Friday, June 18, 2010

Your Turn

This week someone asked me about a movie and then we got to talking about some books and characters and it got me to thinking about who my favorite fictional character is. To me it seems to change from year to year or even from book to book. Right now in books, I would have to say it is Jack Reacher in the series by Lee Child. Oh, Lucas Davenport is good too in the Prey books. Movies and television is harder for me, because it seems to change after I have watched a great movie. I love Hugh Grant's character in Love, Actually. I love Uncle Buck and I also love William Miller in Almost Famous. Who are your favorite fictional characters?

96 comments:

TONIc said...

Scarlett O'Hara.

Adventurous Kate said...

GOB Bluth from Arrested Development. Any of the Bluths, really.

ANYONE on Friday Night Lights, especially Connie Britton's character, Tami Taylor.

Loved Henry in The Time Traveler's Wife -- total sexy badass. Was SO mad the film people turned that incredible book into generic Nicholas Sparks crap!

Adventurous Kate said...

Captain Jack Sparrow is another. ;-)

Did you know that Entertainment Weekly recently did a piece on the best characters from the past 20 years?

skeeball said...

Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy~Pride and Predjudice

Scarlett and Rhett-Gone with the Wind

Jack, Kate, Hurley and Sawyer on Lost

Magnum and Higgins on Magnum, PI

Bugs Bunny and Marvin the Martian

Mrs. Miniver

Those are just a few that I can think of, there are so many

Kb said...

oooohhh, great question. Jack Reacher is on my "list". Harry Potter, Jay and Slient Bob, Martin Blank, Anne Shirley, Little Bear, Sookie(from the books)and Chandler Bing.

Jeannies Bottle said...

Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch.
Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow

Jeannies Bottle said...

Hey Adventurous Kate, I'm reading that book right now!

Sinjin said...

Scarlett O'Hara
Elizabeth Bennett
Severus Snape :-D

Tempestuous Grape said...

Michael "Mouse" Tolliver from Tales of the City series.

Selock said...

Does Jo March count as a fictional character? She's up there very high for me.

Adventurous Kate said...

@Jeannies Bottle

I hope you enjoy it!! It's my #2 book of all time (#1 is The Sun Also Rises). Such a good, good, good book, and Henry and Clare are amazing, brilliant, multifaceted characters.

MontanaMarriott said...

Storm from the X-men
Lucky Santangelo
Hannibal Lechter

J. Leia Lima said...

Aunt Beast from A Wrinkle in Time.

Carissa said...

The Dude: Big Lebowski
Eleanor Dashwood: Sense and Sensibility
John Locke: Lost
Fox Mulder: X-Files
Mike Wazowski: Monsters, Inc.
Ferris Bueller
Truvy: Steel Magnolias (or Weezer)
Liz Lemon: 30 Rock
Doc Holiday: Tombstone
Ash: Army of Darkness
Wesley: Princess Bride

Way too many characters in books that I loved...too hard to pick. Classics that everyone love and then just the secondary characters with all the great one-liners.

PeepStone said...

Pippi Longstocking
Willow Rosenberg
Jerri Blank
Kilgore Trout
Gobo Fraggle
Jughead
She-Hulk
Buster Bluth

PeepStone said...

oooo and Jo from Little Women

Ms Cool said...

I love Lucas Davenport. Living in Wisconsin, I've met John Sandford several times at book signings (he's from Minnesota). Cool guy. His books are my favorite mystery books - reading Storm Prey. Along those lines, I really like these fictional characters: Harry Bosch, Joe Pike, Elvis Cole (I've met Robert Crais, too, and he is hot), Kathleen Mallory, and Joe Pitt.

I love Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy in literature and in the movies.

Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) in North by Northwest is dreamy.

I really dig Sunny and Don Corleone from The Godfather, parts I and II.

I have a fond affection for James Bond (only when played by DANIEL CRAIG).

I also have affection for Sandy Lyle (played by Philip Seymour Hoffman) in Along Came Polly.

jess said...

