An unseen character in theatre, comics, film, or television, or silent character in radio or literature, is a character that is mentioned but not directly known to the audience, but who advances the action of the plot in a significant way, and whose absence enhances their effect on the plot.

History

Unseen characters have been used since the beginning of theatre with the

ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic p ...

tragedians, such as Laius in

Sophocles Sophocles (; grc, Σοφοκλῆς, , Sophoklễs; 497/6 – winter 406/5 BC)Sommerstein (2002), p. 41. is one of three ancient Greek tragedians, at least one of whose plays has survived in full. His first plays were written later than, or c ...

' '' Oedipus Rex'' and

Jason Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Medea. He ...

's bride in

Euripides Euripides (; grc, Εὐριπίδης, Eurīpídēs, ; ) was a tragedian of classical Athens. Along with Aeschylus and Sophocles, he is one of the three ancient Greek tragedians for whom any plays have survived in full. Some ancient scholars a ...

' ''Medea'', and continued into Elizabethan theatre with examples such as

Rosaline Rosaline () is a fictional character mentioned in William Shakespeare's tragedy '' Romeo and Juliet''. She is the niece of Lord Capulet. Although an unseen character, her role is important: Romeo's unrequited love for Rosaline leads him to tr ...

in Shakespeare's '' Romeo and Juliet''. However, it was the early twentieth-century European playwrights

Strindberg Johan August Strindberg (, ; 22 January 184914 May 1912) was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist and painter.Lane (1998), 1040. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg wrote more than sixty p ...

, Ibsen, and

Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860 Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904 Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career ...

who fully developed the dramatic potential of the unseen character.

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in Nobel Prize in Literature, literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama tech ...

was influenced by his European contemporaries and established the absent character as an aspect of character, narrative, and stagecraft in American theatre.

Purpose and characteristics

Unseen characters are causal figures included in dramatic works to motivate the onstage characters to a certain course of action and advance the plot, but their presence is unnecessary. Indeed, their absence makes them appear more powerful because they are only known by inference. The use of an unseen character "take advantage of one of the simplest but most powerful theatrical devices: the manner in which verbal references can make an offstage character extraordinarily real ..to an audience," exploiting the audience's tendency to create visual images of imaginary characters in their mind. In a study of 18th-century French comedy, F. C. Green suggests that an "invisible character" can be defined as one who, though not seen, "influences the action of the play". This definition, according to Green, would rule out a character like Laurent (Lawrence), ''

Tartuffe ''Tartuffe, or The Impostor, or The Hypocrite'' (; french: Tartuffe, ou l'Imposteur, ), first performed in 1664, is a theatrical comedy by Molière. The characters of Tartuffe, Elmire, and Orgon are considered among the greatest classical thea ...

's'' unseen valet, whose sole function is merely to give the playwright an opportunity to introduce Tartuffe. Unseen characters can develop organically even when their creators initially did not expect to keep them as unseen, especially in episodic works like television series. For instance, the producers of ''

Frasier ''Frasier'' () is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons. It premiered on September 16, 1993, and ended on May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee (as Grub ...

'' initially did not want to make the character

Niles Crane Niles Crane (born 1957) is a fictional character on the American sitcom ''Frasier'', a spin-off of the television show ''Cheers''. He was portrayed by David Hyde Pierce. Niles is the younger brother of Frasier Crane (played by Kelsey Grammer). P ...

's wife Maris an unseen character because they did not want to draw parallels to Vera,

Norm Peterson Hilary Norman Peterson is a regular fictional character on the American television show ''Cheers''. The character was portrayed by actor George Wendt and is named Hilary after his paternal grandfather. Norm appeared in all 275 episodes of '' ...

's wife on '' Cheers'', of which ''Frasier'' was a spin off. They originally intended that Maris would appear after several episodes, but were enjoying writing excuses for her absence so eventually it was decided she would remain unseen, and after the increasingly eccentric characteristics ascribed to her, no real actress could portray her.

