8 of the Greatest Sitcom Characters Of All Time

Sitcoms come and go. Some last for years while others are literally cancelled after one airing. The key to a successful show goes beyond good writing. You need actors who take the craft to another level. Their ability to get into the character and make it believable – no matter the zany situations they face – allow them to stand the test of time. With that in mind, here’s a look at 8 sitcom characters that rank among the greatest in history.

Charlie Harper – Two and a Half Men

Donning bowling shirts and cargo shorts, Charlie Harper (Charlie Sheen) is a womanizer, hard drinker, cigar chomper, gambler, and drug user who lives in a two-story beach house. He also sleeps in constantly and burns through money. Sheen was so good at playing himself that he ended up winning four Primetime Emmy Awards for his efforts. Once Sheen dialed up his already chaotic personal life about three extra notches, he was literally killed off the show, and in the final episode we discover that he is destined to spend the rest of eternity in Hell trapped in a woman’s body.

Homer Simpson – The Simpsons

When The Simpsons first began airing more than 200 years ago, Bart was the main attraction. I still remember my elementary school freaking out when a classmate showed up wearing an “Eat My Shorts” t-shirt. I’m old, guys. Anyway, after the first couple of seasons the show began to focus less on the rebellious 4th grader and more on the antics of his father Homer (voiced by Dan Castellaneta), who gradually transformed from somebody who couldn’t catch a break but had good intentions to a guy who just got stupider (and more lovable) every season. I must confess that I stopped watching the Simpsons back in the early 2000s when it had reached its peak. But when I did watch it, it was because I looked forward to seeing Homer finds himself getting stuck in yet another ridiculous situation. D’oh!

Phoebe Buffay – Friends

Whenever you have a show made up of an ensemble cast of talented actors, fans of that sitcom are always going to be partial towards one particular character. Friends is no exception. But there are so many reasons why it could be argued that Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow) is the best of the bunch. She’s ditzy, endearing (Smelly Cat, still believing that Santa Claus exists), free spirited, and inexplicably connected to the underground world of organized crime! It should also be noted that when I was a teenager, my mom named our beloved dog after Phoebe. So there’s that too!