Being asked to portray a flat character doesn’t necessarily sound like a great thing, since anything that falls flat is usually cause for concern. Flat characters, however, can be interesting, memorable, and even iconic. But if they’re not literally flat (our apologies to Flat Stanley,) then what are they?
Here’s how these simple characters play a vital role in storytelling.
A flat character is a character who is strictly one-dimensional, with very little in the way of a backstory or a complex motive. Though they’re important to the story, from a functional perspective they’re more like plot accessories—the audience won’t get to know them beyond what lives on the surface. Flat characters are usually:
- Secondary (or tertiary): It’s nearly impossible for a main character to be flat; flat characters are usually relegated to supporting roles. (Keep in mind that plenty of secondary characters are round!)
- Fairly one-dimensional: No flat character is going to come with any elaborate backstory or lore. For the most part we will know their name (maybe), occupation (maybe), and reason for coming in contact with the main character(s).
- The same at the beginning and end of the piece: They usually aren’t the focus of their stories, so flat characters will rarely undergo any kind of transformation or personal growth. That said, it is possible for a flat character to be dynamic, just less common.
- Crucial to the plot: Flat characters are still important pieces of the plot puzzle—whether it’s helping the main characters achieve a certain goal or working against them as adversaries. That said, they won’t be driving the plot, just helping it along.
- Stock characters: Flat characters can still become audience favorites because they are often tropes, and therefore immediately recognizable to the audience.
Stock Characters: How to Spice Up the Usual SuspectsWhat’s the difference between flat and round characters?
The two are opposites. A round character is fully realized with complex wants, desires, and motivations. Put simply, flat characters are not as fleshed out as their round character counterparts.
The firefighter, “This Is Us”
The pilot episode of the drama “This Is Us” (2016–2022) features a character (Brian Oblak) credited only as “the firefighter.” Despite a simple moniker, he sets the plot of the entire six-season show in motion: Not only does he point out a recently rescued baby to his soon-to-be adoptive father, Jack (Milo Ventimiglia), but he also goes on to offer Jack a cigarette in the hospital, tipping the audience off to (spoiler alert!) the show’s big multi-timeline twist. While that’s a ton of plot responsibility, we don’t know anything about the fireman outside of his occupation and the fact that he smokes. In true Dan Fogelman fashion, the firefighter was later upgraded to a round character when he appeared for a second (and last) time on the show, and was given a name and backstory.
The wolf, “Into the Woods”
The wolf does a lot for the plot of the 1986 musical “Into the Woods” (music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by James Lapine) and its 2014 Disney adaptation. He’s a villainous obstacle to Little Red, as in the original fairy tale, and he’s also used to set up a metaphor comparing his literal predatory behavior with the Prince’s more abstract predatory behavior. But despite all that influence, the wolf himself is just a one-note bad guy, with a song and a brief scene making up his entire stage time.
Glinda, “The Wizard of Oz”
Unlike her counterpart in “Wicked,” in Victor Fleming’s “The Wizard of Oz,” Glinda the Good is as flat as they come. Portrayed in the 1939 film by esteemed actress Billie Burke, Glinda sets heroine Dorothy on her path to the Emerald City—and eventually reveals that she’s had the power to go home all along. But Glinda doesn’t have much substance outside of just being good. Her entire shtick hinges on the audience recognizing a generic fairy godmother or guardian angel stock character.
Jean-Ralphio Saperstein, “Parks and Recreation”
One of the most beloved secondary characters on “Parks and Recreation” (2009–2015), Jean-Ralphio (Ben Schwartz) exists mostly as a hype man and occasional foil to Parks Department employee Tom Haverford (Aziz Ansari). He’s intense, he’s wacky, he got run over by a Lexus…and that’s pretty much all there is to Jean-Ralphio. He’s amazing comic relief, but he’s entirely surface.
1. Find your motivation.
When a writer creates a flat character, the main focus is how they serve the plot, not so much why they act in certain ways. That’s where you come in as an actor. Use the gift of a blank canvas to figure out your character’s motivations so you can infuse them with something interesting or intriguing, despite their overall flatness.
2. Invent a backstory…
A character being flat is a feature of how they’re written—but it doesn’t (and shouldn’t!) have to be a feature of your performance. Even if the text doesn’t give you much about your character to work with, you still have the option to fill that in for yourself. Will anybody know that you’ve decided your grocery clerk character grew up on a chicken farm in Idaho and now has big dreams of becoming a TV personality? Probably not. But if you put in the time and effort to get specific about your character, it will certainly help them come across as real and lived in.
3. …or don’t.
It’s also possible that you’ll find yourself on a show where that kind of specificity simply isn’t needed. Especially with broad comedies, you can likely comfortably rely on stock characters and tropes to build the necessary character. This isn’t a bad thing—enjoy being able to do your job without doing as much prep work.