From the delightfully bizarre Bobby Durst on “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” to the nearly mythological DeDe Pritchett on “Modern Family,” TV shows are made up of dozens (or sometimes even hundreds!) of characters over a multi-season run. Some are leading roles, many more are supporting roles, but most roles on television would be categorized as recurring. Here’s what you need to know about landing and portraying a character who keeps on coming back.
In the simplest terms, a recurring role is a character on a TV show that appears in more than one episode—but isn’t in enough episodes to be considered a supporting or leading role. The distinction between recurring and supporting can be a little hazy, since there’s no hard cutoff for what percentage of episodes a character has to appear in in order to no longer be considered recurring. Sometimes, recurring roles appear in one arc over several sequential episodes, only to never be seen again; other times, they appear sporadically over the course of many seasons.
What are the benefits of getting cast in a recurring role?
If recurring roles are less utilized than their main role counterparts, you may be wondering why anyone would ever seek them out. There are many reasons, but here are just a few perks of recurring roles to keep in mind:
- It helps get your foot in the door. Watch any older sitcom for any amount of time and you’ll start to notice that a lot of the recurring characters and day players are today’s household names. It’s not because these shows were totally stacked, but rather because taking a short-stint role on a TV show can be the thing that jump-starts many an actor’s career. As the saying goes, there are no small parts—and that’s especially true when it comes to the impact any given job can have on your career.
- It’s a limited time commitment. While the financial stability of a leading role may be extremely enviable, it doesn’t leave those actors with much time for any other projects. Recurring roles mean you may finish your entire time on a given show in just a few days or weeks, leaving you with time to pursue other ventures.
- You’re allowed to play. Recurring characters have the benefit of not being around for every episode, which means you can use them to work on your mannerisms: Play them as wacky, quirky, or odd in a way that otherwise might get grating if the audience had to watch them week after week.
Types of Acting Roles: From Background to Lead (and Everything In Between)Frasier Crane, “Cheers” (1982–1993)
Pompous psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) is the ultimate rags-to-riches story for a recurring character. Originally introduced as Diane’s (Shelley Long) new boyfriend on Season 3, and therefore an obstacle for the relationship between Sam (Ted Danson) and Diane, Frasier was only intended to be around for a few episodes. That said, he proved a great addition to the hit sitcom, and by the fifth season he was promoted to the show’s main cast, staying there for the rest of the show’s 11-season run. This would be a triumph even if the story ended there, but it doesn’t—the character ended up getting his own spinoff, “Frasier,” that ran for another 11 seasons in its original run (1993–2004) and was rebooted in 2023.
Bebe Glazer, “Frasier” (1993–2004, 2023–)
Speaking of “Frasier,” the spinoff sitcom was home to many great recurring characters, though few are more memorable than Frasier’s ruthless agent Bebe Glazer (Harriet Sansom Harris). In each of her 11 episodes during the show’s original run, she tempts Frasier to betray his staunch morals in the pursuit of money, all while sporting crazy eyes and an impeccable transatlantic accent.
Bobby Durst, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” (2015–2019)
On a handful of memorable episodes of the Tina Fey and Robert Carlock–helmed show, Fred Armisen played Bobby Durst, a comedic send-up of the real-life real estate heir–turned–serial killer Robert Durst. Introduced as Lillian’s (Carol Kane) childhood crush, Bobby is unforgettably weird (and that’s saying something in a show full of weird characters!), spending his screen time shuffling around with a rolling backpack, wetting himself, and abruptly ending conversations with his signature “bye-bye.” By Season 3, even Lillian realizes he’s strange enough that she must end their romantic relationship.
Dede Pritchett, “Modern Family” (2009–2020)
On the mockumentary-style sitcom “Modern Family,” Dede Pritchett (Shelley Long) is the ex-wife of patriarch Jay Pritchett (Ed O’Neill), and mother to his two adult children, Claire (Julie Bowen) and Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson). Eccentric at best and manipulative at worst, so much information is dropped about DeDe over the show’s 11 seasons that it’s hard to believe that she only actually appears in seven episodes.
Ready to pursue your own unforgettable recurring role? Here goes!
1. Audition.
As with any acting job, the first thing you’ll need to do is audition! Smaller roles are usually more accessible to actors just starting out in their careers (unless, of course, the show decides to give them to a recognizable guest star… more on that later). If you need help finding auditions, check out our database of TV show casting calls.
2. Understand that not every role starts out as recurring.
Many recurring characters are initially written to only be used in one episode, and then are eventually brought back if the writing team sees potential in the character. You never know when this will happen, so approach all of your work understanding that you may be “auditioning” for the chance to come back to set. This means making sure you’re both giving a good performance and being a joy to work with.
3. Make your character memorable.
Recurring characters become that way because they’re enjoyable to watch, whether that’s due to their quirky behavior or due to ongoing character development. Figure out your character’s why and use that to delve deep into making them someone viewers want to see again.
4. Try unconventional approaches.
If you’ve tried and tried and can’t seem to make a character stick, consider the following tactics:
- Be a writer on a show: Many series seem to find actors for recurring parts in the writers’ room, though the writers in question usually have at least some experience onscreen. Notable examples include Paula Pell (who both worked as a writer on “30 Rock” and appeared in six episodes as Pete’s wife, also named Paula) and Harris Wittels (writer and executive producer of “Parks and Recreation” who appeared several times as an animal control employee who was—wait for it—also named Harris).
- Be famous enough to guest star: When you start researching actors in recurring roles, you’ll eventually notice that a sizable number of them are celebrities known for their other work, whether it’s in film, theater, or a regular role on a TV show. And if an actor guest stars more than once, that’s a recurring role! Notable examples include Nathan Lane’s handful of episodes as Pepper Saltzman on “Modern Family” or Megan Mullally’s nine episodes on “Parks and Recreation” as Ron’s unhinged ex-wife, Tammy Swanson II, a role she played opposite her real-life husband, Nick Offerman.