Jerk with a Heart of Gold/Live-Action TV

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


  • Ralph Kramden of The Honeymooners.
  • Chloe in Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 is this in just the first episode. While being a complete bitch. and stealing Rent Money from Her roommate June. She exposes June's cheating fiance by seducing him. June then thank's Chloe saying she probably would have found out it 10 years later and be divorced with 2 kids.
  • Tom Paris in Star Trek: Voyager. In fact, the going-away speech given by Neelix in "Investigations" sums up this trope admirably.

"Good morning, Voyager. I want to tell you about a friend of mine. I first met this man almost a year ago and, to tell you the truth, I didn't like him much. He seemed a little too cocky, a little too sure of himself. A lot of people had questions about him. He'd proven he'd pretty much sell himself out to the highest bidder, go wherever the wind blew him so people wondered, could you trust this person when things got tough? Would he stand side by side with you or would he let you down when you needed him most? But the fact of the matter is he proved himself right from the beginning. I wouldn't be alive right now if it weren't for him and the same goes for many of you. It took me a while to realize it. Like a lot of people, I was too caught up in first impressions to see the truth that was right in front of me. I overlooked his bravery because I was focusing on his brashness. I ignored his courage because I saw it as arrogance and I resented his friendliness because I mistook it for licentiousness. So while this man was giving us his best every minute of every day I was busy judging him. And now he's leaving. I'm proud to say that in spite of my narrow-mindedness Thomas Eugene Paris became my friend. I'm going to miss him. No more laughs over a game of pool. No more sitting up into the wee hours swapping stories. No more complaints about my cooking. (chuckling) Goodbye, Tom. I think I speak for more of us than you might imagine when I say you're going to leave an empty space when you go. I hope you find what you're looking for."

    • The Doctor arguably fits this as well. He's full of himself and his bedside manner sucks (at least initially), but he loves the crew. At one point he's willing to get reset (which would cost him all his memories and a lot of his personality) rather than risk giving inadequate medical care to them.
  • Major Charles Emerson Winchester, of M*A*S*H, making him more than just a Suspiciously Similar Substitute for Maj. Burns. Self-centered, elitist and, despite being rich already, often greedy and self-promoting, he is saved from pure Jerkassdom by a strong core of personal integrity and occasional moments of genuine kindness and sympathy. Plus he's also actually just about as good as he thinks he is in the operating room.
    • In M*A*S*H‍'‍s early years, the main characters Hawkeye and Trapper John were like this -- they're cocky, insubordinate pranksters and hellraisers who irritate others constantly, and two of the best and most caring doctors you could hope for. And most of their pranks were directed toward the mostly unlikable Frank Burns and Margaret Houlihan, anyway.
  • Subversion: There was an episode of the short-lived sitcom Bram And Alice which has Bram having the "jerk" who beat him in poker earlier taking Alice out to a jazz concert. After a brief talk between Bram and Alice's roommate, Alice is storming back in and calling the guy the biggest jerk she ever met (or words to that effect).
  • Bill McNeal of News Radio is a subversion of this. He's always on the verge of doing the right thing, but always falls back on his selfishness.
    • Although even he rises to the occasion from time to time:

Bill: Jimmy, Dave is quite simply the best news director I have ever worked with.
Catherine: But?
Bill: What? No, I really mean it.
Catherine: Well. Bill McNeal shows a little compassion and sincerity. Remarkable.
Bill: Those dimensions are there. They're just unexplored.

  • Sawyer in Lost starts as a Jerkass and evolves into this.
  • Ari Gold in Entourage, a foul-mouthed, ambitious Hollywood agent who loves to berate people's social status, sexual orientation, appearance, age, and just about any weakness he perceives others to have. He actually cares deeply about everyone around him and would go great lengths to help them, proving his loyalty, compassion, and kindness under his Jerkass facade.
  • Spike of Buffy the Vampire Slayer often acted in accordance with this trope between the end of season 2 and the later episodes of season 5 (though due to a case of Applied Phlebotinum, he could also be a monster, a minion, a Heroic Sociopath, or even something of a Social Darwinist, all as demanded by the situation). After this, full Badass Decay finally kicked in.
