10 Best It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia Side Characters
A show is only as good as its side characters, and this one's got plenty.
The Gang in Always Sunny make the show what it is. Unlike other shows, its central cast is easily the figurehead, and the supporting characters merely act to compliment them, either being a foil for their plans or a sucker to manipulate. This is evidenced by the fact that many of them don't even have names. The show uses them expertly to keep the debauchery ever-flowing.
Throughout its fourteen season run there have been many interesting characters introduced who made enough of an impact to become recurring presences. Although some of them only appear in a few episodes, others have gone on to become central figures in the show who at times cross the line of supporting into lead territory.
One thing is for sure, and it's that the extreme nature of the show drives any actor who appears in it to pull out the best performance that they can to remain visible within the episode. This always means that they end up giving everything they've got and instantly driving up the comedy and quality of the episode.
Although the show aims all of its focus towards The Gang, these side characters work hard to be noticed.
10. Jackie Denardo
Denardo has only appeared in three episodes of the show, but every time she has made enough of an impact to be remembered as one of the best side characters. First appearing in Storm of the Century, Jackie Denardo is a news reporter played by Jessica Collins, she is introduced as a serious journalist, who The Gang instantly objectify when they see her on TV.
A lot of her comedy in this episode comes from her connection to Dennis. After setting her up as this highly desired figure amongst the men at Paddy's Pub, Dennis meets her in the store where they are buying supplies. The moment is hilarious because even to us we feel a little star-struck, as we've only seen Jackie exist as a celebrity in this world.
Dennis' attempts to seduce Jackie are hilariously faltered, as he is so shocked by her presence that he can't muster up any of his traditional charms. She is a fantastic character to act as a foil to Dennis, as her mere presence is enough to reduce him to a failure.
Jessica Collins does a great job playing Jackie as this serious journalist, and her other appearances in the show continue to play with this concept.