Can you imagine the TV series The Golden Girls without Sophia? Neither can I. Estelle Getty is one of a long line of actors who nailed their small part so well that they couldn't be dismissed. We are all familiar with the story of Steve Urkel, who was the "wacky neighbor" on the family sitcom Family Matters. Jaleel White made the role so wacky that his character overshadowed the family at the center of the show. But that happens more than we know because those decision are often made behind the scenes, and rarely so obvious to the viewer.
We all had the sneaking suspicion that casting Ice T in a cop series was stunt casting. We were right, but he is a solid actor who made Law & Order:SVU his career.
Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead proved that killing off a main character does not have to be the death of a series, but Jesse Pinkman provided the yang to Walter White's yin in Breaking Bad. I'm glad they kept the character. See 15 characters who were designed to be temporary but became regular cast members, or even the star of the show at Cracked.
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