TV's supporting actors: An appreciation

Los Angeles Times

Loretta Devine, Alex Borstein, Donal Logue and Henry Winkler are among TV's best supporting actors, says Robert Lloyd. "We are trained or perhaps hard-wired to look for the hero and the villain in a story, to invest in their outcomes, even when the person holding the hero’s coat may be more interesting," says Lloyd. "We are inclined to prize the quarterback above the tight end, the pitcher over the shortstop, the soloist over the accompanist, the lead rather than the background singer; indeed, we make assumptions about their talent, though the stars may be no more skilled (or even less skilled) than actors further down the bill who will be called upon to pick up their slack. Supporting actors, who are sometimes but not always 'character actors,' make up the ranks of best friends, colorful sidekicks, strange relations, eccentric co-workers, superior officers, crazy neighbors and service workers. In life, stars are the outliers, 'bigger than life.' Life is what supporting actors bring, a taste of the world as most of us routinely experience it; they provide color, context, depth. They create a community, where the stars stand alone. Stars are other people. Supporting actors are us."