10 Funniest TV Characters Of The Past 20 Years, Ranked

Aside from those rare few who can give solo stand-up performances, most comedians are at their best when bouncing off of others. So picking out the funniest TV characters from the past two decades ultimately amounts to choosing the "MVP" of an ensemble. While any great sitcom requires a stellar cast to last, especially in an age where executives won't hesitate to cancel a show for any reason, there are stand-out actors who demonstrate especially great chemistry with everyone around them. 

In all the time that TV has been around, comedy has evolved past the slapstick humor and catchphrases of the 20th century. With shows like "The Office" and "Abbott Elementary," TV sitcoms have moved largely away from the family home to focus on American workplaces. TV comedy is denser and more referential too — someone can watch "30 Rock" all the way through multiple times and still catch new jokes in every viewing. The characters audiences love are both more satirical and realistic, absurd and flawed, but still somehow believable. Comedic characters no longer operate as two-dimensional canvases, and the more idiosyncratic they are, the better. We've ranked 10 TV personalities most guaranteed to keep audiences laughing.

Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) is certainly a bit of a wild card choice, as she doesn't come from a TV sitcom or satire. She is one of three titular characters from "Gilmore Girls," a comedic drama that ran from 2000 to 2007. The show remained unique to Amy Sherman-Palladino's erudite writing style and expert handling of character dynamics. At its core, the series is about how mothers and daughters can be simultaneously close and bitterly resentful. 

"Gilmore Girls" went far on the dynamic between Lorelai and her mother, Emily Gilmore (Kelly Bishop), offering the series' most delightful jokes and despairing moments. Lorelai is a force of nature — a successful career woman, mother, and style icon — and Lauren Graham's comedic performance remains consistently brilliant throughout. With absolutely no improvisation allowed on the "Gilmore Girls" set, Graham brought Sherman-Palladino's words to life more beautifully than anyone on the show, though Kelly Bishop, Edward Herrmann (Richard Gilmore), and Melissa McCarthy (Sookie St. James) are also excellent as Lorelai's dynamic scene partners. No other drama is nearly as dense with referential nods and jokes as "Gilmore Girls," and Lorelai is the show's comedic heart.

It's difficult to choose one funny character from "30 Rock." Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) delivers consistently precise comedic timing. The impeccable characterization of Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) and Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski), meanwhile, left permanent marks on pop culture. Kenneth Parcell (Jack McBrayer) probably has the most perfect one-liners of them all. But laugh for laugh, Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) is easily the show's funniest character.

While some gags from "30 Rock" have aged poorly, most of the series offers a good deal of insightful comedy. Tracy Jordan's evolution mirrors that of the show; he begins as a relatively lucid — if intentionally provocative — comedian with a failing film career, but it doesn't take him long to become just as ridiculous as "30 Rock" itself. Even through the final seasons, Tracy remains the most memorable and re-watchable character. 

It's easy to underestimate Tracy, and you still catch new jokes from him after multiple re-watches. It's difficult to single out examples of Tracy being funny, but there are a few stand-out moments worth mentioning. In Season 2, Tracy feels betrayed by Angie (Sherri Shepherd) when she calls his license plate inscrutable ("ICU81MI — hilarious!"). In Season 4, Episode 5, Tracy's team-up with Jenna to solve problems while making them worse effectively demonstrates one of the show's most successful pairings.

Many forget that, before his Marvel-ization into Star-Lord/Peter Quill, Chris Pratt was Andy Dwyer, the funniest guy on "Parks and Recreation." It's painful to admit this, as Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman), Ben Wyatt (Adam Scott), and Tom Haverford (Aziz Ansari) are consistently fantastic. Ultimately, though, all are at their best in congress with another character; Ron and Leslie (Amy Poehler) are perfect comedic foils and their friendship is probably the most interesting part of the show. Ben and Tom both bounce off April (Aubrey Plaza), Donna (Retta), and other side characters beautifully. Andy is the only one who is just as funny alone as with any scene partner. 