-Books: Severus Snape (Harry Potter child over here!)
-Movies: The Dude! - Big Lebowski
-Tv:...too hard I would have to come up with a list and it might be annoying, lol

Great topic.

Carissa said...

Ugh! I forgot Severus Snape! Good pick Lisa! That also brings me to Alan Rickman as Colonial Brandon! Swoon!!!

kathrynnova said...

blanche dubois, george and martha, gustav von aschenbach, randal p. mcmurphy, and count dracula

lmnop123 said...

Anne Shirley is a good one. Love her.

Heidi

Heathcliff and Claire Huxtable

Olivia Benson (L%O)

Columbo

Matlock

Opie

Scooby Doo

Sonny Corinthos

Ms Cool said...

Ooh - in reading some of the other comments, I've forgotten a few...

Doc Holliday (I'm your huckleberry)
Ferris Bueller (thanks Carissa)
Bugs Bunny (peeping through the knothole in Grandpa's wooden leg, why'd they build the shore so close to the ocean?)

Ms Cool said...

Snape's a good one, too!

chucky-baby said...

Dr. FrankenFurter- The Rocky Horror Picture show
Wesley- The Princess Bride
Ferris Bueller- Ferris Buellers' day off
Anita Blake- Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K Hamilton
Heaven- VC Andrews

jax said...

oh man this is hard,i'm such a bookie.

Ramona Quimby
Harry Potter
Rachel from Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keyes
Bridget Jones

Jeff Spicolli
Rob Gordon- High Fidelity
William Thacker- Notting Hill

Ms Cool said...

Dang, this is my last post. Promise. But when you mentioned Uncle Buck, it really makes me think of Del Griffith (John Candy) in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.

MontanaMarriott said...

Ohh TV-Ok
Wonder Woman
Alexis Carrington
Jamie Sommers
Maya from Space 1999

Chris said...

Easy - Shirley Valentine from the movie of the same name. Hands down.

on TV - atm it's Dr. Cal Lightman from "Lie to Me" god I love that man - strong, snarky, brilliant which sorta makes him sexy.

Adventurous Kate said...

Quagmire. GIGGITY GIGGITY!

Severus Snape. And the guy Alan Rickman played in Sense and Sensibility.

Jack from Sideways.

I LOVE the creepy characters Robin Williams has played in recent years, especially in Insomnia. Plus MRS. DOUBTFIRE!

Iago from Aladdin. :-)

MnGddess said...

This is cool - I get ideas for books to read..

My favorite character ( don't laugh) is Sarah Connor from Terminator II. She was a strong, bad ass female, but what she really was was a mother protecting her child. Linda Hamilton was perfect in that role.

Love Hermione in the Harry Potter books. Actually loved all three of them.

And finally, Maria Von Trapp!!!! (the Hiiillls are alive, with the sound of muuuusic..)

Merlin D. Bear said...

Lazarus Long
Scarlett O'Hara Hamilton Kennedy Butler
Lucas Davenport
Weather Davenport
Anita Blake (don't hate me...the series is just that addictive)
Harry Dresden
Alex Cross
Comte Ferenc Ragoskcy De Sanct Germaine
Roger
Madelaine d' Montalia
Olivia

And there are honestly a thousand others - I read too much.

janele said...

Dina Lohan, hands down.

Surely someone asstastically cunty can't exist in real life, right? She has to be fictional.

Abaddon said...

I would also agree with Jack Reacher. Read all the books. My mom and I keep thinking how to cast him in a movies. Along with him Joe Pike and Elvis Cole from the Robert Crais books. Twilly Spree and Skink from the Hiaasen novels.Rip Cantrell from Saucer by Stephen Coonts.
In movies Dracula played by Gary Oldman, Ash from the Evil Dead, The Dude, Dexter, Buckarroo Banzai, Perfect Tommy, Scarlett O'Hara...

NovaNightly said...

