Top 20 Characters Who Never Revealed Their Faces
#20: Man
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“Bambi” (1942) Oftentimes with unseen characters, their impact on the overall story can be minimal. The same can not be said for the man from Bambi. This ruthless hunter is responsible for most of the pain and suffering Bambi experiences, including the death of his mother. Reckless, violent and cruel, Man seems to be on a mission not just to hunt, but also to provoke fear and misery among the creatures he pursues. Serving as a symbol for human impact on the animal world, there’s a reason Man is undoubtedly one of the greatest Disney villains ever, despite never being shown on screen.
#19: Doctor Claw
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“Inspector Gadget” (1983-86) We’ve never seen more than his arm and his ornately gloved hand stroking his pet cat, but we can always recognize his gravelly voice. Inspector Gadget’s nemesis, the criminal mastermind Dr. Claw of the notorious M.A.D. organization, is one villainous foe. Sitting in his signature chair, observing his evil plans take shape on a series of screens, Dr. Claw is so nefarious; we just might be better off without seeing the face of such animated evil.
#18: DJ
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“The Warriors” (1979) Working with the Riffs, this anonymous radio DJ puts out a hit on the Warriors as they race back to their turf on Coney Island. To get her listeners in the rumble mood, she follows up her broadcasts with ironic songs like “Nowhere to Run.” Her foxy voice and slick showmanship are more than enough to influence any bopper to hunt down and destroy the Warriors. In this action thriller, the audience never sees much more than the DJ’s red, seductive lips. Whoever you are DJ, please come out to play.
#17: Godot
“Waiting for Godot” (2001) While the stage version of “Waiting for Godot” might be more well known, the film adaptation still contains one of the most significant unseen characters of any entertainment medium. The movie consists of two tramps waiting for a man named Godot. As you might have guessed, Godot is a total no-show. Over the years, Godot’s identity has sparked a number of theories, the most popular being that he’s God. If you want a clear-cut explanation, however, you’ll likely be waiting an eternity with ultimately no closure, much like our main characters.
#16: Harvey
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“Harvey” (1950) If a child told you his best friend was a six-foot, three-and-a-half-inch tall rabbit, you’d find it cute. But if a middle-aged man told you this, you’d probably run away in terror. Throughout much of this film, everyone, including the audience, believes Elwood P. Dowd is a loony who’s imagining a giant rabbit named Harvey. Elwood is so passionate and sincere in his belief of this invisible pooka, though, we actually start to believe in him too. In the end, we’re finally given confirmation that Harvey is all too real.
#15: Lemony Snicket
“Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events” (2004) This mysterious author has the misfortune of chronicling the lives of the Baudelaire children. Lemony Snicket strongly advises the audience to go watch a sunnier movie and let him carry this gloomy burden on his own. As bleak as the story is, Snicket’s narration does incorporate some much needed humor and wit. As for Snicket’s background and connection to the Baudelaires, that’s never revealed since “A Series of Unfortunate Events” failed to become a film franchise. If you really want answers, though, you can always go read the books.
#14: Diane
“Twin Peaks” (1990-91) FBI agent Dale Cooper is very thorough. Not only does he record case notes on a microcassette recorder, but he addresses them to someone specific, named Diane. An assistant? Secretary? His sister? Who knows? She’s referenced in almost every episode, but not only has she not been seen, she hasn’t even been described or identified. Some theorize that the mysterious Diane is a figment of his imagination; a coping mechanism he developed to deal with his girlfriend’s murder. Whoever Diane is, she bears Dale’s burdens.
#13: All Adults
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“Peanuts” franchise (1965-) Charlie Brown and friends seemed to live in a world without supervision, because the adults in the Peanuts universe were seen in neither the TV specials nor the comic strips on which they were based. Technically, they weren’t heard either, as their voices were nothing more than the sounds of a muted trombone. Turns out series creator Charles Schulz just had no interest in grownups. Their borderline absence meant the series stayed focused on the kids’ outlook, much like the “Muppet Babies”’ legs-only nanny did for that show years later.
#12: Death
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“Final Destination” (2000) The “Final Destination” films show no restraint whatsoever when it comes to killing teenagers in over-the-top fashion. The one aspect of these movies that does maintain some ominous subtlety, however, is the notion of death. Most people think of death as a dark angel or grim reaper. In “Final Destination,” Death is more of an unseen, unstoppable force that just keeps pursuing its victims. It doesn’t matter how careful you are. When all is said and done, Death will claim your life, be it through decapitation, bathroom accidents, or speeding buses.
#11: Wilson W. Wilson, Jr.
“Home Improvement” (1991-99) As a running gag on this sitcom, Wilson – the Taylor family’s sage advice-dispensing neighbor who seems to know just about everything – would always have his face obscured by props. More often than not however, he’d be hidden below the nose by their dividing wooden yard-fence. Believe it or not, this was actually a tough role to cast: the first actor who took the part turned it down when he found out his face would never be shown. But he missed out on the chance to be one of TV’s favorite neighbors.
#10: George Steinbrenner
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“Seinfeld” (1989-98) We could have gone with Kramer’s unseen friends Bob Sacamano and Lomez, or Jerry’s cousin Jeffrey, but we can’t help but place George Costanza’s onetime boss, New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner in this spot. The late, real-life owner of the New York Yankees was parodied and voiced by series co-creator Larry David after the actual man refused a cameo appearance on the show. As a chatty, animated, fiery and feared sports franchise owner, he doesn’t need more than the back of his head to show us the strength of his character.
