Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Entertainment Weekly's top 100 characters of the last 20 years

This is topic Entertainment Weekly's top 100 characters of the last 20 years in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-02-2010, 08:46 PM:

I already thought of a few that aren't on this list, but should be, such as Marty McFly, Jack Skellington, and Michael Scott, but here is the list. I put a * next to the ones I've never heard of or know absolutely nothing about, which I guess is kind of pathetic, but whatever.

1. Homer Simpson
2. Harry Potter
3. Buffy
4. Tony Soprano
5. The Joker (Heath Ledger version)
6. Rachel Green*
7. Edward Scissorhands
8. Hannibal Lecter
9. Carrie Bradshaw (Sex and the City)
10. Spongebob Squarepants
11. Cosmo Kramer (Seinfeld)
12. Fox Mulder & Dana Scully (X-Files)
13. Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean)
14. Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski*
15. Shrek
16. Bridget Jones
17. Lara Croft (Tomb Raider)
18. Sue Sylvester (Glee)
19. Morpheus
20. Ally McBeal
21. Rosanne Connor
22. Cartman (South Park)
23. Austin Powers
24. Felicity Porter*
25. Woody (Toy Story)
26. Kavalier & Clay*
27. Frasier
28. Madea
29. Vincent Vega & Jules Winfield (Pulp Fiction)*
30. Steven Colbert
31. Forrest Gump
32. Beavis & Butthead
33. Sarah Connor (Terminator 2)
34. Cher (Clueless)
35. Dexter Morgan*
36. Gollum (LOTR)
37. Keyser Soze (The Usual Suspects)*
38. Elmo
39. Gob Bluth (Arrested Development) *
40. Ron Burgundy
41. Harold & Kumar
42. Sydney Bristow (Felicity)*
43. Cal Stephanides (Middlesex)*
44. Jack Bauer (24)*
45. Stewie Griffin (Family Guy)*
46. Jerry Maguire
47. Corky St. Clair (Waiting For Guffman)*
48. Red (Shawshank Redemption)*
49. Vivian Ward (Pretty Woman)
50. Pearl the Landlord (The Landlord)*
51. Omar Little (The Wire)*
52. Annie Wilkes (Misery)
53. Edward Cullen (Twilight)*
54. Juno
55. Tracy Jordan (30 Rock)
56. Barney Stinson (How I Met Your Mother)*
57. Clayton Bigsby (Chappelle)*
58. Thelma and Louise
59. Master Chief (Halo)*
60. Mary Jones (Precious)*
61. Vic Mackey (The Shield)*
62. Jimmy Corrigan (Smartest Kid on Earth)*
63. John Locke (Lost)*
64. Maximus (Gladiator)*
65. Lorelai & Rory Gilmore (Gilmore Girls)
66. Allie & Noah (The Notebook)
67. Borat
68. Effie White (Dreamgirls)
69. Miranda Priestly (The Devil Wears Prada)
70. Mary Katherine Gallagher (SNL)*
71. Alonzo Harris (Training Day)*
72. Kara "Starbuck" Thrace (Battlestar Galactica)*
73. Catherine Tramell (Basic Instinct)
74. Don Draper (Mad Men)*
75. David Brent (The Office, BBC version)*
76. Tyler Durden (Fight Club)*
77. Mimi Marquez (Rent)*
78. Patty Hewes (Damages)*
79. Elphaba (Wicked)*
80. Gorillaz
81. Amanda Woodward (Melrose Place)*
82. Tracy Flick (Election)*
83. Jen Yu (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon)*
84. Dr. Gregory House (House)*
85. Daniel Plainview (There Will Be Blood)*
86. Karen Walker & Jack McFarland (Will & Grace)
87. Tony Stark (Iron Man)
88. Napoleon Dynamite
89. Wickus (District 9)*
90. Marge Gunderson (Fargo)*
91. Hancock
92. Christopher Boon (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time)*
93. Game boys (Characters from Uncharted, God of War, Grand Theft Auto IV)
94. Truman (The Truman Show)
95. Wilhelmina (Ugly Betty)*
96. Bernie Mac
97. Violet Weston (August: Osage County)*
98. Lisbeth Salander (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)*
99. The Bride (Kill Bill)*
100. Tim Riggins (Gridiron Giant)*

Posted by Hillary Charles (Member # 769) on 06-02-2010, 09:41 PM:

Like so many lists, it's kind of random.

Out of curiosity Mike, you're not a fan of Quentin Tarantino or the Coen brothers...? [Confused]

And since you know Michael Scott, you might enjoy getting acquainted with 75. David Brent (The Office, BBC version), very funny once you get used to the accent.

BTW, there are plenty of names on that list I don't know either.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-02-2010, 10:09 PM:

Hillary - Tarantino films tend to be more violent than my taste. As for the Coens, I've just never had a chance to see any of their films but I'm really stoked for their remake of "True Grit" which comes out this Christmas. Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn... should be excellent.

