Characters by debut decade
Sitcom characters who debuted in the 1990s
For many viewers the 1990s are the golden age of the network sitcom. Friends, Frasier, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Everybody Loves Raymond, and That '70s Show all premiered in this decade, and Seinfeld grew its famous gallery of neighbors, girlfriends, and soup vendors.
Here is every character in the library who first appeared on screen between 1990 and 1999.
50 characters on this list.
Seinfeld(7)
NBC, 1989 to 1998
- Elaine BenesMain castPlayed by Julia Louis-DreyfusJerry's ex-girlfriend turned best friend, a sharp, confident, and famously blunt New Yorker who works her way through publishing jobs, bad bosses…
- Frank CostanzaSide characterPlayed by John Randolph and Jerry StillerGeorge's explosive, eccentric father, a short-fused former Army cook who invented the holiday Festivus and shouts "Serenity now!" to keep his blood…
- NewmanSide characterPlayed by Wayne KnightJerry's smug, scheming nemesis down the hall, a mail carrier and Kramer's partner in crime whose every arrival is greeted with a frosty "Hello…
- The Soup NaziSide characterPlayed by Larry ThomasYev Kassem, the brilliant and tyrannical soup chef whose strict ordering rules and instant bans gave Seinfeld one of its most famous lines…
- David PuddySide characterPlayed by Patrick WarburtonElaine's deadpan, on-and-off boyfriend, a square-jawed mechanic turned car salesman who paints his face for the New Jersey Devils and answers almost…
- Estelle CostanzaSide characterPlayed by Estelle HarrisGeorge's shrill, melodramatic mother, who squabbles nonstop with her husband Frank, nags George about everything…
- J. PetermanSide characterPlayed by John O'HurleyElaine's grandly eccentric boss at the J. Peterman clothing catalog, a world-traveling adventurer who narrates his own life like an old radio drama.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air(7)
NBC, 1990 to 1996
- Will SmithLeadPlayed by Will SmithThe wisecracking West Philadelphia teenager who is sent to live with his rich aunt and uncle in Bel-Air, turning their mansion upside down while…
- Carlton BanksMain castPlayed by Alfonso RibeiroWill's preppy, rule-loving cousin in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, a Princeton-obsessed conservative with a sweater vest, a big heart…
- Ashley BanksMain castPlayed by Tatyana AliThe youngest Banks daughter in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, a sweet, smart kid who idolizes her cousin Will and grows up on screen into an…
- GeoffreyMain castPlayed by Joseph MarcellThe Banks family's dry-witted English butler in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, who serves the household with perfect manners and an even more perfect…
- Hilary BanksMain castPlayed by Karyn ParsonsThe eldest Banks child in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, a pampered, shopping-obsessed socialite who stumbles from her father's credit cards into a…
- Philip BanksMain castPlayed by James AveryWill's stern, successful Uncle Phil in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, a powerful Los Angeles lawyer turned judge who becomes the father figure Will…
- Vivian BanksMain castPlayed by Janet Hubert and Daphne Maxwell ReidWill's loving, principled Aunt Viv in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, an educator and mother of four who defends her nephew and keeps her famously…
Frasier(6)
NBC, 1993 to 2004
- Frasier CraneLeadPlayed by Kelsey GrammerThe pompous, brilliant, and endlessly fussy psychiatrist who leaves Boston and Cheers behind to host a call-in radio show in Seattle…
- Daphne MoonMain castPlayed by Jane LeevesThe cheerful, eccentric English caregiver from Manchester whom Frasier hires to look after his father, and the woman Niles Crane spends years…
- Martin CraneMain castPlayed by John MahoneyFrasier and Niles's down-to-earth father, a retired Seattle police detective who moves into Frasier's elegant apartment with his beat-up recliner…
- Niles CraneMain castPlayed by David Hyde PierceFrasier's even fussier younger brother, a wealthy Seattle psychiatrist trapped in a strange marriage to the never-seen Maris and hopelessly in love…
- Roz DoyleMain castPlayed by Peri GilpinThe sharp, confident producer of The Dr. Frasier Crane Show at Seattle's KACL, a small-town Wisconsin native with a busy love life who becomes…
- EddieSide characterPlayed by Moose and EnzoMartin Crane's scene-stealing Jack Russell terrier, who moves into Frasier's apartment with his owner and spends years unnervingly staring at…
Friends(10)
NBC, 1994 to 2004
- Chandler BingMain castPlayed by Matthew PerryThe sarcastic, self-deprecating wisecracker of Friends, a commitment-phobic office worker who uses jokes as armor, shares an apartment with Joey…
- Joey TribbianiMain castPlayed by Matt LeBlancThe sweet, food-loving, not-so-bright struggling actor of Friends, a ladies' man from a big Italian American family who lands a soap opera role and…
- Monica GellerMain castPlayed by Courteney CoxThe fiercely competitive, neat-freak chef whose Greenwich Village apartment is the gang's home base, and whose surprise romance with Chandler Bing…
- Phoebe BuffayMain castPlayed by Lisa KudrowThe quirky, free-spirited masseuse and singer-songwriter of Friends, who survived a rough childhood on the streets of New York with her optimism…