The Doctor...from Doctor Who. Doesn't matter which actor...I just love that character so much. I've watched the show since I was very small and just always loved him so much! :)

ali said...

Hands down Myron Bolitar in the Harlan Coben books

ali said...

Abaddon - I had forgotten about Elvis Cole and Joe Pike!

Myron Bolitar - Harlan Coben
Lucas Davenport - John Sandford
Joe Pike and Elvis Cole - Robert Crais

LeeshaLou said...

Jack Lost
Rose & Blanche Golden Girls
Ginger & Sam from Casino
Miranda on Grey's
Joan Cusack in 9 months
the mom in the Transformers movies

sunnyside1213 said...

Gregory House

Nosey Parker said...

Rocky Sullivan
Omar Little
Scarlett O'Hara
Jane Craig

sinkabella said...

I love this question! 2 days ago I finally saw Sunset Blvd w/Bill Holden & Gloria Swanson...love, love, love, loved it! I can't believe I never saw it before. Norma Desmond is by far my favorite movie fictional character. Fantastic movie!! If any of have never seen it YOU MUST! Timeless......

TV - Lucy Ricardo.... simply the best!

Stacy said...

Lucivar Yaslana from the Black Jewels Trilogy

Phedre no Delaunay and Josselin Verreuil from the Kushiel series

Talia and Vanyel from the Valdemar series

Parker and Eliot from Leverage

Cristina Yang and Dr. Bailey from Grey's Anatomy

Lafayette Reynolds from True Blood

Anonymous said...

I like Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis in Jonathan Kellerman's books. Any character Jennifer Crusie invents. Mikhail Blomqvist and Lisbeth Sandovar. Temperance Brennan (book version only) and Kay Scarpetta. Ten million others.

For movies, it's usually the last one I saw, which would be Crazy Heart, so Bad Blake gets my vote this week.

Selock said...

Oooh, so many great ones on here!!! I am still sticking with just Jo March as my #1 favorite, though. :)

Icecat said...

Oh, love this one! I'll try to get em all on one post, but I know I'll foret some :P

Marge & Homer Simpson
The whole cast of Futurama

Atticus Finch
Scout Finch

Garp

Duckie - Pretty in Pink

Jeff Spicoli - Good one Jax!

Sookie Stackhouse
Eric

Jacob Jankowski - Water for Elephants

Annie

Astrid - White Oleander (book)

Pippy

William Miller - Almost Famous

Olivia Benson - SVU

Antoine Batiste - Treme

Nathan & David Fisher

Dexter

Gosh, so many, and I know I'm foregetting a bunch..

Happy Weekend Everyone!

Kristen S. said...

Eleanore Ann Arroway

amazonblue said...

Jim Rockford

Omar from the Wire

Greg House

Dexter

Barbara Havers - from the Inspector Lynley books from Elizabeth George

Nicole said...

Awesome question!

Xander Harris - Buffy
Chandler Bing
Fletch (from the movie; I've never read the books)
Luna Lovegood
Anne Shirley
Kara "Starbuck" Thrace
Jo March (Little Women) and Jo Polniaczek (Facts of Life) - when we played house I always wanted to be called Jo, after both of them
Slater - Dazed and Confused
Loralai Gilmore
Fox Mulder

skeeball said...

have to add to the list:

Bridget Jones

Ben Hur played by Charlton Heston

The charactors Natalie Wood and Robert Redford played in "this Property is Condemned"~great movie, check it out!

Every charactor in "it'a a wonderful life", especially George and Mary Bailey and Uncle Billy

McGarrett,Danno, Chin Ho and Kono on Hawaii 5-0

mooshki said...

Lucas Davenport lives just a couple of miles away from me.

TV: Agent Cooper, Napoleon Solo, Rupert Giles.
Movies: Lane Meyer, Jay & Silent Bob, pretty much any character Cary Grant played.
Books: Merlin, Dumbledore, Ender, Dirk Gently, Thursday Next, Alex Delaware, James Bond, Aloysius Pendergast.

mooshki said...