    • Angel could also be a Jerk with a Heart of Gold, as he could be moody, angsty and bad tempered, yet would always put aside his own problems (even if it took him some time) to help his friends.
    • As well as Cordelia in early seasons.
  • Dr. Cox and his wife Jordan from Scrubs are examples. They are both exuberantly acerbic and sarcastic especially to each other, but deep down are caring (albeit emotionally repressed) and loving, although they only express this to each other and their son, Jack -- and, in the case of Cox, very very occasionally, to J.D.
    • Dr. Kelso is a variant; he actually is a Jerk, and an unapologetically sadistic and mean-spirited one at that, but occasionally reveals himself to be ultimately more caring and decent than he cares to admit, and and at least partially acts the part of a ruthless, uncaring and egotistical bastard in order to keep the hospital running efficiently.
      • He also knows that when he does something really reprehensible, Dr. Cox will always go behind his back and fix it. In one episode, where Dr. Cox is considering leaving, he acknowledges that he depends on Cox to be the foil for him.
    • This seems to be common on Scrubs, as it's also sometimes implied that the Janitor is actually quite fond of J.D., and his cruel bullying is just his sociopathic and socially maladjusted way of showing it.
      • The Finale shot this down by having him say that the "Did you put a penny in the door?" bit was a Secret Test of Character which JD failed, and that's why the Janitor tortures him. Although he does suggest that if J.D had just told the truth they could have been friends...
  • House: Dr. Gregory House threatens to get into this during his Pet the Dog moments, particularly when he was diagnosed with cancer and still insisted on focusing on the patient. As always, it turned out he was just a Jerk With The Heart Of An Even Bigger Jerk than we had assumed -- he faked having cancer so he could get his hands on the perscription drugs, although to be fair, his team only "found out" he was sick by snooping around behind his back.
    • As often as not it's played straight with House. Case in point: he hires Foreman's ex-con brother over Foreman's wishes and delights in setting the two against each other. This ultimately leads to him "going too far", which leads to the two brothers uniting against him, just as he planned.
    • Doctor Chase is a lesser example, he is a self-serving jerk and semi-antagonist for the first season but proves his loyalty by season 3. It's also assumed by everyone that he will break Cameron's heart when they begin their friends with benefits relationship, when in fact she's the one who breaks his.
  • Alex P. Keaton from Family Ties dreams of reaching the top of the corporate ladder and being rich -- and he often acts pompous about his intelligence. His views also sometimes appear sexist and he often appears to hold a certain contempt for people who lack intelligence and/or wealth. However, he has shown many times that he truly is a lovable and compassionate person -- and his good buddy is Skippy Handelman.
  • Dr. Morris from ER starts off as a Dr. Jerk, but matures into a Jerk with a Heart of Gold by the end of the series.
  • Becker, from the sitcom Becker.
  • Kim Kelly from Freaks and Geeks.
  • Johnny LaRue (played by John Candy) on SCTV. Johnny LaRue is a rather hefty millionaire celebrity who's a bit of a jerk at times but is often a sweet guy too. He's also one of the resident gentle giants on the show.
  • Of course this trope just screams for Dr. Rodney McKay in Stargate Atlantis, who is egoistical, egomaniac, a self-centered, selfish and cowardly Jerkass, but brave, selfless and understanding when he feels like it.
    • In particular, there's one moment that pretty much sums him up in a nutshell. Upon finding out that, in an alternate universe, he spent his last moments unflinchingly trying to save others, he brags about it.
  • Most of the incarnations of The Doctor from Doctor Who would touch on this trope at some point, but in many ways the Sixth Doctor matches it most of all; for the most part he's a pompous, arrogant, blustering jackass filled with a monumental sense of his own self-importance... who, every so often, does something that reveals him to be more than capable of acts of astonishing compassion and generosity.
    • Shows up especially in the audios and especially with companion Evelyn Smythe, simply because she refuses to let him get away with being a jerk.
    • Nine had a penchant for being more brash and brazen than his other incarnations thanks to his recent trauma in the Time War and subsequent Survivors Guilt, but ultimately he's still the Doctor.