#9: Soviet Premier Dimitri Kissov
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“Dr. Strangelove” (1964) After something goes incredibly wrong with the bomb, the bumbling United States President must call the Premier of the Soviet Union with some bad news. The conversation starts off fairly casual as the president asks Dimitri to turn down his music. Like an uncomfortable teenager trying to tell his parents that he crashed the car, the president eventually works up to the impending nuclear strike. One can only imagine the expression on Dimitri’s face as the president breaks the news over the phone. At least it was a friendly call.
#8: Vera Peterson
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“Cheers” (1982-93) Norm Peterson is a man who knows everyone, and everyone knows him. So it’s ironic that his wife is a woman whose face we never see. But, just because she’s unseen doesn’t mean she’s unmentioned: we endured over a decade of jokes at Vera’s expense, and Norm often characterized her as an annoying battle-axe of a woman. However, even though he was fairly mean to her behind her back, Norm was devoted to Vera – who, when she was portrayed on the show, was depicted by Norm actor George Wendt’s own real-life wife.
#7: Charles ‘Charlie’ Townsend
“Charlie’s Angels” (2000) Reprising his voiceover role from the ‘70s TV series, John Forsythe’s Charlie assigns dangerous missions to his three beautiful agents via speaker box. Although the plot in “Charlie’s Angels” might be nonsensical, there is one thing that keeps you watching in suspense: The hope that we’ll see Charlie’s friggin’ face already! In the film’s climax, it looks like Charlie just might come face-to-face with the angels as part of his body is shown. This reclusive millionaire continues to be a tease, however, slipping out just in time. Thus, the mystery continues.
#6: Vern
“Ernest Saves Christmas” (1988) Whenever Ernest comes to visit Vern, everything shifts to the long-suffering neighbor’s point of view. Vern never says a word, in a hurry to get Ernest back out the door as quickly as possible. Initially starring with Ernest in a series of commercials, Vern returns in “Ernest Saves Christmas” as our well-meaning title character delivers an unwanted tree. This results in Vern’s knickknacks being destroyed, his wires being torn out of the wall, and his chandelier collapsing. Whoever Vern is, he must have the patience of a saint.
#5: Ugly Naked Guy
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“Friends” (1994-2004) What we know about Ugly Naked Guy: He lives across from Monica and Rachel’s apartment, he plays the cello, sleeps in a hammock, and once killed his cat by sitting on it, because he’s morbidly obese. The “Friends” gang even tried to poke him from across the street once when his nap looked a little too deep. But Ugly Naked Guy represents that big-city exhibitionist we’ve all encountered, and he’s just another relatable part of this show.
#4: The Blair Witch
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“The Blair Witch Project” (1999) In an age where horror movies were becoming progressively more graphic, “The Blair Witch Project” reminded us that sometimes it’s what you don’t see that’s most effective. The deeper three film students lose themselves in the woods while searching for the Blair Witch, the deeper they spiral into insanity as an unseen entity allegedly hunts them. What’s fascinating about this approach is that it’s never made clear if the witch was real or if the filmmakers were just bonkers. In any case, the aftermath left everyone in the audience speechless.
#3: Maris Crane
“Frasier” (1993-2004) For an unvoiced, uncast, unseen character, Niles Crane’s wife sure gets a lotta airtime and plot lines. As described by the characters we DO see, she’s spoiled, rich, neurotic, anorexic, and cold-hearted. Her rocky relationship with Niles suffers cheating, a 2-year separation, and a divorce. She’s even tried for the murder of her new boyfriend, which she escapes to a private island retreat. But what secures her spot on this list is how well her character is fleshed out by the descriptions and reactions of the “Frasier” cast.
#2: Rosemary’s Baby
“Rosemary’s Baby” (1968) From the initial conception, it’s obvious that something is seriously wrong with the fetus growing inside Rosemary. As the mother gazes into her newborn’s crib, her neighbors confirm our greatest fear. All this time, Rosemary has been carrying the spawn of Satan. While we never see the demented offspring, Rosemary’s reaction to his eyes is more than enough to send a chill up anyone’s spine. Maternal instinct kicks in, however, and Rosemary decides to raise the unseen baby who will bring on a grim future we’ll fortunately never see either. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Enid Kelso “Scrubs” (2001-10) Bill Brasky “Saturday Night Live” (1975-) Korben Dallas’ Mother “The Fifth Element” (1997) The Gooch “Diff'rent Strokes” (1978-86) The Man “Undercover Brother” (2002)
#1: Mrs. Debbie Wolowitz
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“The Big Bang Theory” (2007-19) Though she’s often heard, and her personality is larger-than-life, Howard’s mother remains hidden from audiences. Characterized as an overweight, mustachioed, Jewish stereotype, her voice is that of a character too loud and obnoxious to bear much screen time. Mrs. Wolowitz’s physical identity is such a mysterious part of the series that the studio audience actually gasped aloud when they caught a glimpse of her figure from the neck down in a Season 6 episode. But we’ll be honest: when Howard got the call that his mother had passed away, we weren’t just sad that we’d never get to see Mrs. Wolowitz’s face: we were sad to say goodbye to such a memorable character.