Oops, forgot Doctor Who!!!

sunnyside1213 said...

Any character in Sense and Sensibility.

fairylights said...

Belgarion from the Belgariad
Captn Jack Sparrow
Frodo Baggins -LOTR books
Pippin Took - LOTR books
Severus Snape - HP books
Lucy - Narnia books
Jo - Little Women
Tom Sawyer - Tom Sawyer!
Jax - Pern
Spock - Star Trek
Bones - Star Trek
Anne Shirley - Green Gables series
The guy Alan Rickman played in Galaxy Quest, I can never remember his name!

Anonymous said...

Speaking of Alan Rickman, I loved him in Die Hard. I know he was the bad guy, but he was so sexy about it.

Unknown said...

Batman, far and away. Oh, and let's not forget Jules Kirby.

Vikingwench said...

@Mooshki-
Lucas Davenport is a near-neighbor? Is Virgil F'ing Flowers ever nearby? LOVE John Sandford. Enty- you would probably also like Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp, and Randy Wayne White's Doc Ford. I am an avid (or is it rabid?) reader and see many of my favorites on these lists. Great question.

farmgirl said...

Books -
Owen Meany
Alex Delaware
Garp
Sookie
Stephanie Plumm

TV-
House
Dexter (the books pale)
Archie Bunker
Pee Wee Herman

Film -
Carla - The Other Sister
Russell - Up
Corky - Guffman
Rambo - (only the first two movies)
Miss Weeza - Steel Magnolias

Green Wave Gal said...

So many!!
For TV:

Punky Brewster

Rudy Huxtable

Mark Green on ER

Ross and Chandler on Friends

Wakko (from Animaniacs)

Stabler (but that could be my love for Chris Meloni coming through)

Currently, the blonde cheerleader (Brittany) on Glee...she cracks me up!

Movies:

Will Hunting

Cat (Annabeth Gish) in Mystic Pizza

The Little Mermaid (don't laugh!)

Lloyd Dobler (Say Anything)

I'm sure I'll think of more! :)

BigMama said...

I'm gonna stick with books or my list would be way too long

Amelia Peabody and family - Crocodile on the Sandbank
Dumbledore - HP Books
Fred/George - HP Books
Inigo Montoya - Princess Bride
Mommy Bunny - Runaway Bunny
Pan - Jitterbug Perfume
Biff - The Lamb ( the Gospel According to Biff)
Max - Where the Wild Things Are

Anonymous said...

Oh gosh, I forgot Amelia Peabody! I love her and have read the entire series. I also like Sara Linton in Karin Slaughter's series and Phillippa in "In This House of Brede" by Rumer Godden.

mooshki said...

Vikingwench, his house is on the river in St. Paul, so I just live across from him. ;) Mitch Rapp is the book version of Jack Bauer. They're almost identical.

Green Wave Gal, you reminded me, I also forgot Kermit!!!

Nicole said...

Green Wave Gal, I love that you mentioned Wakko and Cat! I didn't think of Cat, but I LOOOOVE Mystic Pizza, and that character in particular. And I considered mentioning Wakko, but I wasn't brave enough.

Cancan said...

Enty, you should do a post on #booksthatchangedmylife

It's my favorite thing about Twitter.

Cancan said...

Sorry, #booksthatchangedmyworld

Paleo Dame said...

Francis Crawford of Lymond, from the Lymond Chronicles, by Dorothy Dunnett. (6 book series) Best character ever! I think I'll reread those books this summer, and oh that reminds me, I need to buy a hammock.

Majik said...

Jesus.

Princess Shyness said...

Although I'm a fan of all the characters, Al Giardello is my favourite from Homicide.

Also, David Fisher from Six Feet Under. He had an amazing arc in the series.

JW said...

Stephanie Plum, Grandma and Lulu
Jack Reacher

Rizzo from Grease
Charly Baltimore (the Geena Davis character from the Long Kiss Goodnight)

Xena and Gabrielle

Marlene Ciampi (the wife in the Butch Karp series of books - damn she kicks ass).

redhotpepper said...