    • Adric is sort of a lesser version of this, as he doesn't really develop jerk tendencies until season 19, but he still shows he cares. For instance, at the beginning of "Kinda" when he and Nyssa are discussing her recent fainting spells and he calls her "hopeless in her present state of mind." But when she starts having another attack, he goes over and puts a comforting hand on her shoulder.
  • Dr. Frasier Crane, likewise, is a pompous, self-righteous, overbearing and snobby jackass who nevertheless genuinely loves and cares for his family and friends, is devoted to psychiatry and his patients, and is deep down ruled by an inner need to be liked. His brother Niles is similar — less arrogant and self-righteous than Frasier, but even more snooty and viciously sarcastic, who nevertheless demonstrates genuinely decent redeeming qualities similar to those of his brother, and his love for Daphne frequently brings out his sweet side.
    • Martin is in some ways like this as well, at times to the point of being an inversion; although a lot more down-to-Earth, practical and, on the surface at least, likable than his two sons, he's nevertheless in the early seasons a crabby, bitter and emotionally repressed and distant man whom, it's suggested, has rarely actually made much of an effort to connect to his sons in any meaningful way (although he remains proud of them nevertheless). Whilst Niles and Frasier tend to wear their jerkiness on their sleeves, especially towards Martin, it's frequently established that Martin also has his jerkass side and partial responsibility for his difficult relationship with his sons.
    • Daphne is kind of a double subversion as a Bitch in Sheep's Clothing With A Heart Of Gold. She's sweet, polite, and cheerful on the outside; manipulative, hypocritical, hot-tempered, and slightly unbalanced on the inside; and deeply loyal and caring on the very inside.
    • Even Roz is a bit of this as well. She's a swaggering, loud, snarky, flippant, ball-breaking Village Bicycle; but shows that deep down she does feel vulnerable about her life and relationships, is a romantic at heart, and is very, very protective towards her best friend Frasier. Yeah, this show had a big thing for taking comedy-fodder stereotypes and giving them depth and complexity.
  • Brian Kinney on the American version of Queer as Folk was a huge jerk to every character on the show at one time or another, but always ended up doing the right thing or saving the day for everyone.
  • Supernatural is full of these but Dean especially can have a nasty temper and is a cocky, self-righteous, judgmental, always-wisecracking Jerkass manwhore with such low self-esteem he thought he deserved to go to hell, an almost obsessive devotion to his family (and he really wanted them back together again, which was never going to happen), a desperate need to be liked, an unwillingness to actually stand up for himself (when it came to Missouri, John and sometimes Sam), has shown an honest willingness to sacrifice himself and his own happiness for perfect strangers, and all that wisecracking is just to "mask all that nasty pain". Not forgetting that he's also the show's favourite bitch, so you've got to give him some sympathy.
    • Sam really does deserve to be here as well. He's self-absorbed, doesn't seem to think much of Dean, can be incredibly cruel at times ("You were four when Mom died. How could you possibly know how I feel?", anyone?) and is prone to self-pity by the bucket-load. He uses the whole "Captain Empathy" thing as an act at least half the time, he's incredibly violent when he fights and he knows just how to twist Dean around his little finger. But he tries a hell of a lot harder to make Dean feel better than John ever did, he falls apart trying to save Dean in Season Three, he's using his demonic powers for good, he really did try to make it up to his father after "In My Time Of Dying" by focusing on the hunt and much of the bitchiness is leaning towards the affectionate Deadpan Snarker style and not the unsympathetic Jerkass type. It's also hinted that his violent streak may not be quite natural in origin.
      • Bobby, anyone? As much as he may snap at the boys, and he may not be very friendly to Castiel at times, it's obvious that behind that gruff exterior, he adores Sam and Dean. Hell, he treats them better than their own father did, and tells them when they're in the wrong- same with Castiel.
    • Gabriel/the Trickster. He enjoys tormenting people, puts the Winchesters through hell, 'teaches' people lessons, often killing them in the process, but also sides with humans when it matters and goes up against Lucifer with saddening consequences.
  • Jayne Cobb is on the borderline, and definitely leaning toward "Jerk" but shows some nicer moments, such as sending a chunk of his pay to his mom to help take care of his ailing brother, and wearing a truly hideous hat because his mother made it for him.
