious hero conventions”. While
his motivations and actions are noble, he goes about them like a devious master
mind of sorts who’s always one step ahead of his foes. V is like the best of
Shakespeare characters rolled into one, and dressed like a comic book
character. He’s poetic, charming, sympathetic, frightening and just runs the
whole gambit of things I love from a great character.
#7 General Patton
(Patton)
Some may argue that this shouldn’t count as obviously Patton was
a real person and not a work of fiction. Regardless, I love this portrayal of
the historic general so much that I couldn’t help but include him on my countdown.
The first thing to highlight of course is George C. Scott who is phenomenal in
the role. His sympathetic, unflinching portrayal is what cares this great war
epic, and it’s as definitive as any performance in the history of American
biopics. On top of that, the movie itself is just a fascinating character study
of this famous military general. This is a guy who lived for war, and almost
viewed it like a religion in of itself. Many of his actions were questionable,
but by the end of the day, he was still someone to look up to and admire. He
was daring, and didn’t always go by the books, but he was also dignified and
willing to admit when he was wrong. When it comes to American biopics, “Patton” will always be one of my
absolute favorites, and it’s George C. Scott’s captivating performance that
makes it a classic.
#6 Satine (Moulin
Rouge)
In this magical 2001 musical, the star of the Moulin Rouge is
Satine, who’s the best at seducing men and stealing the scenery. However, even
though she shows off and goes over the top with selling herself, she has a
burning passion to escape this world of sin, be a real actress and just make
something of herself. In the process of putting on a show, Satine falls in love
with a writer, who’s the first person to love her for who she is and not what
she sells. It’s a concept that’s been done before with other great characters,
but there are two stand out things about Satine that make her a personal
favorite. First of all, the movie makes it clear early on that Satine is dying
of Tuberculoses, which unfortunately means that she’ll never be able to escape,
follow her dreams and make a life for herself. Because of this, it makes the
audience savor every second she has while alive, as she makes the most of the
moment, and the fact that she has fallen in love with someone. The second thing
that always stands out to me is Nicole Kidman’s performance. She is so
passionate in the role, and runs the whole gambit of different emotions. I’ve
admired Nicole Kidman as a very talented actor, and this is the role that proved
she could do it all. It’s a performance that’s everything whimsical, tragic,
fiery, adult, and she just shines on the screen.
#5 Tyrion Lannister
(Game of Thrones)
To be honest, I think the HBO TV series “Game of Thrones” has one of the
greatest ensemble casts I’ve ever seen. Heck, I could fill this list mostly
with characters from this show, but that wouldn’t be fair. So let’s just cut to
the chase, Tyrion Lannister played by Perter Kinklage is un-be-firkin-lievable!
I’m convinced, Tyrion will go down in history as one of the great TV show
characters of all time. He’s a midget born into an evil corrupt Kingdome, and
his job is to be the tuff as nails, scheming conscience who puts everyone in
their place. He knows the disadvantage of being a little person in this time
period, but he wears it like a badge, because once you embrace it, no-one can
harm you with it. His strength is his intelligence, vision, cool intellect, and
capabilities as a master planner. There’s really nothing more satisfying in
this show then seeing Tyrion out-smart his rivals and putting his enemies in
their place. While the writing for this show is fantastic, it’s Peter Dinklage’s
charisma and style that really elevate this character. He may be a little
person, but no-one walks taller than Tyion.
#4 Rocky (Rocky
series)
When it comes to a conventional “hero archetype”, I’m always
drawn to the underdog the most. The hero’s that rise to the challenge, the ones
that face all odds, and for me, Rocky will always be the panicle underdog hero.
It’s the small town boxer who gets a shot to fight in the heavy weight
championship, and surpasses all expectations. This is a character that always
spoke to me, about how an everyday man can go above and beyond, and Sylvester Stallone
is just so humble and sincere in the role. Honestly, how
could anyone not love Rocky, he’s perhaps the most humble and human character
from any film franchise. This is a character that inspires me to
do more with myself, to break out and make a difference. Even if it’s something
small, Rocky has always encouraged me to stick to my passions and follow them through
to the end.