Sally Albright from When Harry Met Sally
Stephanie Plum.

RocketQueen said...

Roland Deschain from the Dark Tower novel series and of course Lucas Jackson from Cool Hand Luke with an honourable mention for Tony Montana from Scarface!

RocketQueen said...

Shit - I gotta add Omar Little (The Wire) and Al Swearengen (Deadwood)

captivagrl said...

Jack Sparrow
Scarlett O'Hara
Wendy Kroy/Bridget Gregory
Addie Loggins(Paper Moon)
Clark Griswold and Eddie
Omar(The Wire)

captivagrl said...

Archie and Edith Bunker, the best

BlackCat14 said...

@ Leia - Aunt Beast is amazing!

Would Enty be considered a fictional character? If so, he's #1. Otherwise, my favorite has to be Auntie Mame as played by Rosalind Russell.

Other favorites include:
Ainsley Hayes (West Wing)
Adelia Aguilar & Rowley (books by Ariana Franklin)
Sid Halley (books by Dick Francis)
Olympia (Fortune's Rocks by Anita Shreve)
Dirk Pitt (books by Clive Cussler)
Lucas Davenport (Prey books) - good call, Enty!

chihuahuense said...

Father Chuck O'Malley/Going My Way, the Bells of St. Mary's

Ralph Walker/Saint Ralph

Chris Walker/Five in a Tent

Green Wave Gal said...

@Nicole: I'm so glad I'm not the only one (re: Wakko and Cat)! I could so relate to Cat. I've crushed on older men (teachers/professors) but never actually got with them. I love that she's smart and naive at the same time! One of my all-time fave movies! Wakko and the songs especially...the Planets when he says "You forgot Uranus...". Gets me EVERY time. We used to watch Animaniacs in college. :) Good memories!

Ooh...Lorelai Gilmore is a good one too! Nicole, I think we could be BFFs! :)

Selock said...

Oh snap @Majik trying to *start something*. ;P

Queen Beatnik said...

Elizabeth Bennett
Jo March
Scarlett O'Hara
Heathcliff
Jane Eyre
Jay Gatsby
Holly Golightly
Auntie Mame
Margo Channing
Charlotte Vale -- Now, Voyager
Kitty Foyle
Nick & Nora Charles
Remington Steele
Molly Dodd
Rose Nylund
Maude Findlay
Harris K. Telemacher -- L.A. Story

The Dude Abides said...

Books:
-Stuttering Bill (It)
-Glen Bateman (The Stand)
-Sam Gamgee (LOTR)

Movies:
-obviously, The Dude
-Inigo Montoya (best revenge scene ever)
-Harmonica (Once Upon a Time in the West)
-the entire cast from LOTR
-John Cleese's Lancelot in Monty Python & the Holy Grail
-Otto (Kevin Kline in A Fish Called Wanda)

WBotW said...

Books:
Mr Darcy ~ Pride and Prejudice
Marius ~ The Vampire Chronicles
Eric Northman ~ Southern Vampire Mysteries
Ben ~ The Mercy Thompson books
Severus Snape ~ Harry Potter

Movies:
GoGo Yubari ~ Kill Bill vol. 1
Jareth ~ Labyrinth
Archibald Cunningham ~ Rob Roy
Bridget ~ Ginger Snaps

TV:
Lafayette ~ True Blood
Six ~ Battlestar Galactica (reimagined)
River Tam ~ Firefly
Birkhoff ~ La Femme Nikita
Oz ~ Buffy
Alpha ~ Dollhouse

nunaurbiz said...

OK, I'll fess up. I've had a long-simmering crush on Huckleberry Finn!!!! ;-)

mooshki said...

Aunt Beast is the best!

BlackCat14, I like Dirk Pitt, but I like Juan Cabrillo even more. I'm glad Cussler is (co)writing so many Oregon Files books.