    • Jayne actually LIKED the hat (possibly just because his mother made it, but still). More telling is his reaction to the Mudders in "Jaynestown":

Jayne: You guys had a riot? On account o' me? My very own riot?

      • The devastation on Jayne's face after one of the Mudders sacrifices himself to save him speaks more about his character than anything else.
    • The expression on Jayne's face when Kaylee's life is threatened is an example of this.
    • Malcolm Reynolds could be said to be leaning in the other direction of the trope, being less of a jerk, but still fitting.
      • Besides, we need him to hit Jayne with a wrench.
    • Jayne is also a semi-practicing Christian. Unlike Mal, who holds Book's religion with contempt and refuses to say grace, Jayne and the rest of the crew do. There are subtle clues like this that point towards Jayne's true nature, including his hidden affection towards Kaylee, among other things.
      • The short story "Take the Sky" suggests that Jayne goes along with Christian traditions and beliefs because he has a superstitious fear of "gettin' smote." This is Mal's interpretation, but it corresponds to a few things in the series that suggests Jayne may not quite fully understand Christian ideas. Still, good Christian or not, this doesn't cancel out Jayne's occasional less selfish behaviour toward Kaylee, or the mudders, or people who on rare occasion are friendly to him. Or even rarer occasions when he has money and is in a good mood.

Jayne: (Gives a Buddhist Monk some money) "Buy some shoes."
Monk: "the Hero of Canton... He's real!"

    • Mal, Zoe, and Book can defend themselves, and if he hurts any of the rest all three know where he lives. Wash is needed as wheelman and Simon just might come in handy if he is hurt. And all of them can control themselves except River. He has good reasons for toning down his jerkery.
    • He spends his share of a very large robbery the crew pulled on an entire CRATE of apples, which he shares with the entire crew, because he was guilty about his actions in the previous episode.
    • The only person on the crew he shows little affection at all toward is River. Why? Because he perceives her as a threat to everyone else.
  • Adam Baldwin, who played the above role, does this trope better as Casey in Chuck. While Chuck's other handler quickly becomes a viable Love Interest, Casey continues to emphasise how little he thinks of Chuck, generally insulting him, not caring about him, and always following orders above all else. But by the end of the second seasons, he has quite a large amount of hidden fondness for both of his partners, even if he would never admit it.
    • (He does. He tells General Beckman that Sarah is the "Best partner I ever had". Mind you, he is saving her job at the time...)
  • Barney from How I Met Your Mother is usually a pretty good example, although he may be more of a Jerkass Facade.
    • There's a catch - this is only to his friends and family. To other people, especially his one night stands, he's just a plain Jerkass.
    • Robin likewise is extremely tactless, insensitive, sarcastic, blunt, emotionally stunted, and prone to ruthlessly mocking everyone around her, but cares deeply for her friends and has a secret soft side that she usually keeps hidden.
  • Jim Longworth from The Glades.
  • Noah's Arc: Despite plenty of Jerkass behavior (especially early on), Ricky shows more and more of a heart of gold as the series progresses. After Noah's gay bashing, Ricky truly starts to show his kindness more visibly.
  • Conner from Power Rangers Dino Thunder is one of these, which was a very interesting example considering he was the Red Ranger. It's actually a quick upgrade from the Jerk Jock that he is in the premiere. Still, this made for some funky team dynamics during the time it took for the group to begin to actually trust each other, since his teammates were a male geek and a female loner musician.
    • Dillon of Power Rangers RPM strays into this trope, but there tends to be more emphasis on the "heart" and less on the "jerk". Most notably is in the second episode when he and Ziggy are in prison. Ziggy as it turns out, is something of a prison bitch and Dillon makes it clear that he has no interest in looking out for him. But after he overhears another prisoner taunting Ziggy for being an outcast, Dillon goes out of his way to defend him. And it is awesome.