#3 Captain Picard
(Star Trek: The Next Generation)
I’ve been a long time “Star Trek: TNG” fan for years, and just
like “Game of Thrones”, I’ve always
regarded this show as having one of the greatest ensemble casts of any TV
program. Leading the charge is Captain Picard, who’s brought to life
masterfully by Sir Patrick Stewart. No other “Star Trek” captain seemed to capture the same authority and command
that Picard had. He was large, in charge and his greatest strength was his
intellect. He was a great strategist, one who could out think his enemies
without resorting to physical action. That’s not to say he didn’t take physical
action when required, he simply resorted to his intellect as his first tool.
Also, much like the previously mentioned Gandalf the Grey, Picard wasn’t always
a perfect moral compos to rally behind, he could still make misstates, he could
be grouchy, but that only made me respect him more when he did do something
dignified. Finally, there’s just something about Patrick Stewart’s performance
that makes this character feel iconic, like one of the great classic character
portrayals for the silver screen.
#2 Wolverine (X-Men
series)
It’s been long debated who the greatest
comic book super hero of all time is. Some say it’s Batman, others say
Spider-Man, most say it’s Superman, and really it’ll always be up for debate.
As I’ve said many times before, my personal favorite superhero of all time is
and always will be Wolverine. This is the guy who stands apart from other
hero’s, and just seems to have everything I want from a great character.
Wolverines the ultimate outsider, and his greatest battle is the one within
himself. He’s more wild, out of control and doesn’t really have a code in which
to fight his enemies ... he’ll just waist them. However, underneath his
beastly, bad ass persona is a warrior with a conscience to do what is
honorable, and in the end he’ll always be there for his allies. This makes
me respect and cheer for Wolverine more because he’s not a “perfect hero”. We
can admire Superman as a great role model that will always save the day, but
when someone flawed like Wolverine acts heroically, it just feels special. With
Batman as my favorite superhero of the animated character spectrum, then
Wolverine definitely takes top honors in the live action world of my favorite
superhero portrayals. His image, healing powers, and
his indestructible claws are every bit as iconic as Spider-Man and his web
swinging. The ace up this characters sleeve is that he’s played by Hugh
Jackman, whose frikin amazing in the role. He doesn’t even feel like an actor
playing a part. When I see him on screen, I see Wolverine alive and in the
flesh. This was actually Hugh Jackman’s very first role, and he’s played
Wolverine for over 17 years, which is more than any actor has ever played a
superhero on film. It’s a performance that’s just as iconic as Sean Connery as
James Bond, and it’s a superhero I’ve always admired.
Before I reveal my #1 favorite character, here are some quick Honorable Mentions ...
Atticus Finch (To Kill A Mockingbird)
Will Smith (The Fresh Prince of Bel Air)
Elena (The Mask of Zorro)
Dock Brown (Back to the Future)
Wayne and Garth (Wayne's World)
#1 Indiana Jones
(Indiana Jones series)
When it comes to iconic movie characters, Indiana
Jones played by the great Harrison Ford is about as legendary as they get. As a
kid, I was once asked “If you could be any movie character who would you want
to be?” and my immediate response was Indiana Jones. This guy makes top spot
on my list, not because of how deep or complex he get’s, but because I always
wanted to be this character. He’s an intelligent, witty, thrill seeking
adventurer who in my opinion is the definitive Hollywood action hero. Unlike
other action hero’s, Indiana Jones could clearly get exhausted, or tired, showing
that he’s not invincible, but it doesn’t stop him for keeping cool and putting
up a good fight, which just made me admire him all the more. I love his biting
sense of hummer, I love his heroism, I love his charm, and I love how smart he
is when either getting out of a tight situation or just understanding an
ancient culture. Harrison Ford of course is just incredibly charismatic in the
role, and he just makes me wish he was real so I could go on a journey with
him. There’s lots of great movie characters out there, some admittedly more
resonant than this, but it’s Indiana Jones who I’ve enjoyed the most, and stuck
with the most. He’ll always be remembered as an iconic movie character, and
he’ll always be my personal all time favorite.
The End
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