Television series are often populated with side characters that are somewhat inconsequential. One-off characters that serve as a foil to the main protagonist, with no other purpose than to propel the narrative or provide some well-placed comic relief.
Many of these characters were not intended to stick around or become part of the regular cast. But, whether because of fan reception or the fact that producers recognize an actor’s talent and are loath to let it go to waste, some characters are upgraded to series regulars. From Phoebe Buffay in Friends to Steve Harrington in Stranger Things, the shows are all the better because they star in them.
Chandler Bing and Phoebe Buffay, ('Friends')
Could you imagine Friends without Chandler’s (Matthew Perry) sarcasm or Phoebe’s (Lisa Kudrow) eccentric kindheartedness? Well, that’s how the series was originally imagined, with the focus squarely on Ross (David Schwimmer), Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), Monica (Courteney Cox) and Joey (Matt LeBlanc).
As showrunner Marta Kauffman revealed in the 2005 mini-documentary, Phoebe and Chandler were supposed to be the comic relief, and “a little more secondary” but they quickly become central to the ensemble. Executive producer Kevin S. Bright also admitted that the decision to upgrade Perry and Kudrow to regular cast members was a financial one; the producers didn’t want to shell out for a guest cast.
Luke Danes ('Gilmore Girls')
It started out as a series about a mother-daughter relationship but, over time, Gilmore Girls grew into a show that successfully weaved its supporting characters into the storyline and, consequently, into the lives of Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel).
One such character was Luke Danes (Scott Patterson), who played Lorelai’s love interest. But the character of Luke didn’t exist when the show started out. In fact, the character was originally a woman called Daisy according to Amy Sherman-Palladino, a member of the show’s creative team. Sherman-Palladino revealed that the undeniable chemistry between Graham and Patterson led writers to pair the couple up and resulted in ‘Daisy’ swiftly being changed to ‘Luke.’
Jesse Pinkman, ('Breaking Bad')
If you asked Breaking Bad’s creator, Vince Gilligan, whether Jesse Pinkman’s (Aaron Paul) redemption arc and burgeoning moral conscience was something he was aiming for all along, he’d tell you that it wasn’t.
Jesse was never intended to be a main character. Gilligan had intended to kill him off in Season 1, but fate had other ideas. As it happens, the episode in which Jesse was supposed to die fell during a writer’s strike in Hollywood, so the scene was never written or made. Without that serendipitous industrial action, fans wouldn't have witnessed Jesse’s transformation and Paul would not have received the critical acclaim he deserved.
Arthur ‘The Fonz’ Fonzarelli, ('Happy Days')
Arthur Fonzarelli (Henry Winkler) – aka Fonzie, The Fonz or just Fonz – is iconic. For those familiar with the sitcom Happy Days, a staple of ’70s and ’80s TV, the mere mention of the name conjures up Winkler’s greaser character: revving motorbike and leather jacket, slicked back hair, surrounded by attractive women and uttering his trademark “Aaayy” with both thumbs up.
Fonzie started out in a supporting role, only supposed to appear in seven of the first 12 Happy Days episodes as a foil to the clean-cut Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard). But fans adored the character, who quickly became a heartthrob – and a series regular. In addition to appearing in the Happy Days spinoffs Mork & Mindy, Laverne & Shirley, and the short-lived Joanie Loves Chachi, the Fonz also entered the cultural zeitgeist. In pop culture aficionado Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) instructs Honey Bunny (Amanda Plummer) to “Be like Fonzie.”
Brittany S. Pierce ('Glee')
Heather Morris’ ditzy-but-well-meaning Brittany S. Pierce (a play on Britney Spears) started life as a recurring character in Season 1 of Glee, making her debut in the second episode when she is recruited to teach the cast Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” choreography.
But her often-ad-libbed, hilarious zingers – “Did you know that dolphins are just gay sharks?” – and propensity for scene-stealing impressed series creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan so much that Brittany’s character status was upgraded to series regular, and she was given a romance with fellow Cheerio, Santana Lopez (Naya Rivera).