      • Dillon seems to invoke this trope as a defense mechanism more so than actually being it (he's probably closer to Good Is Not Nice). In the third episode, "Rain", when the three core Rangers are trying to get him to join the team for good, he says, "I'm not that kind of person", "that kind of person" being the noble heroes he imagines Scott, Flynn and Summer as, even though most of his actions that have been seen up to that point indicate that he's just as much of a "good guy" as they are. To put an even finer point on it, he joins the Rangers on one condition: that Ziggy be released from prison.
    • As much as Bulk and Skull from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers are jerks and bullies, they do have soft spots, showcasing genuine care for a disgusting pig, trying to save a runaway stroller, and when stuck in a dreamscape, they dream of being heroes. They also saved the Rangers' lives durring one episode where the Monster of the Week gave them Laser-Guided Amnesia. Maybe not full gold, but some lower value precious metal, made shinier as the show went on.
    • The ultimate in-series example is Eric, Power Rangers Time Force's Sixth Ranger. Having grown up poor, he's bitterly jealous of Wes's privileged upbringing, and much of his motivation after becoming the Quantum Ranger is to finally have as much (if not more) power than Wes does, which he gets by becoming the leader of the Silver Guardians, a private security force created by Wes's father. (This is all amplified by how much of a genuinely good guy Wes is.) Yet one of his best friends is a young girl who's a neighbor of his at the trailer park he lives in, and he also keeps birds as pets. As the series goes on, he begins to warm up to the Time Force team, even thwarting one of Wes's father's plans that would have inadvertently helped the Big Bad. In the finale, he jumps in front of a mook - unmorphed - and takes a shot meant for Wes and his father. He survives and co-leads the Silver Guardians with Wes at the end.
      • Obligatory Super Sentai note: Eric was virtually a carbon copy of his Sentai counterpart Naoto, birds and all. The only real difference between them is Naoto dies at the end.
    • And it seems almost impossible to mention Super Sentai without mentioning Gai Yuki from Jetman
  • In the later seasons of Farscape, Dominar Rygel XVI.
    • He was showing some of these traits as far back as Season 1.
  • Almost every character in Murphy Brown displays these traits at some point, but Murphy especially exemplifies it.
  • Dan Fielding from Night Court is one, despite any protests he may make to the contrary. Despite being greedy, power-hungry and sex-crazed, Dan is an honest lawyer who repeatedly sacrifices chances for advancement because of his ethics and risks his life and dignity to help his friends.
    • One great example of this is how he gave up a partnership in a very high-profile law firm despite promises of a private office and an attractive female boss who wanted him after he found out that he was being hired for his reputation as a good lover -- not because of his record as Assistant D.A. Of course Dan slept with the woman offering him the job first THEN quit, excitedly telling a confused janitor as he left her office "You can have your principles and STILL get lucky!"
    • Another shining example was when he found some way to coerce Christine into bed (he saved her life and played the "you owe me" card) -- but he couldn't do it to an unwilling woman that he genuinely cared about. She's as stunned as he is, and basically cites this trope verbatim... only to have him point out that this is only going to make him chase her more and that someday, somehow, he will wear her resistance down.
  • At the start of the show, Sebastian Stark from Shark is almost a complete Jerkass, but begins to show a softer side as the series progresses thanks to his daughter, his loyalty to his team and his newfound desire for redemption.
  • Stefan from Top Chef season 5. A very heavy competitor, he comes off as an overconfident ass (which he is, honestly). However, he does have friendships with the other contestants (outside of competition of course) and he tried to comfort Carla when she started to cry during the final judges session.
  • Both Tony DiNozzo and Jethro Gibbs in NCIS stray into this on occasion.
  • Dr. Cottle from Battlestar Galactica is a grumpy, sarcastic, chain-smoking, cantankerous, uncompromising doctor who's downright feared by many of the fleet because of his gruff, unsympathetic attitude and willingness to amputate. He's also the first to not discriminate against the Cylons, treating Athena and her pregnancy with concern as he would anyone else and is visibly furious when Athena is almost raped by Lt. Thorne, occasionally shows signs of warmth for his patients, and is truly moved when Laura Roslin thanks him for never giving up on her when she should've died years ago, but she tells him to cut it out, go grumble, and light a cigarette, lest he ruin his image. He fondly bids her farewell anyway.