As for the BBC "Office" -- I'd really like to get a chance to see that too. I like British humor. Ricky Gervais is a genius.

Posted by Hillary Charles (Member # 769) on 06-02-2010, 10:17 PM:

Well if "True Grit" satisfies, I'd recommend you catch Jeff Bridges as "The Big Lebowski." A character almost as iconic as Rooster. [Cool]

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 06-02-2010, 10:20 PM:

That's a very subjective list.

I could type up my own version of what I think are the 100 most important TV and movie characters in the last 20 years and there would be lots of differences. The few characters my list would have in common with Entertainment Weekly's list would probably all have different ranks in importance.

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 06-02-2010, 10:51 PM:

quote: Mike Blakesley
As for the Coens, I've just never had a chance to see any of their films

Wow. You've got some serious enjoyment coming your way then, Mike. Make the effort to see them. Even the worst Coen Bros. films are better than 99.9% of what else is out there.

Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 06-02-2010, 10:57 PM:

This list would have had WAY more credibility if they'd put Billy Mays on it. Even if he did play himself.

Jack and Rose (Titanic) didn't make the list? Lester Burnham (American Beauty)?

They're not even TRYING here.

Posted by Jonathan Worthing (Member # 803) on 06-03-2010, 04:52 AM:

quote: Mike Blakesley
Ricky Gervais is a genius

(NOT)

The best thing he has been in was Stardust.

That's because he gets stabbed in it [thumbsup]

Posted by Galen Murphy-Fahlgren (Member # 4535) on 06-03-2010, 10:22 AM:

First of all, there are over 100 people on that list.

Second of all, Mike, you really need to make an effort to see The Shawshank Redemption. If you like Jeff Bridges, you should check out The Big Lebowski as well, but that is sort of a cult classic, whereas Shawshank Redemption is almost certainly one of the finest films of the last 50 years. I've read the short story on which it is based, and the movie is much better, and how often does that happen, really?

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 06-03-2010, 02:29 PM:

At least Clayton Bigsby is on there. He is a white supremacist... who is black. Hilarious!

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-03-2010, 03:20 PM:

quote: Galen Murphy-Fahlgren
there are over 100 people on that list.

The list is 100 characters, not necessarily people. There are a lot of characters where you need more than one. What would the Road Runner be without Wile E. Coyote, for example.

Posted by Jonathan Althaus (Member # 5042) on 06-03-2010, 03:43 PM:

Buzz needs to be with Woody, and Tyrone Biggums needs to be on there as well.

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 06-03-2010, 03:50 PM:

quote: Mike Blakesley
What would the Road Runner be without Wile E. Coyote

Bored.

Posted by Jeremy Jorgenson (Member # 2989) on 06-06-2010, 03:54 PM:

quote: Mike Blakesley
42. Sydney Bristow (Felicity)

Mike, was the parenthetical addition of "Felicity" from EW or from you? Sydney Bristow is from "Alias".

quote: Hillary Charles
I'd recommend you catch Jeff Bridges as "The Big Lebowski."

"as" or "in"? Jeff Bridges plays in The Big Lebowski, with David Huddleston as The Big Lebowski. [Big Grin]

Semantics aside, yes, Mike, you should check it out.

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 06-06-2010, 06:14 PM:

quote: Adam Martin

quote: Mike Blakesley
What would the Road Runner be without Wile E. Coyote
Bored.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK9o_wv1zps

Posted by Hillary Charles (Member # 769) on 06-06-2010, 06:32 PM:

Oh Jeremy, yeah, Jeff Bridges is not "Mister" Lebowski, but "The Dude." You know, that or, uh, His Dudeness, or uh, Duder, or El Duderino if you're not into the whole brevity thing.

Thanks for the correction, but if Walter were here, he'd kick your ass on principle. [Razz]

Posted by Robert Crabtree (Member # 4795) on 06-08-2010, 08:54 PM:

I'm most intrigued by the inclusion of characters in novels that aren't yet adapted for TV/Film audiences (Cal Stephenides and Kavalier & Clay) though there are plans for both to be adapted.

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 06-09-2010, 11:33 AM:

On the other hand, there's nothing in Mike's list or description of it leading up that says that all the characters are from movies.

Posted by Jeremy Jorgenson (Member # 2989) on 06-09-2010, 07:53 PM:

quote: Hillary Charles
if Walter were here, he'd kick your ass on principle.

Yeah... that, or maybe in the name of the many bright flowering young men at Khe Sanh, at Langdok, at Hill 364?

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-09-2010, 11:41 PM:

quote: Chris Slycord
On the other hand, there's nothing in Mike's list or description of it leading up that says that all the characters are from movies.

Right, it's "all" media.

The list should include Joe Redifer and Phil Hill -- if they aren't great characters, I don't know who is.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 06-10-2010, 12:09 AM:

quote: Galen Murphy-Fahlgren
Mike, you really need to make an effort to see The Shawshank Redemption.

I wholeheartedly agree. Mike, you NEED to watch this movie. It is excellent.