Top 10 Characters with OCD in Film and TV

Top 10 Characters with OCD in Film and TV

Also in:

Top 20 Disney Characters That Deserved Better

How obsessive is too obsessive? Welcome to http://www.WatchMojo.com, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 OCD Characters in Movies and TV. For this list, we’re looking at big and small screen characters that seem to have prominently visible obsessive-compulsive disorder issues. These characters’ OCD behaviours are much more than mere tendencies, and are more like necessities that need to be done repeatedly. However, they don’t necessarily have to have been diagnosed with OCD to qualify.

#10: Kevin Casey “Scrubs” (2001-10)

Also in:

The Rock Gets ROASTED by Kevin Hart - Jumanji: The Next Level Cast Interview

This doctor’s obsessive-compulsive disorder is as pronounced as his medical successes, and would probably put fellow doctor Elliot Reid to shame. Constantly re-reading his medical journals, he is a wiz at instantly diagnosing patients. Less charmingly, Kevin will still be washing his hands two hours after performing surgery, needs to enter and exit a building three times, and starts each day by saying “bink” and touching everything (and everyone) in his first patient’s room. Despite his quirks, Kevin is a good-hearted, talented surgeon that you can’t help but cheer for.

Monica is by far the most obsessively clean out of all of her “Friends,” going so far as to claim that “Monica clean” is above and beyond “Health Department-clean.” While this Mother Hen is certainly a great friend, she can be hard to handle at times. Some of her quirks include her tendencies to label the things she owns, to clean others’ apartments and to clean cleaning supplies. While obsessive might not be a strong enough word, her beyond meticulously routine ways are still endearing to us.

#8: Bob Wiley “What About Bob?” (1991)

Also in:

Top 20 Most Parodied Movie Characters

In this Frank Oz comedy, Bob is an obsessive-compulsive psychiatric patient with a lot of phobias. After his first session with Dr. Leo Marvin, Bob becomes infatuated with the psychiatrist and ends up following Leo and his family to their vacation home. One horrible thing leads to another, with Leo subjecting Bob to alleged “death therapy,” Bob overcoming his phobias and then becoming a psychologist himself. Bob’s unfortunate situations and his easily likable personality make him one of the most grounded characters on this list, despite his manipulative and narcissistic behavior.

#7: Dr. Hannibal Lecter “Hannibal” (2013-15)

Also in:

Hannibal Lector (Silence of the Lambs) vs Jigsaw (Saw)

Who would’ve thought that a cannibalistic serial killer would be OCD, and not just about the way he eats people? This forensic psychiatrist and keen foodie is frequently shown arranging things throughout each episode, whether in private or with others. This includes adjusting pencils on desks, making sure books are evenly spaced, and making sure a cell phone is aligned correctly with a desk corner. For most characters, these quirks might be cute or endearing, but for Hannibal, they just add to his already creepy vibe.

Unlike his laidback and sloppy roommate Oscar Madison, Felix is obsessed with cleanliness and is beyond neurotic. To further emphasize the divide between these roommates, we must point out that Felix is a detail-oriented news writer whereas Oscar is a jock-ish, carefree sportswriter. In this black comedy, Felix obsesses over the shortcomings of others, though being subjected to his polar opposite in Oscar actually helps to slowly bring happiness into Felix’s life. While Felix never really stops his OCD tendencies, he does become a lot easier to stomach once he calms down a bit.

This former San Francisco Police Department homicide detective was great at his job, that is, until his wife was killed. Following that tragedy, his OCD was amplified dramatically, and forced him to quit and only work as a consultant. While Monk is still an effective detective, he constantly has to contend with fears that range from the more common like germs, crowds, and heights, to the more bizarre, such as milk. He’ll also only drink one brand of water. While he isn’t necessarily the best at defending himself, we still love to watch him try his best.

#4: Roy Waller “Matchstick Men” (2003)

Also in:

Top 20 Hated Movie Characters

This con artist is stricken with a heightened case of OCD and has his fair share of phobias as well as the occasional violent panic attack. After discovering he has a 14 year-old daughter named Angela, Roy’s happiness causes his phobias to subside. However, Roy and Angela go through a few ups and downs, which sees Roy learning the painful truth about his current life and the people in it. But fortunately, his life ultimately balances out and he learns to live with himself and becomes who he wants to be.

This stay-at-home novelist consistently churns out bestsellers. As likeable as he is to the public, though, the reality is that he’s also a misanthropic hermit, extremely OCD, and neurotically superstitious. A prime example of this is his constant avoidance of stepping on cracks in the pavement, and considering he lives in New York, that’s kinda tough. One day, Melvin decides he wants to get closer to a waitress named Carol, but his neurotic behavior distances him from her. And while he seems to ultimately get the girl, we’re still left wondering by film’s end whether or not Melvin is completely over his phobias and superstitions. Guess that’s just as good as it gets.

Sheldon is an overeducated theoretical physicist and the roommate of longtime friend, Leonard Hofstadter. This genius earned his first PhD at 16, tried to provide nuclear-powered electricity to his hometown, and does well by his friends – or at least he tries. He is also obsessed with hygiene and has strict routines for almost anything in his life. While he’s undoubtedly intellectually brilliant, he has a difficult time grasping sarcasm. And while his apparent emotional disconnect from the rest of the world, and his attempts of trying to ameliorate this, make him an oddball, we can’t help but admire him all the same. Before we unveil our number one pick, here are some honorable mentions: - Detective Scott Turner “Turner and Hooch” (1989) - Joan Crawford “Mommie Dearest” (1981) - Owen “Superstar” (1999) - Mark Furness “Dirty Filthy Love” (2004)

#1: Howard Hughes “The Aviator” (2004)

Also in:

Star Wars Han Solo Film HIRES Ron Howard, FIRES Lord & Miller – The CineFiles Ep. 26

Howard Hughes may have been a businessman, a filmmaker and an aviator, but he was also excessively neurotic, had an over-heightened case of OCD and could get extremely jealous. As a boy, he was constantly afraid of his mother dying from various diseases. As an adult, things didn’t seem to change too much, as he grew increasingly paranoid. Examples? His film counterpart taps the phone and plants microphones to keep track of his girlfriend Ava Gardner, he gets extremely upset and traumatized when the FBI searches and tracks dirt through his home and has even been found washing his hands till they bleed. He may not have been the easiest person to relate to on our list, but he’s certainly the most hard to forget. Do you agree with our list? Who are your favorite OCD characters in movies and television? For more excellent Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.