Chris Pratt has the kind of natural comedic instinct that many dream of. Mike Schur — the lauded co-creator and writer of "Parks and Recreation," "The Good Place," and "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" —  is among them, even almost refusing to include one of Pratt's best improvised moments due to it being funnier than anything he ever wrote. The moment in question came during the "Parks and Recreation" Season 2 episode "Flu Season." In it, Leslie is beset by serious flu symptoms, so Andy (as her assistant) says, "Leslie I typed your symptoms into the computer and it says you might have network connectivity issues." 

Catherine O'Hara was largely under-appreciated for most of her career, but her work as Moira Rose on "Schitt's Creek" triggered something of a well-deserved renaissance; after all, Rose is one of the best sitcom moms in TV history. From her wall of wigs to her inability to define "folding" as it pertains to cooking, Rose is a strange and glorious creation. Her frequent shrieks of disgust and panic are funnier than most of the show's already well-written dialogue, and Rose's strange manner of pronouncing everyday words are a testament to how O'Hara brings a written page to life. Not once does Rose pronounce the word "baby" like a conventional English-speaker. 

Other TV matriarchs — like Lucille Bluth (Jessica Walter) from "Arrested Development" and Elka Ostrovsky (Betty White) from "Hot in Cleveland" — are similarly imbued with powerhouse performances from powerhouse comedians, but what sets Moira apart is how the show lets her become a larger-than-life character. One of the funniest scenes in all of television is Moira's visionary performance during a previewed scene for her film "The Crows Have Eyes 3." You haven't laughed until you've heard Catherine O'Hara's impression of a part-crow, part-human scientist addressing a flock of birds in her best approximation of a crow's speaking voice.

Choosing to put Abed Nadir (Danny Pudi) on this list as a representative of "Community" was a close call. Abed is obviously at his best when he's with best friend and joyful co-conspirator Troy Barnes (Donald Glover). Additionally, part of what makes "Community" great is how everyone in the study group brings out the funniest part of one another. We almost didn't include a "Community" character at all, but looking deeper, Abed stands above the rest.

While Abed is one of the most likable characters on "Community," it's not that quality that makes him funny, but rather his self-awareness and intuition. Abed understands people through the lens of pop culture, and his meta consciousness of the gang's place as sitcom characters is one of the show's best running gags. Often, when others attempt to curb his seemingly insensitive communication habits — i.e. Britta (Gillian Jacobs) wondering how something she wants to say might affect others — Abed subverts the situation by revealing something about that person ("I'm really glad you shared that, Britta ... it makes your lack of flavor sort of a flavor ... "). Abed feeds the show's cynicism with comments like these, but also provides the most fun moments with his thirst for good storytelling.

When viewers are first introduced to Principal Ava Coleman (Janelle James) in Season 1 of "Abbott Elementary," it's difficult not to be irritated by her boldfaced incompetence; she spends school money on personal items and consistently stands in the way of teachers doing right by the students. Also, she sexually harassed Gregory (Tyler James Williams) for way, way too long. But like any good sitcom, "Abbott Elementary" evolves Ava into a more likable, authentic version of herself, with her growing to become a bona fide.

Fans love Ava, and not just for her quotable one-liners. James' background in stand-up comedy imbues Ava with the outgoing confidence needed to get away with being so selfish and materialistic. She is those things, but she's also loyal, resourceful, and wickedly funny. Ava has been a stand-out character for most of the show, and is especially funny when paired with Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter). Episodes where she shines on her own — like Season 2, Episode 9, "Sick Day," in which she substitutes for a violently ill Janine (Quinta Brunson) — are a special delight to watch.

"What We Do in the Shadows" is one of the best and most criminally underrated sitcoms of all time. Filmed in a mockumentary format, the show follows the vampiric residents of a somewhat dilapidated Staten Island home. The house's residents include centuries-long married couple Laszlo (Matt Berry) and Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), energy-draining vampire Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch), token human familiar Guillermo (Harvey Guillén), and of course, Nandor the Relentless (Kayvan Novak) — a great conqueror of early human civilization and the show's funniest addition.