Examples

Comics

* Al Capp introduced

Lena the Hyena Basil Wolverton (July 9, 1909 – December 31, 1978)
at the

Li'l Abner'' newspaper strip. She was described as "the world's ugliest woman". Characters always reacted in fright when they saw her or an image of her but readers couldn't see her because she was hidden behind objects or out of frame. Eventually Capp organized a contest in which readers could send in their own graphic interpretations of what she might look like. The winner was cartoonist

Basil Wolverton Basil Wolverton (July 9, 1909 – December 31, 1978)
at the

Merho Merho, born Robert Merhottein on 24 October 1948, is a Belgian comic-book writer and artist, best known for creating the comic strip ''De Kiekeboes''. Early life Robert Merhottein was born in Antwerp, Belgium in 1948.De Weyer, Geert (2005). "Mer ...

's comics series ''

De Kiekeboes ''De Kiekeboes'' is a comic strip series created by Belgian artist Merho in 1977. The series appears in Dutch. It is first published in the newspapers ''Gazet van Antwerpen'' and ''Het Belang van Limburg'' and then published as comic books by St ...

'' Mevrouw Stokvis, a friend of Moemoe Kiekeboe, is always mentioned or referred to, but has never actually been seen in the series.

Theatre

Unseen characters occur elsewhere in drama, including the plays of

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thr ...

, and Edward Albee. Author Marie A. Wellington notes that in the 18th-century,

Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his ''nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his criticism of Christianity—es ...

included unseen characters in a few of his plays, including ''Le Duc d’Alençon'' and ''L’Orphelin de la Chine''. *

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's '' Romeo and Juliet'' is never seen, but is only described. * In Alain-René Lesage's 1707 play '' Crispin'' an unseen character called Damis with his forced secret marriage is essential to the plot. * In Clare Boothe Luce's play '' The Women'' (1936), and the 1939 film based on the play, male characters (husbands, lovers, etc.) are referred to but do not appear, even in photographs. * Godot in Samuel Beckett's '' Waiting for Godot'' is never seen. The play's two main characters spend the entire play waiting for Godot to arrive. * In Anton Chekhov's play '' Three Sisters'', Protopopov, who is cuckolding his employee Andrei and having a torrid and far from secret affair with Natasha, is unseen but plays a central role. Some sources suggest Protopopov, not Andrei, is the real father of Sofia, Natasha's daughter. * The titular character in

Mike Leigh Mike Leigh (born 20 February 1943) is an English film and theatre director, screenwriter and playwright. He studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and further at the Camberwell School of Art, the Central School of Art and Design ...

's play ''

Abigail's Party ''Abigail's Party'' is a play for stage and television, devised and directed in 1977 by Mike Leigh. It is a suburban situation comedy of manners, and a satire on the aspirations and tastes of the new middle class that emerged in Britain in the ...

'', the 15-year-old daughter of Susan Lawson, is attending a party next door to the events portrayed in the play, and is never seen.

UK television and radio

* ''

Dad's Army ''Dad's Army'' is a British television sitcom about the United Kingdom's Home Guard during the Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, and originally broadcast on BBC1 from 31 July 1968 to 13 November 1977. It ran fo ...

'': Mrs Elizabeth Mainwaring, the wife of

Captain Mainwaring Captain George Mainwaring () is a fictional Home Guard captain, first portrayed by Arthur Lowe in the BBC television sitcom ''Dad's Army''. In the 2016 movie he is played by Toby Jones and in the 2019 remake of three missing episodes he is p ...

, is never seen with the exception of the episode ''

A Soldier's Farewell "A Soldier's Farewell" is the third episode of the fifth series of the British television sitcom ''Dad's Army''. It was originally transmitted on 20 October 1972. Synopsis Mainwaring is depressed: his men are falling short of his expectations, ...

'' when her great weight in the bunk above Captain Mainwaring's causes her mattress to sag into camera shot. She appears in the 2016 movie. * ''

Minder A minder is the person assigned to guide or escort a visitor, or to provide protection to somebody, or to otherwise assist or take care of something, i.e. a person who " minds". Government-appointed persons to accompany foreign visitors are of ...

'':

Arthur Daley ''Minder'' is a British comedy-drama series about the London Organized crime, criminal underworld. Initially produced by Verity Lambert, it was made by Euston Films, a subsidiary of Thames Television, and shown on ITV (TV network), ITV for ten ...

