9. Cosmo Brown - Singin' In The Rain
Gene Kelly has the advantage of being Gene Kelly, so he's not exactly easy to compete with. I have to say, though, Donald O'Connor gives him a serious run for his money. In Singin' in the Rain, Don Lockwood (Kelly) is a fabulously talented Hollywood star, who turns to singing and dancing to save his acting career after the talkies hit it big. Cosmo (O'Connor) is his best friend who's been with him since the beginning, and is pretty much just as talented as Don, but doesn't quite have the matinee idol looks. Does that bother Cosmo? No. Definitely no. Positively no. Decidedly no. Uh-uh. He's totally happy being the set musician, and is secure in the fact that he's hilarious and one of my favorite people ever to have (fictionally) lived. There's something so effortless about his comedy and dancing style that gels fantastically with Kelly, who was known for being a perfectionist (read: pain in the ass). At the end of the day, Kelly's Singin' in the Rain number is iconic, but I'd much rather watch O'Connor's Make 'Em Laugh.