They've ruined everything! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for TV characters that have become hard to root for given the real-life controversies of the actors who played them.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 "Is this your idea of a sick joke?"
00:02 Welcome to WatchMojo!
00:05 And today we're counting down our picks for TV characters that have become hard to root for
00:09 given the real-life controversies of the actors who played them.
00:12 "Even great doctors make mistakes."
00:15 Number 10. Mr. Big - Sex and the City
00:21 As we learn in the original finale, this man's name is John Preston.
00:25 But for most of the show's run, he's referred to simply as "Mr. Big."
00:30 "It can't happen again. You're married."
00:33 "I'm aware of that. But come on."
00:35 Big is portrayed by actor Chris Noth, whose career collapsed in December 2021
00:41 owing to multiple sexual assault allegations.
00:44 Noth was dropped by A3 Artists Agency and lost various jobs.
00:48 The news broke shortly after Noth reprised his role as Mr. Big in the anticipated sequel series.
00:54 "John! Oh God, oh God."
00:59 Although Big was meant to make another appearance in the first season's finale,
01:03 he was edited out due to the controversy surrounding Noth.
01:06 And just like that, Big lost his appeal.
01:09 "So what's going on? Where are you?"
01:10 "I was out front. I just left. I can't do this."
01:19 Number 9. Maura Pfefferman - Transparence
01:23 An enormously important character in regard to TV history,
01:27 Maura Pfefferman blazed trails and made us laugh along the way.
01:30 A trans woman, Maura was based on creator Joey Soloway's own parents
01:35 and was played to great acclaim by Jeffrey Tambor.
01:38 "Ever since I was five, I felt that something was not right."
01:44 Despite some controversy over a cisgender man playing a trans woman,
01:50 Tambor won two Emmys for his performance and the character of Maura was widely loved.
01:55 "This is neat."
01:56 That is, until Tambor was accused of sexual misconduct in 2017.
02:02 He was ultimately fired from the show and did not appear in the Transparent musical finale.
02:07 It's a shame that such a groundbreaking character suffered such a disappointing conclusion.
02:11 Regardless, her legacy will live on.
02:14 Number 8. Jamal Lyon - Empire
02:18 "I just wanna play."
02:19 As a child actor, Jussie Smollett starred in movies like The Mighty Ducks and North.
02:25 He then took a long break from the screen before starring as Jamal Lyon in the Fox drama Empire.
02:31 The character of Jamal was widely acclaimed,
02:33 especially for his reputation as a gay black man in the music industry.
02:38 "A man's love, a man's love, a man's love, a man's love."
02:41 "You're out of your damn mind. You're walking in here looking like a little bitch."
02:50 "You just came out."
02:52 But like Maura Pfefferman, the character's legacy was clouded by the actor's personal life.
02:58 In 2019, Smollett staged a very public hate crime,
03:01 claiming that he was physically and verbally assaulted by two random males.
03:06 "Is this your idea of a sick joke?"
03:07 "Nah, I mean, you seem kind of jealous of the song I wrote for mom, so I wrote one for you."
03:13 In reality, Smollett had planned the crime himself,
03:17 and paid Empire extras Abel and Ola Oshundairo to stage the attack.
03:23 He was subsequently convicted on five felony counts and faced 150 days in county jail.
03:28 Number 7. Preston Burke - Grey's Anatomy
03:33 It seems like Grey's Anatomy has been on forever,
03:36 so it's hard to remember what happened in the first couple of seasons.
03:39 Well, a character named Preston Burke was a huge part of it,
03:43 with his romantic subplot serving as a major draw to the show.
03:46 "Thanks for the coffee."
03:48 However, his storyline came to an abrupt end in the third season,
04:01 as actor Isaiah Washington was fired.
04:03 It stemmed from an argument that Washington had with Patrick Dempsey,
04:07 during which Washington allegedly called his co-star T.R. Knight a homophobic slur.
04:12 "Even great doctors make mistakes."
04:15 Washington's contract was not renewed and Preston Burke was written out of the show,
04:20 taking with him one of its most important and popular characters.
04:24 "I don't want you to work for me."
04:26 "You just offered me a job."
04:28 "I don't want you to work for me. I want you to take over for me."
04:32 Number 6. Daniel DeSario - Freaks and Geeks
04:36 While it only lasted one season, Freaks and Geeks is arguably one of the most
04:40 influential shows in television history.
04:43 It kickstarted numerous high-profile careers,
04:46 including that of creator Paul Feig and actors Seth Rogen, Jason Segel and James Franco,
04:52 to name just a few.
04:54 "No, I don't think I'm cool."
04:56 Franco plays Daniel DeSario, one of the so-called freaks who is befriended by Lindsay Weir.
05:01 But Daniel, like all of Franco's characters,
05:04 was ruined after the actor was accused of sexual misconduct.
05:07 Franco was sued by two former students of his acting school,
05:11 claiming that he had subjected them to sexually exploitive auditions.
05:15 "Don't do it."
05:17 "You're going to the games, alright?"
05:18 The case was eventually settled for just under $900,000.
05:22 "Little Miss Perfect doesn't know what I'm going to do with my life."
05:26 Number 5. Cosmo Kramer - Seinfeld
05:29 It doesn't get much more iconic than Cosmo Kramer.