's wife, referred to only as "'Er Indoors", is never seen or heard, but often quoted. * '' Hi-de-Hi'': Joe Maplin. Tyrannical, greedy and philandering owner of the six Maplins holiday camps. It was intended that he would be played by Bob Monkhouse, but he was unavailable for filming. Joe Maplin communicated with the entertainments staff through sarcastic, hectoring, semi-literate letters which Jeffrey Fairbrother would have to read to the staff. It was implied that sections of these letters contained coarse and vulgar language by the fact that Jeffrey Fairbrother would often skip sections of them under the pretence he was attempting to come to the point more quickly stating something like "Mr Maplin doesn't mince his words" to explain the omissions. Although unseen, there is a statue of Maplin which can be seen adjacent to the holiday camp entrance. * ''

Keeping Up Appearances ''Keeping Up Appearances'' is a British sitcom created and written by Roy Clarke. It originally aired on BBC1 from 1990 to 1995 with two specials airing in 1997 and 2008 on PBS. The central character is an eccentric and snobbish middle class s ...

'': Hyacinth Bucket has a phone conversation in each episode with her son Sheridan, who has moved out and is attending university."Top 30 Characters You Never See: out of sight, but in your mind"
''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...

'', February 16, 2015. *''

Only Fools and Horses ''Only Fools and Horses....'' is a British television sitcom created and written by John Sullivan (writer), John Sullivan. Seven series were originally broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom from 1981 to 1991, with sixteen sporadic Christmas ...

'': Monkey Harris, Ugandan Morris, Sunglasses Ron and Paddy the Greek,

Del Boy Derek Edward Trotter, more commonly known as Del Boy, is a fictional character from the BBC sitcom ''Only Fools and Horses'' and one of the main characters of its spinoff series, '' Rock & Chips''. He was played by David Jason in the original s ...

’s business associates. Paddy the Greek and Monkey Harris are mentioned in many episodes, often sourcing Del’s shoddy merchandise, yet are never seen. They are often described in discussions about wild nights down The Nag's Head. On one occasion Del Boy is beaten up on Rodney’s behalf. Rather than admit the truth of his injuries he claims to have fallen down the stairs at Monkey Harris’ house. It transpires Harris lives in a bungalow. *''

The Archers ''The Archers'' is a BBC radio drama on BBC Radio 4, the corporation's main spoken-word channel. Broadcast since 1951, it was famously billed as "an everyday story of country folk" and is now promoted as "a contemporary drama in a rural sett ...

'': In this long-running British radio soap opera, a number of permanent inhabitants of the village in which the story is set are frequently referred to but are never heard in their own voices. Fans of the programme often refer to these characters as " the silents". * '' Heartbeat'': Throughout its entire 18-year run, PC Alf Ventress refers to his wife Mrs. Ventress, but she is neither seen nor is her first name ever revealed.

US television

* On the mystery drama '' Columbo'', Lieutenant Columbo often describes his wife in detail but she is never seen, heard, or otherwise portrayed in the series. A short-lived, unsuccessful spin-off series '' Mrs. Columbo'' was created in 1979 after ''Columbo'' had ended its run, but Lieutenant Columbo never appeared. '' Mrs. Columbo'', as played by

Kate Mulgrew Katherine Kiernan Maria Mulgrew (born April 29, 1955) is an American actress and author. She is best known for her roles as Captain Kathryn Janeway on '' Star Trek: Voyager'' and Red on ''Orange Is the New Black''. She first came to attention ...

, was named Kate (although Lieutenant Columbo's wife in ''Columbo'' was never given a name). The series gradually severed all ties with the original detective series. Both the series and the character herself were renamed in an attempt to change direction, but this did not help the poor ratings and the series was ultimately canceled in March 1980 after only 13 episodes had aired. * On ''

The Mary Tyler Moore Show ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (also known simply as ''Mary Tyler Moore'') is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns and starring actress Mary Tyler Moore. The show originally aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977. Mo ...

'', Phyllis Lindstrom's husband, Dr. Lars Lindstrom, is often referenced but never seen. * On '' Rhoda'', Carlton, the doorman in Rhoda Morgenstern's apartment building, is often heard on the intercom (voiced by Lorenzo Music) but almost never seen – only his arm would occasionally appear from doors and he was once shown dancing and conversing while wearing a gorilla mask. After ''Rhoda'' ended its run, Carlton was featured as an animated character in the 1980 spin-off special ''

Carlton Your Doorman ''Carlton Your Doorman'' is a 1980 American television pilot for an animated spin-off of the live-action sitcom ''Rhoda'' (1974–78) that was never picked up as a series. It originally aired as a "CBS Special Presentation" on May 21, 1980 and ha ...

