Some stars always land the biggest role on a popular show yet someone else ends up stealing every single scene. It happens more often than most people realize and the dedicated fans always notice it.
From quirky roommates to charming French chefs and brilliant TV doctors side characters have often become the main reason audiences kept tuning in. Their energy and bold personalities connected far more deeply with fans everywhere.
Zooey Deschanel
Zooey Deschanel starred as the lovable Jess Day in New Girl which premiered on Fox in 2011 and ran for seven seasons. Her quirky charm and bangs drew viewers in from the very first episode.
Schmidt and Winston brought unstoppable comedic energy and surprising emotional depth to every episode throughout all seven successful seasons on the series. Their hilarious friendship and layered personalities consistently captivated fans and often overshadowed Jess.
Victoria Justice
Victoria Justice led Nickelodeon’s Victorious as the ambitious Tori Vega when the show first premiered in 2010 on the popular network. She was clearly the star but Ariana Grande’s Cat Valentine stole every single scene.
Grande became a Grammy-winning global superstar with seven successful studio albums after Victorious ended back in 2013 on Nickelodeon. Cat’s iconic red hair lovably ditzy humor and sweet nature made her the undeniable fan breakout.
Nina Dobrev
Nina Dobrev played Elena Gilbert in The Vampire Diaries which debuted on The CW network in September 2009. She led the show brilliantly but Ian Somerhalder’s Damon Salvatore became the character fans truly obsessed over.
Damon’s sharp wit iconic smirk and complex transformation from villain to romantic hero made Ian Somerhalder a real household name. Many critics argued the show significantly improved after Nina Dobrev’s departure in the sixth season.
Kaley Cuoco
Kaley Cuoco played the lovable Penny on The Big Bang Theory across all twelve seasons of the hit CBS sitcom. She was central to every story but Jim Parsons as Sheldon became the real star.
Cuoco told Variety in 2021 that Jim was one hundred percent the breakout and fully deserved every bit of recognition. Parsons won four Emmy Awards for the role and later received his own successful spinoff.
Ellen Pompeo
Ellen Pompeo has played Meredith Grey in Grey’s Anatomy since premiering on ABC in 2005 to huge success. Yet Sandra Oh as Cristina Yang became such a beloved fan favorite that viewers truly adored her.
Oh earned five Emmy nominations for her supporting role and later won a prestigious Golden Globe for brilliant performance. Shonda Rhimes said Oh’s audition was one of the greatest days of her entire writing career.
Kerry Washington
Kerry Washington starred as DC crisis manager Olivia Pope in Shonda Rhimes’s ABC thriller Scandal which ran until 2018. Guillermo Diaz as the tortured brilliant Huck became one of the most emotionally gripping TV characters.
Huck was a former CIA operative turned fiercely loyal fixer who carried an incredibly dark and painful personal past. Fans passionately tracked his every storyline and flooded social media with devoted support whenever he appeared.
Lily Collins
Lily Collins leads Netflix’s Emily in Paris as ambitious American marketing executive Emily Cooper across every episode of the series. But Lucas Bravo as the charming French chef Gabriel became an instant overnight internet sensation.
WME signed Bravo almost immediately after the show’s debut season dropped on Netflix in October 2020 to widespread global attention. Fans consistently ranked Gabriel as the most charismatic and compelling character on the entire show.
Penn Badgley
Penn Badgley plays the obsessive chilling serial killer Joe Goldberg in Netflix’s psychological thriller You which first premiered in 2018. He is compelling but Victoria Pedretti’s Love Quinn in seasons two and three stole everything.
Love was shockingly revealed to be just as dangerous and unhinged as Joe himself in the season two finale. Critics ranked her as the show’s most brilliantly written and genuinely gripping character across all seasons.
Jodie Comer
Jodie Comer was billed as the lead playing assassin Villanelle in BBC America’s critically praised Killing Eve starting in 2018. Yet Sandra Oh’s performance as MI6 agent Eve Polastri earned her far greater award recognition.
Oh made history becoming the first Asian woman to receive a Primetime Emmy nomination for outstanding lead actress in drama. She and Comer shared undeniable chemistry but Oh’s nominations consistently dominated every major awards conversation.
Josh Radnor
Josh Radnor played Ted Mosby in How I Met Your Mother on CBS which ran from 2005 to 2014. Ted was the narrator but Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson became the true cultural icon.
Barney’s legendary catchphrases his love of suits and playbook became genuine pop culture staples that audiences still quote today. Harris earned four Emmy nominations and was widely considered the funniest character on the entire show.
Featured Image: Photo by Gage Skidmore on Wikimedia Commons