Spike ('Buffy the Vampire Slayer')
In Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy’s (Sarah Michelle Gellar) nemesis-turned-lover, Spike (James Marsters) was only supposed to stick around for a five-episode storyline before being killed off, according to Marsters. The show’s creator, Joss Whedon didn’t want another romantic vampire love interest like Angel (David Boreanaz) to distract the Slayer.
But the character was so popular with fans due to Marsters’ portrayal of the anti-hero that Spike stayed, got his redemption arc and even went on to appear in the Buffy spinoff, Angel. Whedon was ultimately glad he didn’t kill off Spike, claiming that he was the most fully developed character of the series.
Andy Dwyer ('Parks and Recreation')
The lovable goofball, Andy Dwyer, wonderfully played by Chris Pratt, was originally meant to appear in only a handful of episodes of Parks and Recreation, destined to exit the series after his breakup with Ann (Rashida Jones).
However, as co-creator Michael Schur explained that when Pratt auditioned for the role of Andy the production team’s reaction was, “This guy’s too funny to not use.” So, the decision was made to make Andy a regular character. We’re glad because Pratt complements his on-screen love interest, April Ludgate (Aubrey Plaza) so perfectly and - needless to say - Parks and Recreation launched his movie career.
Steve Harrington ('Stranger Things')
Joe Keery is another actor that won over the showrunners with his strong performance as Steve Harrington in Stranger Things, thereby securing his place as a regular cast member.
Shawn Levy, a member of the show’s creative team says of Keery, “Steve Harrington was going to be a much more sparsely-used character. We saw what Joe Keery was doing, and we rewarded him with more story, more nuance, more dimension.” Steve transitioned from Season 1’s side antagonist as Nancy's (Natalia Dyer) bully boyfriend to one of the main protagonists in from Season 2 onwards, in addition to being regarded as one of the show’s breakout characters.
Sergeant Odafin ‘Fin’ Tutuola ('Law & Order: SVU')
After more than two decades on Law & Order: SVU, Odafin ‘Fin’ Tutuola (Ice-T) has become as integral to the show as Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay). First making small appearances in other Dick Wolf productions, Wolf brought Ice-T in to appear for a mere four-episode story arc.
He made such an impression that he was asked to stay despite – somewhat ironically – being renowned for releasing a controversial rap song titled “Cop Killer.” Ice-T has been an SVU staple for so long that many fans have forgotten (or forgiven) his edgy rapper past.
Lafayette Reynolds ('True Blood')
Those who've read the "Southern Vampire Mysteries" novels by Charlaine Harris – which provided the source material for True Blood – know that Merlotte’s sassy short-order cook, Lafayette is murdered in the second book, "Living Dead in Dallas."
Thankfully for audiences and Nelsan Ellis, the actor who played Lafayette, True Blood creator Alan Ball decided not to follow the source material, providing fans with one of the most beloved characters of the series. His relationship with long-term boyfriend Jesus Velasquez (Kevin Alejandro) made for some great television and justified Ball’s decision to keep the character around.
Carol Hathaway ('ER')
When the show’s creators kill off your character in the pilot episode of a series, things are looking grim. That’s exactly what happened when charge nurse Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies) committed suicide by overdose in the pilot episode of ER.
However, test audiences reacted negatively to the character’s death, including nurses who were outraged that the show’s producers would kill off such a strong, positive character. So, the decision was made to bring her back from the brink. Margulies’ co-star George Clooney called her to let her know he’d overheard producers saying they were keeping her on as a regular. Staying for Season 1 through 6 of the long-running medical drama, Carol Hathaway became the heart of the show.
Elijah Krantz ('Girls')
The thing about Girls is that while it was heavily female-centered, it also invested in its male characters. Elijah Krantz (Andrew Rannells), who was introduced in season 1, episode 3, "All Adventurous Women Do," as the potential cause of Hannah’s (Lena Dunham) HPV, was no exception.
Krantz could’ve easily been a ‘one-and-done’ character. Rather, he became a series regular in Season 4 when Hannah’s world collapsed after her ex, Adam (Adam Driver) started a relationship with one of her best friends, Jessa (Jemima Kirke). Instead of being portrayed as the clichéd gay best friend, Elijah is his own person, strong enough to call Hannah out when necessary.