''. Once again voiced by Music, Carlton is shown as a young man with shoulder-length blond hair and mustache. * On '' Seinfeld'', Bob Sacamano, Lomez, and "Cousin Jeffrey" are often mentioned but never seen. The first two are friends of

Cosmo Kramer Cosmo Kramer, usually referred to as simply "Kramer", is a fictional character in the American television sitcom ''Seinfeld'' (1989–1998) played by Michael Richards. The character is loosely based on comedian Kenny Kramer, Larry David's e ...

, and the last is the cousin of Jerry Seinfeld. Jeffrey works for the New York City Parks Department, as Jerry is told ''

ad nauseam ' is a Latin term for an argument or other discussion that has continued to the point of nausea."ad nauseam" ...

'' by his

Uncle Leo Uncle Leo is a fictional character portrayed by Len Lesser in the American sitcom ''Seinfeld ''Seinfeld'' ( ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. It aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, ov ...

. * On ''

The Andy Griffith Show ''The Andy Griffith Show '' is an American situation comedy television series that aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in color. The ...

'', Juanita Beasley, for whom

Barney Fife Bernard "Barney" Fife is a fictional character in the American television program ''The Andy Griffith Show'', portrayed by comic actor Don Knotts. Barney Fife is a deputy sheriff in the slow-paced, sleepy southern community of Mayberry, North Car ...

occasionally expresses affection, is unseen but often referenced and telephoned by the love-struck Fife. * In '' Charlie's Angels'', the titular Charlie Townsend, the owner of the detective agency that employed the series leads, was never seen, and was portrayed solely as a voice (provided by actor John Forsythe) heard on a speakerphone."The 25 Best TV Characters You Never See On Screen"
''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'', June 14, 2016. * Vera Peterson from '' Cheers'' and

Maris Crane The main character of the American television sitcom ''Frasier'' is Frasier Crane. Other regular characters include: his father Martin, brother Niles, producer Roz Doyle, and his live-in caregiver Daphne Moon. Other minor characters made regula ...

from its spin-off ''

'' are two of the most widely recognized unseen characters of American television, though Vera's body (with her face obscured by a pie)"12 Television Characters We Never See (Even Though They Were On TV)"
''

CollegeHumor CollegeHumor is an Internet comedy company based in Los Angeles. Aside from producing content for release on YouTube, it was also a former humor website owned by InterActiveCorp ( IAC) until January 2020, when IAC withdrew funding and the websi ...

'', July 1, 2009. is seen in one episode, and her voice is heard in other episodes. Her voice was provided by Bernadette Birkett, the real-life wife of

George Wendt George Robert Wendt Jr. (born October 17, 1948) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for playing Norm Peterson on the television sitcom '' Cheers'' (1982–1993), which earned him six consecutive nominations for the Primetime Em ...

who portrayed Norm Peterson, leading Wendt to comment that he never personally wondered what Vera looked like. Maris is also seen as a silhouette. *Stan Walker, the wealthy husband of Karen Walker on ''

Will & Grace ''Will & Grace'' is an American television sitcom created by Max Mutchnick and David Kohan. Set in New York City, the show focuses on the friendship between best friends Will Truman ( Eric McCormack), a gay lawyer, and Grace Adler ( Debra Messi ...

'', has been depicted on screen only as hands and feet. Karen and Stan have divorced twice over the show's run, once after Stan faked his own death, leading the website ''

'' to label him as the one unseen character who "arguably drives the plot more than any other unseen character on a TV show." *On ''

The Big Bang Theory ''The Big Bang Theory'' is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom served as executive producers on the series, along with Steven Molaro, all of whom also served as head writers. It premiered on C ...

'', Howard Wolowitz's mother, Debbie, was always heard but almost never seen in the entire first eight seasons in which she was on the show. She was voiced by Carol Ann Susi until Susi's death in 2014, after which the character was killed off. *On the

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...

animated television series '' BoJack Horseman'', Mr. Peanutbutter often shouts to an off-screen, implicitly outlandish, character known as "Erica".

References

{{Stock characters Fictional characters by role in the narrative structure