BlackCat14 said...

Mooshki, you are so right! I love Juan Cabrillo as well. Just had to fall back on Dirk Pitt since he was the character who got me hooked on Clive Cussler. Does it annoy you as much as it annoys me when Cussler puts himself in the book?

MoodyBlueEyes said...

Off the top of my head:

Lincoln Rhyme - Jeffery Deaver thrillers (awesome!)

Sirius Black - Harry Potter

Gregory House
Elliot Stabler/Olivia Benson

Jack Skellington
Thelma and Louise

PollyPureBred said...

Books - Marjorie Morningstar! The most romantic book ever. EVER.
And Richard from "The Secret History." I wish I had a bad cold so I could stay in bed and re-read it again...highly recommended!

TV? No-brainer -Lucille Bluth, Rhoda, or Maryanne from Cybill come to mind.
Freaks and Geeks was the best TV show, Picket Fences was damn good.

CDAN reader have great taste - will add to my list of things to read this summer - thanks!

Fredrick VonBearson said...

Long time lurker first time poster

Atticus Finch
Alex Cross
Jane Eyre
Melanie Wilkes
Scarlett O'hara
Eric Northman
Lafayette
Hollywood (mannequin)
Maria von trapp

lisap515 said...

Harry Dresden (The Dresden Files books)

Anita Blake (in the AB Series by LK Hamilton's early books when the character was less succubus and more monster killer)

SPIKE aka William the Bloody - Buffy tVS

Dr. Spencer Reid - Criminal Minds

Patrick Jane - The Mentalist

DAMIEN Salvator - Vampire Diaries

lisap515 said...

oh and I agree...

Eric, Lafayette from True Blood

mooshki said...

BlackCat14 I always laugh when he shows up in his books - it's so damned cheesy!

For the 'Mystic Pizza' fans, a friend and I run a fansite for Billy Moses. He's so dreamy in that movie, even though he's a bit of an ass. :)

Sis said...

OMGosh...so many!!

Scarlett o'Hara
Rhett Butler
Alex Cross
Severus Snape
Captain Jack Sparrow
Captain Barbosa too
Jack Reacher

just to name a few!!

Little Miss Smoke and Mirrors said...

Don Draper

ChasingHeaven said...

O.J. Simpson "If I Did It..."

Kim said...

Jack Ryan
Dirk Pitt

Lucky Santangelo
Cassie Logan

Bobby Goren/Alex Eames

Meg said...

I'm reading Time Travelers Wife now too! & @Polly The Secret History is one of my favorites.
most of mine are repeats of what u guys have said!
Books:
Bridget Jones
Hermione Granger

TV
GOB from Arrested Development
Kenneth the Page - 30 Rock
Lorelai Gilmore
Carrie Bradshaw

Movies:
Clark Griswold
George Bailey
Willy Wonka


Movies:
Scarlett O'Hara

tigerjen77 said...

Rupert Giles
Buffy Summers
Willow Rosenberg
Xander Harris
(all from Buffy)

Satine from Moulin Rouge

Shaun from Shaun of the Dead
Ed from Shaun of the Dead

Forrest Gump


Hermione Granger
Albus Dumbledore
Harry Potter
Neville Longbottom

shakey said...

Louis from the Interview from the Vampire series. His character really resonated with me.

Pretty much anyone from Rocky Horror. Except Dr. Scott, he was a funbreaker.

TV ... Okay, I'll be roundly criticized for this but the first character to pop into my head is Gaby from Desperate Housewives. She knows she does things the wrong way, but at least she's determined to get what she wants out of life no matter what.

Lisa (not original) said...

What happened to my post? :(

Jesus Christ - Although he didn't have much of a speaking part, what he did say packed a punch.

Lazarus Long and Jubal Harshaw - Undisputed Heinlein heavyweights

Holden Caulfield - My heart breaks for that boy. I always want to give him a hug.

Rincewind - Terry Pratchett is the shit

Ren and Stimpy

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