The cast understands the show's ensemble-driven format, thus their individual lack of Emmy nominations for "What We Do in the Shadows" doesn't bother them so much, despite deserving to be nominated. But there are still standouts among the team. Colin Robinson is conceptually hilarious and provides an experimental imaginative edge. Matt Berry's charisma greatly benefits Laszlo. But Nandor tops them all, as every word that comes from his mouth is hilarious. Novak delivers genius character work, and Nandor is at his best when experiencing the modern world as what he is: a man who lived in ancient times. Nandor's altercation with a werewolf in Season 1, Episode 3 "Werewolf Feud" helped "What We Do in the Shadows" hook viewers for the long haul.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus has prove n herself several times over to be one of the most gifted comedic performers alive. She first made her mark as Elaine Benes on "Seinfeld" but, not wanting to just be a token sitcom girl, didn't stop there. She followed up "Seinfeld" with "The New Adventures of Old Christine," establishing her as a talent who can anchor a show on her own. More recently, Louis-Dreyfus took up the role of Vice President Selina Meyer on "Veep," who stands among the most iconic TV figures in the past decade. 

From "don't give me that quaker in a [expletive] bar look" (Season 2, Episode 5) to "If men got pregnant, you could get an abortion at an ATM" (Season 3, Episode 2), Selina Meyer has delivered some of the best one-liners on television. Selina is a narcissistic career politician who suffers dozens of indignities all for the privilege of being elected president. Constantly judging everyone around her and pathologically avoidant of self-criticism, she functions both as the deliverer and the punchline of any given joke. Her dark, frankly serious faults are what make the show — and her — so funny. It's a pretty accurate facsimile of the personalities of many real-life politicians. 

Andre Braugher wasn't known for his comedic chops before landing the role of Captain Raymond Holt on "Brooklyn Nine-Nine." Ironically, he started his television career in a dramatic detective role on the crime drama "Homicide: Life on the Street." The two shows are about the same profession and yet represent opposite ends of the tonal spectrum. Unsurprisingly, Braugher's Captain Holt was impeccable from the jump, and a true testament to his natural acting ability.

Captain Raymond Holt is a distinct personality, disliking flavorful food or popular music (post-1900), and enjoying hobbies such as bird watching and painting hundreds of canvases depicting the same rock. He is meticulous, rule-abiding, and honorable almost to a fault; in short, he seems pretty boring. "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" is a thoughtful, well-written show, though, and Holt is its best asset. There's not a single episode where he doesn't earn at least one belly laugh, and those where he veers from his norm (such as Season 7, Episode 12, in which Holt becomes ferocious after his dog is abducted for ransom) are a delight to watch. Not only does he deliver some of the best lines, but Holt is also the most fun to watch interact with others, including Jake (Andy Samberg). A finer TV cop there never has been.

There's really no other character that could take the top spot other than Michael Scott (Steve Carell). It's easy to view Michael as an overhyped comedic figure, especially because "The Office" is so heavily-memed and universally beloved. But returning to "The Office," it only takes a few minutes of experiencing Steve Carell's unmatched comedy to remember that Michael Scott really is that funny. While characters like Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) and Erin Hannon (Ellie Kemper) are similarly hilarious, none hold a candle to Michael.

Michael Scott began as a facsimile of Ricky Gervais's David Brent from the original British iteration of "The Office," but Carell's natural goofiness and willing vulnerability turned him into something else entirely. Michael brought some of the most acute cringe to the hearts and minds of viewers thanks to his lack of impulse control, self-absorption, and failure to accept consequences. The worst things Michael Scott ever did are so bad that it can be hard to watch certain episodes ("Scott's Tots," Season 6, Episode 12, is probably the best example). 

But Michael is also strangely lovable and, at times, surprisingly wise. He's both sweet and irritating — problematic, but ultimately caring. He is the funniest TV character from the past 20 years, and the fact that Steve Carell never won an acting Emmy for his work on "The Office" is an unforgivable gaffe.