In film and television, an unseen character is one whom the other characters may refer to but does not actually appear in any scenes. Usually, this is a character who propels the story or plot forward significantly, and whose absence also affects it.
Although unseen characters are seen in different forms of media, when it comes to visual expressions, they may be partially seen, either as showing only parts of their body or as an offscreen voiceover. Even if you see their back or half of their body, as long as you never see their face, they can still be counted as unseen.
11 Examples of Unseen Characters in Different Media
Here are some of the most famous examples of unseen characters in TV, film, and other media:
1. Tom’s mistress in Tom and Jerry
In the well-loved cartoon Tom and Jerry, we hear the voice of Tom’s owner (loudly calling him, “Thoooom-as!”) and even see most of her body, especially the lower half, but her face is never shown.
This is an example of the unseen character, with her role of authority in the show.
2. Arthur Daley’s Wife in Minder
In Minder, we might hear lots of quotations from Arthur Daley’s wife, but she is only known as “Er Indoors.” She never shows up and we never actually hear her say anything.
3. Several Characters in Seinfeld
This American TV series has a collection of unseen characters: Lomez and Bob Sacamano are often mentioned, as Cosmo Kramer’s friends. So is “Cousin Jeffrey,” Jerry Seinfeld’s cousin who works for the New York City Parks Department, but none of these characters appear onscreen.
Another character, George Steinbrenner, the New York Yankees owner for whom George Costanza worked for, always appeared only as sitting in his office chair and showing the back of his head, but we never see his face.
4. Charlie Townsend in Charlie’s Angels
Throughout the blockbuster movies and television series, we hear the voice of detective agency owner Charlie Townsend, spoken over speakerphone, but his face is never seen.
5. Stan Walker in Will & Grace
In this TV series, Stan Walker is the wealthy husband of Karen Walker who only appears as hands and feet.
Throughout the series, Karen and Stan divorce twice, and once Stan even faked his own death, making him one of the most influential unseen characters in the history of TV.
6. Mrs. Wolowitz in The Big Bang Theory
Throughout this TV series’ long run, we often hear the voice of Howard’s overbearing mother, and even catch a fleeting glimpse of her, like in Howard and Bernadette’s wedding, but only as an overhead shot. We never actually see her face.
7. Sally Reardon in Felicity
Felicity tape records and exchanges letters with a French tutor-turned-instant-therapist whom she knew in high school. Indeed, we hear this lady’s voice, but this trusted correspondent/confidant never shows up onscreen.
8. Rosaline in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
This character is described but never actually shows up, not even once. Apparently, Shakespeare himself already used this creative literary device even back in his time.
9. The Women by Clare Boothe Luce
Both the play and the film adaptation released in 1939 make references to the male characters, such as the women’s husbands and lovers, but they never appear, not even in photographs.
10. Dulcinea in Don Quixote by Miguel Cervantes
In this classic novel, Don Quixote is in love with the beautiful peasant woman Dulcinea, whom he has seen only briefly. She inspires a lot of his actions, and he often refers to her, but she does not actually appear in the book.
11. Mrs. Churchill in Emma by Jane Austen
Emma frequently talks about Mrs. Churchill, Frank Churchill’s aunt turned adoptive mother who is overprotective of him and has lots of other annoying quirks.
However, despite the influence she obviously has over her son, whose comings and goings are affected by her moods, she never actually appears in the story.
Historical Use of Unseen Characters
From the ancient Greek tragedies, the unseen character has always been in use. For example, in Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, Laius is an unseen character. So is Jason’s bride in Medea by Euripides. All the way to Elizabethan theatre, the unseen character continues to play an important role, such as Rosaline in Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare.
By the time the twentieth-century rolled around, European playwrights like Ibsen, Chekhov, and Strindberg developed the full potential of this tactic. It also flowed into American theatre through the influence that these people had on Eugene O’Neill, who established this character as a facet of narrative, character, and creativity onstage.
Function of the Unseen Character
One of the most important roles of the unseen character in dramatic works is to serve as a major motivation to push the main characters to take major decisions. These are usually crucial turning points, and their absence makes their influence seem more powerful.
This is perhaps why one definition of an unseen character is one who may not been seen but who influences the direction of the story.
Sometimes, movie producers may not have intended to keep a character unseen, but ended up doing so due to different reasons.
For example, in the TV series Cheers and Frasier, the producers initially did not show Niles Crane’s wife, Maris. Their main reason was to keep the audience from drawing parallels with Norm Meterson’s wife Vera on Cheers.
But after a while, they kept giving excuses why she was absent, and slowly added more and more eccentric descriptions, so that after a while, it was impossible to find an actress to portray her.
Using an Unseen Character in Your Writing
If you are writing a story, play, or screenplay, experiment with the concept of an unseen character. This may be especially helpful in stories that use the Hero’s Journey structure, where the protagonist meets a mentor who encourages him onward in his quest.
Is it possible that an unseen mentor may hold more influence than one whom the audience can see? Consider the mystery that this strategy evokes!
Continue to look into the role that different kinds of characters have in a narrative, no matter what media you use, and learn how to wield them well to weave a powerful story.
Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:
- 60 Questions to Ask Your Characters
- How to Introduce a Character Your Readers Won’t Forget
- Eye Dialect: Portraying Character Diversity Through Dialogue
- 45 Types of Stock Characters to Help Build Your Story
Yen Cabag is the Blog Writer of TCK Publishing. She is also a homeschooling mom, family coach, and speaker for the Charlotte Mason method, an educational philosophy that places great emphasis on classic literature and the masterpieces in art and music. She has also written several books, both fiction and nonfiction. Her passion is to see the next generation of children become lovers of reading and learning in the midst of short attention spans.