05:32 "I'm Kramer."
05:33 Well, it didn't.
05:36 While the show undoubtedly belonged to Jerry Seinfeld, it does carry his name after all,
05:41 it was Michael Richards who stole the show as Seinfeld's kooky neighbor.
05:45 Kramer became one of the most popular characters on TV thanks to his eccentric personality,
05:50 bizarre storylines, sharp comedic delivery, and physicality.
05:54 But that was all ruined with Richards' infamous meltdown in 2006.
05:59 "The anger, it just melts right off. Serenity now."
06:02 Richards was performing at the Hollywood Laugh Factory when he went on a racist tirade,
06:06 which was captured on camera by a member of the audience.
06:10 Richards' career imploded and the character of Kramer became an obvious sore spot
06:14 in the legacy of Seinfeld.
06:19 "I'm out."
06:21 Number 4. Roseanne Conner - Roseanne
06:25 Sometimes it's really hard to separate the art from the artist.
06:28 "In the 15 years we've been married,
06:30 has there ever been one morning where there wasn't any coffee?"
06:32 "No."
06:34 This is certainly the case with the groundbreaking sitcom Roseanne
06:38 and its eponymous star, Roseanne Barr.
06:41 One of the biggest sitcoms of the late 80s and 90s,
06:44 Roseanne earned acclaim for its writing and realistic depiction of working class life.
06:49 Its main character was also a big reason for its success,
06:52 with Roseanne often being labeled as one of the best female characters in television.
06:56 Unfortunately, Barr's recent controversies have made it really hard to re-watch Roseanne
07:01 and find joy in her performance.
07:03 "Oh, hold it right there. You were very, very mean to me and hurt my feelings today,
07:08 and I'm not sure that I even want to talk to you yet."
07:10 In fact, Barr ruined the legacy of her own show,
07:14 as a long-anticipated revival was cancelled after Barr made a racist tweet.
07:19 "What the hell were you thinking?"
07:20 Number 3. Frank Underwood - House of Cards
07:25 "But once their claws get long enough, they draw blood,
07:29 sometimes from the hand that feeds them."
07:32 It's hard to deny the legacy of House of Cards and its villain protagonist, Frank Underwood.
07:37 The show helped legitimize the streaming industry with its historic Emmy nominations,
07:42 and Underwood brought esteem to the industry through the involvement of Kevin Spacey.
07:47 Spacey was undeniably great in the role,
07:49 earning five consecutive Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
07:54 But Spacey's career collapsed like a house of cards when he was accused of sexual assault in 2017.
08:00 It's arguably the most significant acting downfall in modern history,
08:04 owing both the pedigree of Spacey and the speed at which it occurred.
08:08 "There will be pain, there will be suffering.
08:11 We will be confronted with the most horrific aspects of humanity."
08:16 Not only that, all of his iconic characters,
08:20 including Frank Underwood, have been permanently tarnished.
08:23 "Because that's how good we are at making things disappear."
08:30 Number 2. Stephen Hyde - That '70s Show
08:35 Like Freaks and Geeks, That '70s Show helped launch a number of notable careers,
08:40 including those of Topher Grace, Mila Kunis, and Ashton Kutcher.
08:44 But even amongst those legends,
08:46 Danny Masterson stood out through his performance of Stephen Hyde.
08:49 "You don't want a hug, do you?"
08:50 "God, no."
08:52 "Good. Because you're not getting one."
08:54 Hyde was undeniably a fan favorite, with his hippie and anti-establishment persona
09:00 embodying the vibes of the late '60s and early '70s.
09:04 But Masterson was accused of sexual assault in 2017,
09:08 kickstarting a lengthy process that culminated with him going to prison for 30 years.
09:13 "Your wife and children could be enjoying full frontal nudity."
09:16 Hyde was not involved in That '90s Show,
09:19 which is a strong indication of his character's footprint in TV history.
09:24 "I'm out of beer, but if you want, you can break something."
09:26 Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and
09:30 ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
09:33 You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
09:37 If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
09:41 Number 1. Cliff Huxtable - The Cosby Show
09:47 There was one sitcom that dominated the 1980s, and that was The Cosby Show.
09:52 "And it's under control. So, no problem."
09:56 "How do you expect to get into college with grades like this?"
10:01 "No problem. See, I'm not going to college."
10:04 "Damn right."
10:05 It spent five straight seasons at number one and made Cliff Huxtable a household name.
10:10 Unfortunately, Cliff's warm and loving personality clashed with that of Bill Cosby,
10:14 who rivals Kevin Spacey for the biggest Hollywood downfall in modern history.
10:18 Cosby went from America's dad to public enemy number one
10:22 after he was accused of sexual assault by countless women.
10:26 "Hello, my dear. Right."
10:31 Not only did he serve time in prison, but he was stripped of numerous awards
10:36 and removed from the Television Academy's Hall of Fame. And with that, his legendary
10:40 contributions to the medium, including the character Cliff Huxtable,
10:44 were abolished from the public consciousness.
10:46 "They're going to come down and kick his butt."
10:49 Do you still have a soft spot for any of these characters? Let us know in the comments below.
10:55 "Moments like this require someone who will act, do the unpleasant thing."
11:02 [Music]