24 TV Characters That Shined Beyond Their Supporting Roles

Parlaying boyish optimism into an emotional journey that ended in the show’s most shocking moment, Steven Yeun exuded a major star quality in this supporting role that he has since shown in films like Minari, Mayhem, and The Humans.

In the break between Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 of Stranger Things 4, fans of this sci-fi sensation were incredibly vocal in their concern for the fate of Steve Harrington, a character that evolved from an obnoxious small-town pretty boy to the centerpiece of the series’ most endearing redemption story.

In addition to her scene-stealing comedic performances in American Pie and How I Met Your Mother, Alyson Hannigan cemented her stardom among geek culture through her stellar, multi-faceted role as best friend-turned-volatile-witch, Willow, on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Jack Huston brought a metric ton of empathy, nobility, and inner turmoil to the morally driven gangster in a star-making performance which led to high-profile roles in House of Gucci, Ben-Hur, and American Hustle.

Aubrey Plaza may have been a star on the big and small screen prior to her enigmatic and occasionally terrifying turn on Legion, but her performance on this show demonstrated an undeniable energy and range that redefined the oft-understated performer.

In a show filled with powerful performances, Eamonn Walker’s reserved voice of reason in a concrete nightmare was incredibly captivating, especially when juxtaposed against the chaos of the more venomous and violent storylines surrounding the other characters.

While the actor’s legacy on television will always be complicated by his personal actions during his time on Transparent, it’s hard not to see his work as the hapless blowhard sidekick to Larry Sanders as chief among the definitive supporting performance of ’90s TV comedies.

Horror television rarely gets the proper recognition when it comes to its performances, but Rahul Kohli was nothing short of spellbinding as the ill-fated emotional anchor of Mike Flanagan’s chilling limited series.

Playing the resident vampire of this absurd adaptation of Garth Ennis and Steven Dillon’s R-rated graphic novel, Joseph Gilgun stood out among a very capable ensemble by emphasizing the charm, pathos, and humanity within a literally inhuman character.

Embodying the coldest and most calculating manifestation of heartbreak-ridden revenge, BD Wong crafted one of the most compelling and enigmatic TV villains in recent memory.

From his humble beginnings to his soul-crushing end, Sons of Anarchy‘s most tragic supporting character established Ryan Hurst as a must-see talent and an in-demand performer who continued to stun on the small screen in Bates Motel, Outsiders, The Walking Dead, and Bosch.

Squid Game skyrocketed a number of Korean performers into the global limelight, but few were able to command the screen as well as HoYeon Jung as the savage yet selfless North Korean defector Kang Sae-byeok.

In her breakout performance, Julia Garner’s two-time Emmy-winning turn as Ruth Langmore went from stealing scenes to becoming the can’t-miss presence that keeps you glued to the screen.

Penny Dreadful has a murderer’s row of incredible performers throughout its cast, but Rory Kinnear was the MVP with his internally conflicted and occasionally blood-soaked performance as Frankenstein’s Monster.

Edi Patterson has been the comedy world’s secret weapon for a number of years, but after her attention-grabbing turn on Vice Principals, she was rightfully given the time to shine as the crude and ambitious daughter of the Gemstone family.

After bursting onto the second season of Billions like a force of nature, Asia Kate Dillon has continued to amaze with her confident and selfless performance as the mercurial Taylor Mason.

Initially hired for a small arc as a random member of “The Others,” Michael Emerson quickly demonstrated that he was in a league of his own, ultimately becoming *the* TV staple that you could love to hate and eventually shaping his energy and attitude to similarly deceitful characters on Person of Interest and Evil.

The Wire had multiple iconic characters, from McNulty to Bubbles to Stringer Bell, to name a few, but none felt as critical and beloved as stick-up man Omar Little, which elevated the late Michael K. Williams into a welcome favorite who would effortlessly steal scenes for the likes of Spike Lee, Antoine Fuqua, Todd Solondz, and Paul Thomas Anderson, to name a few.

There may have been no weak links among the core cast of The Golden Girls, but every Golden Girls fan understands exactly why the show would lean further and further into the sharp-tongued Sophia Petrillo’s story in later seasons.

Has there ever been a TV actor who has done so much with so little? Though his tenure on Game of Thrones was short-lived, Pedro Pascal’s memorable turn as “The Red Viper” took his career to the next level, including a leading part in Narcos, the titular character on The Mandalorian, and substantial roles in the Kingsman, Equalizer, and DCEU franchises.