Top 10 Times the Best Friend Character Stole the Show

The best kind of movie bestie is a partner in crime: someone who can take the protagonist’s mind off their ‘main character’ drama and help them to have fun instead. Whoopi Goldberg shows us how it’s done in this cult nineties classic. Her character, Delilah Abraham, is sunshine in human form. Smart, funny and just a little bit naughty, she encourages her uptight friend Stella Payne to fly out to Jamaica for a bit of rest, relaxation and romance. As a firm friend and the life and soul of the party, Delilah fits the image of a rom-com sidekick, but she’s so much more than that. Goldberg steals every scene she’s in, deftly handling tragedy and pathos as well as providing most of the laughs.

Before he became an Oscar winner and habitual awards nominee, the late Philip Seymour Hoffman was best known for his quirky side characters. Sandy Lyle might not be the most highbrow role he ever tackled, but it’s our favorite. As the obnoxious but loveable best friend of the protagonist, Sandy stands out from the crowd. Whether he’s making bizarre little speeches, trying to recapture his teen idol glory days or just falling over a lot, he’s magnetic onscreen. With some great comic timing and a surprising gift for slapstick, Hoffman turns a B-movie buddy role into a star vehicle.

Joan Cusack has been serving comedy gold in character roles for decades now, from Geek Girl #1 in “Sixteen Candles” to “School of Rock’s” Principal Mullins. In “Working Girl,” Cusack plays the best friend of Melanie Griffith’s Tess McGill. A Staten Island native with a big personality and even bigger hair, Cyn’s look is so eighties it hurts. Matching your earrings to your eye-shadow shade? That’s real dedication. Cynthia might not have the same ambitions as her friend, but she always has her back - and, just like Tess, she’s not to be underestimated. She’s level headed when it counts, but it’s her sense of fun that makes her the best thing about this movie.

The term “best friend” is maybe pushing it, but William Thacker’s inappropriate and eccentric flatmate is undoubtedly one of the highlights of “Notting Hill.” Rhys Ifans is a real chameleon of an actor, always disappearing into each role he plays - but he’s really just unforgettable as Spike. This comedy character is an oddball, an exhibitionist and a nightmare roomie but also strangely charming. At the beginning of the film, he’s just an irritant to Hugh Grant’s hero but, by the end, he’s one of the gang. Spike might be a small part, but Ifans’ comic timing and deadpan delivery hit every funny beat in Richard Curtis’ script.

A California sorority girl and a thirty-year-old manicurist from Massachusetts might seem like an odd BFF pair but somehow, Elle and Paulette just make sense. When the law student drops into a local salon, she’s in need of a friend and Paulette’s sympathetic ear and girly energy is the perfect tonic. The fledgling friendship works both ways as Elle’s gentle encouragement helps Paulette stand up to her ex and make a move on that guy she has a crush on. Paulette is such a loveable character and Jennifer Coolidge brings her to vibrant life. She could easily be turned into a joke, but the script and Coolidge’s portrayal allow the beautician to be kind and vulnerable as well as scene-stealingly funny.

Bridget Jones might jam out to “All by Myself,” but when the going gets tough, this singleton’s fabulous friend-family are always there to cheer her up. Whatever the crisis they’re ready with a bottle of wine and a heartening feminist rant - and they loved her just the way she is, well before Mark came along. Jude, Shazzer and Tom are all chaotic in their own way but when the gang get together laughing about their problems becomes easy. Their combined charisma and joyous energy make you want to spend more time in their company. If Bridget’s not going to Paris, can we come instead?

All about female friendship, “Bridesmaids” could not have picked a better cast of funny women to bring home the message. The titular bridesmaids each steal the show at one time or another, but the most memorable is Melissa McCarthy’s Megan. Intense, unsubtle and gloriously offbeat, Megan makes us laugh from her very first scene. Comedies don’t often factor in the Oscar race, but McCarthy made such an impression that she bagged a Best Supporting Actress gong. The comedienne proved that she could play the drama as well as she could the jokes, and one of the film’s most pivotal scenes was even partly improvised by the actress [“They used to throw firecrackers at my head.”] Annie might not consider Megan her best best friend, but she’s the real heart of the film.

A little known actress might be expected to fade into the background in an ensemble movie like “Pitch Perfect.” However, Rebel Wilson’s comedic turn as the self-styled “Fat Amy” propelled her to stardom instead. The Aussie actress hams it up as our favorite member of the Barden Bellas, balancing slapstick humor with some of the movie’s best one-liners. Amy is confident, eccentric, and a show-stopping performer too. As the avowed best friend of Anna Kendrick’s Becca, she’s loyal and loving but totally without filter. Amy might seem like a loose canon, but she holds the gang together and the Bellas wouldn’t be the same without her.

Frodo Baggins might be the protagonist of Peter Jackson’s epic movie trilogy, but we’d argue that Sam is the real hero. Steady, kind, brave and loyal, he begins the quest as Frodo’s gardener and ends as his fast friend. Along the way, we discover that he’s just the sort of person you’d want at your side in a crisis. Without Sam, the Ring would never have reached Mount Doom and Frodo would never have made it home. Tolkien said that the character was based on the private soldiers and kit-carrying batmen he knew in the Great War. Sean Astin’s portrayal of Sam became the heart and soul of the movies - and he definitely gets some great lines.

If there’s one romantic comedy character that hands down ran away with the movie, it’s this one, played with great gusto by Rupert Everett. George is a colleague of Julia Roberts’s heroine, who agrees to pose as her boyfriend. The gay best friend has become an overused movie trope, but George is written like a real person, not a fashion accessory. The character was originally meant to be a small part but, by the final cut, he basically was the movie. Michael who? However much you love Dermot Mulroney, the best friend of the title is basically irrelevant when compared to Everett’s comedic charisma. George’s inclusion also allows the film to end on a high, turning it into a beautiful tribute to platonic friendship.