- Rachel GreenMain castPlayed by Jennifer AnistonThe former daddy's girl who runs out on her wedding, waits tables at Central Perk, builds a career in fashion…
- Ross GellerMain castPlayed by David SchwimmerMonica's nerdy, lovable older brother, a dinosaur-obsessed paleontologist with three divorces, two kids, and a lifelong crush on Rachel Green that…
- GuntherSide characterPlayed by James Michael TylerThe bleach-blond, deadpan manager of Central Perk, who serves the gang their coffee for ten seasons while quietly nursing an unrequited crush on…
- JaniceSide characterPlayed by Maggie WheelerChandler's loud, nasal, impossible-to-shake ex-girlfriend, famous for her machine-gun laugh and her trademark greeting…
- Carol WillickSide characterPlayed by Anita Barone and Jane SibbettRoss Geller's first wife, who leaves him after realizing she is a lesbian, then has his son, Ben, and raises him with her partner, Susan…
- Richard BurkeSide characterPlayed by Tom SelleckThe handsome, mustached ophthalmologist and old friend of the Geller family who falls for Monica despite their 21-year age gap…
Everybody Loves Raymond(5)
CBS, 1996 to 2005
- Ray BaroneLeadPlayed by Ray RomanoThe easygoing Long Island sportswriter at the heart of Everybody Loves Raymond, forever stuck between his frustrated wife, Debra…
- Debra BaroneMain castPlayed by Patricia HeatonRay Barone's sharp, overworked wife, who raises three kids on Long Island while her in-laws walk through her front door whenever they please and her…
- Frank BaroneMain castPlayed by Peter BoyleRay and Robert's blunt, grumpy father, a retired bookkeeper and Korean War veteran who parks in Ray's armchair, insults everyone in sight…
- Marie BaroneMain castPlayed by Doris RobertsRay and Robert's devoted, meddling mother, a proud homemaker who lives across the street, rules the family with home cooking and guilt…
- Robert BaroneMain castPlayed by Brad GarrettRay's towering, gloomy older brother, a New York City police officer who has spent his whole life convinced that their mother loves Raymond more.
That '70s Show(8)
FOX, 1998 to 2006
- Eric FormanLeadPlayed by Topher GraceThe skinny, sarcastic, Star Wars-loving teenager at the center of That '70s Show, whose basement in Point Place, Wisconsin…
- Donna PinciottiMain castPlayed by Laura PreponEric Forman's smart, tomboyish girl next door in Point Place, Wisconsin, whose on-again, off-again romance with Eric anchors That '70s Show from the…
- FezMain castPlayed by Wilmer ValderramaThe girl-crazy foreign exchange student of That '70s Show, whose home country is never named and who spends eight seasons pining for Jackie Burkhart.
- Jackie BurkhartMain castPlayed by Mila KunisThe spoiled, self-absorbed rich girl of That '70s Show who starts out as Kelso's demanding girlfriend and slowly grows into a loyal friend…
- Kitty FormanMain castPlayed by Debra Jo RuppEric Forman's cheerful, doting mother in That '70s Show, a hardworking nurse who mothers every kid in the basement and keeps her husband Red from…
- Michael KelsoMain castPlayed by Ashton KutcherThe handsome, hopelessly dim member of the That '70s Show gang, a lovable goofball whose pranks, falls off the water tower…
- Red FormanMain castPlayed by Kurtwood SmithEric Forman's gruff, no-nonsense father in That '70s Show, a Navy veteran and Packers fan who threatens to put his foot in everyone's backside but…
- Steven HydeMain castPlayed by Danny MastersonEric Forman's cool, cynical best friend in That '70s Show, a sunglasses-wearing rebel who distrusts authority and ends up living with the Formans as…
Home Improvement(7)
ABC, 1991 to 1999
- Tim TaylorLeadPlayed by Tim AllenThe grunting, power-tool-loving host of the cable show Tool Time, whose own home repairs keep going wrong in suburban Detroit.
- Al BorlandMain castPlayed by Richard KarnTim Taylor's bearded, flannel-wearing co-host on Tool Time, the calm and safety-minded friend who keeps the show from falling apart.
- Jill TaylorMain castPlayed by Patricia RichardsonTim Taylor's sensible wife and the voice of reason in the Taylor household, who keeps the family grounded while her husband chases bigger power tools.
- Randy TaylorMain castPlayed by Jonathan Taylor ThomasThe middle Taylor son, a smart and mischievous kid who gets into trouble with his brothers and then on his own.
- WilsonMain castPlayed by Earl HindmanThe Taylors' wise, mysterious neighbor, whose face is hidden behind the backyard fence for almost the entire run of Home Improvement.
- Brad TaylorMain castPlayed by Zachery Ty BryanThe eldest Taylor son, a sports-minded teenager who spends his high school years chasing girls, grades, and his own independence.
- Mark TaylorMain castPlayed by Taran Noah SmithThe youngest Taylor son, a sensitive and thoughtful kid who often worries about his family and tries to find his place among his brothers.
More character lists
By show
- I Love Lucy
- M*A*S*H
- Happy Days
- Cheers
- The Golden Girls
- Full House
- Seinfeld
- Family Matters
- The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
- Frasier
- Friends
- Everybody Loves Raymond
- That '70s Show
- Malcolm in the Middle
- Curb Your Enthusiasm
- Scrubs
- Arrested Development
- The Office
- How I Met Your Mother
- It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
- 30 Rock
- The Big Bang Theory
- Parks and Recreation
- Modern Family
- Community
- New Girl
- Brooklyn Nine-Nine
- Schitt's Creek
- Superstore
- The Good Place
- What We Do in the Shadows
- Ted Lasso
- Abbott Elementary
- Home Improvement