The Top Ten TV Faces I Miss The Most: We're on a First-Name Basis

By Joanna Robinson | Miscellaneous | February 18, 2011 |

By Joanna Robinson | Miscellaneous | February 18, 2011 |

Three morsels of news featuring a few of my favorite TV actors broke this week. Adrienne Palicki from “Friday Night Lights” is going to be the new Wonder Woman for that rumored-to-be-dreadful David E. Kelly pilot! Kristen Bell somehow snagged a show with Don Cheadle!! And, finally, in the biggest non-news news of the week, the Science Channel will be re-airing “Firefly” in its entirety starting March 6. Fresh on the scene to report on this non-news, “Entertainment Weekly” strong-armed Nathan Fillion (currently snarkily smarming his way into America’s hearts on “Castle”) into admitting that he would shimmy into those tight pants and play Captain Malcolm Reynolds again.

But you know, I’m not dying for more Mal (blasphemy!!!), because Nathan Fillion will always find work. Ditto when it comes to the tiny Bell and the Amazonian Palicki. They are such stuff as stars are made on. It’s the supporting cast from my favorite shows that I miss the most. It’s a strong support characters, truth be told, that cement a show’s place in my heart. These are characters you feel you know from watching them week in and week out and are played by actors I may forever associate with these roles. In fact, I’ve been known to refer to these actors by their character names. I’ve said too much, haven’t I? I’m going to go read a book.

Here, while I try to improve my rotting mind, you should peruse this list of familiar faces from my favorite (with one glaring exception) shows which were either cancelled before their time, ran their course, or just ended their run last week and I’m still really sad and I miss it already and there will never be anything like it. Texas Forever. (These are all actors, by the way, who don’t have any TV series in the works otherwise numbers 1-10 might have been Benjamin Linus).

Liza ‘Paris’ Weil—“Gilmore Girls”: Lauren Graham has already landed (for the time being) on “Parenthood” and Alexis Bledel’s wide-eyed mumbling got tired for me after Season 3. But, oh, how I miss Paris for both her snark and her adorable anxiety.

Percy ‘Wallace’ Daggs III—“Veronica Mars”: Wallace was such a grounded character and, despite what’s going on in this particular photo, his face was usually a nice antidote to Kristen Bell’s smug mugging (love you, V!). Remember when he left for half a season and we all cried? Remember when they hardly used him at all in Season Three? Criminal.

Jewel ‘Kaylee’ Staite—“Firefly”: The brightest and bubbliest member of the Serenity crew, Kaylee is not the kind of character I usually respond to. But her chipper delivery eventually wore me down to the point where I find myself missing her little grease-smudged chipmunk face.

Jorge ‘Hurley’ Garcia—“Lost”: Dude! Don’t deny it, you miss Hugo. Maybe even a bit more than you miss Sawyer. When Garcia showed up on both “How I Met Your Mother” and “Mr. Sunshine” this year playing slight variations on a castaway theme, it gave me the warm fuzzies.

Tina ‘Mac’ Majorino—“Veronica Mars”: Mac here had quite the child actor career before “Veronica Mars” (including, but not limited to, the “I Will Always Watch It When It Is On Cable” classic Corinna, Corinna and Napoleon Dynamite’s boondoggle-making, college-bound Deb). But she will always and forever be Mac to me, the best teenage Q there ever was.

Jesse ‘Landry’ Plemons—“Friday Night Lights”: Oh you can keep your Timmy Riggins and your Matty Saracens, what the world needs now is Landry, sweet Landry. Whereas some people see “Matt Damon left in the oven too long,” I see the best little ginger albino in Texas. I’d even endure a Crucifictorious concert for him, such is my love. Just kidding, Landry, play “She Don’t Use Jelly” again!!

Judy ‘Carla’ Reyes—“Scrubs”: Ugh, you can keep your Elliots and J.D.s, Carla was the queen of Sacred Heart hospital. I know it, you know it and Dr. Cox knows it.

Enver ‘Victor’ Gjokaj—“Dollhouse”: Unless you were hugely committed to making any Joss Whedon project a success, you probably stopped watching “Dollhouse” after the first few episodes. In the end, the only ones watching were the Whedon acolytes, the Helo enthusiasts and me. The bright spot (aside from Eliza Dushku’s, ehm, “talents”) was Enver Gjokai’s Victor. This actor came from nowhere to steal every scene and, due to the stupid premise of this stupid show, was able to flex his uncanny ability for accents and mimicry. In fact, despite how burned I felt by the show, should Whedon make a spin-off called “The Victor-ian Dollhouse,” I’d totally watch it. Give this man his own pilot. Seriously.

Andre ‘Bubbles’ Royo—“The Wire”: Caught somewhere between the cops and the drug dealers of Baltimore was my favorite character with my favorite story arc of tragedy and redemption. Not as flashy as Omar, nor as stoically gritty as Kima, Bubbles was, to me, the most real, and I miss his face.

Jason ‘Logan’ Dohring—“Veronica Mars”: MY INNER THOUGHTS: Joanna, you do realize this makes the third “Veronica Mars” character on the list? MY OUTER THOUGHTS: Yup! MY INNER THOUGHTS: Don’t you think that’s a little excessive? MY OUTER THOUGHTS: Nope! MY INNER THOUGHTS: Did you compose this list because your friend is just now watching “Veronica Mars” for the first time and you wanted an excuse to write about the show? MY OUTER THOUGHTS: Ermmmm. MY INNER THOUGHTS: Where’s Keith Mars then? MY OUTER THOUGHTS: He’s doing some weird Canadian cop show I’ve never heard of. MY OUTER THOUGHTS: Well, shall we do Duncan next? MY OUTER THOUGHTS: Don’t be crazy. MY INNER THOUGHTS: Mmmm, Logan. MY OUTER THOUGHTS: Mmmm, Logan. MY INNER THOUGHTS: Um, let’s go read that book you were talking about. MY OUTER THOUGHTS: Totes.

Joanna Robinson knows that a long time ago *clap clap* we use to be friends, but she, hasn’t thought of you lately at all. If ever again, a greeting you send…send it here: [email protected]