    • Donnelly Rhodes's delivery of Cottle's line: "I don't know what to say," wavered a little. This and the way Cottle departed suggested that the Doc was a little choked up.
    • Kara Thrace, a little. Despite her bad habits and occasional rudeness, she truly is a very caring person. With Kacey, Zak, Athena...
  • Nathan Petrelli, when running for congressman, is a good example of this trope. He cultivates some bad connections and habits but genuinely loves his family and does what he can to help them.
    • Given that Nathan Petrelli's worst connections of all are within his own family, this seems like a subversion of the trope or an inversion or something. If left to his own devices, Nathan would be a great guy, but throw in all the bad influences from his environment and...
  • Logan Echolls from Veronica Mars. Described in his first appearance as a psychotic jackass, but god help you if you hurt someone he cares about.
  • Emerson Cod in Pushing Daisies is grumpy, snarky and is always annoyed at having to listen to Ned and Chuck's problems...but he always does listen to them, and often provides helpful advice.
    • Lily as well. A gun-toting, foul-mouthed, cantakerous old lady who loves her sister more than anything in the world.
  • Peter Bishop in Fringe. He could very well be an all-around good guy if not for the fact that his father is what keeps his Jerkass side intact.
  • Arthur in Merlin. Arrogant and self-centered yes, but with a genuine sense of justice and near unshakeable loyalty to his friends, his people and his king. In fact he might not be a jerk at all, or at if it wasn't for this sense of duty towards his father, who is a true Jerkass.
  • Alex from Wizards of Waverly Place. Yes, she's selfish and as close to an out and out anarchist as you're ever going to find in a Disney Channel series but she does genuinely care about her friends and family and in the end always help them, even if most of the time what she's helping them out of is something she caused.
  • Jade West on Victorious. While aggressive and abusive towards most (even her boyfriend), she does show signs of caring about others. The recent episode, Wok Star, is a very good representation of how much she has changed compared to some of her earlier deeds.
  • While occasionally played straight in Married... with Children, one episode brutally subverts this. Al enters himself in an athletic competition for senior citizens (despite not being a senior citizen himself) and his last remaining competitor tells him how much it would mean to him to win this. Al considers for some time to let him win but in the last seconds decide to take the cup for himself. Then we see Al on first place on the podium and the narrator telling us that if we really expected anything else, we probably haven't paid attention all these years. All the while the old man on second place is sobbing.
  • Steve Wassenfelder in Defying Gravity, especially in regard to Paula, both the Jerk and the Heart of Gold parts.
  • Nick Cutter from Primeval. James Lester blends this with Jerkass Facade.
  • Gene Hunt from Life On Mars and Ashes to Ashes. He generally behaves like a sexist boor, but he's loyal, honest (more in the latter than the former) and has Heart of Gold moments that made this troper go Squee.
    • Ray Carling has his moments too.
  • Ted McGriff on Hey Dude.
  • Chuck Bass. He's a jerk, and proud of it, but he loves Blair with all his heart and would do anything for her.
  • Andy Milman from Extras is a variant of this: he is a very grumpy, selfish, self-centered, and sarcastic guy, and he has contempt for people like Derrin who are idiotic, pathetic, or incompetant (in his eyes at least). He does genuinely like and care about Maggie, however, and he truly wants to be a great actor. The world just seems to conspire to make him look like significantly more of an asshole than he actually is, putting him in situations where he accidentally appears racist, homophobic, anti-religious (which he is, but not in an asshole way), intolerant of the mentally handicapped, etc. However, unlike Maggie, who similarly gets into such situations, it's usually at least partly his fault for being an ass.
  • Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear. He's loud, he's smug, he's brash, and he's insufferable... but when his co-presenter Richard Hammond was critically injured in an accident, Clarkson was at his bedside within hours. He also delayed the start of the new season for several months to give Hammond time to recover, and welcomed him back to the show in a lavish spectacle ending with a hug that bordered on Aw, Look -- They Really Do Love Each Other.
  • In Tin Man Cain starts as this, but the other three wear him down until he remembers what a good guy he really is, and that (pardon the Wicked reference), good deeds don't necessarily go unpunished. Oddly enough, it's a Heroic Sacrifice into a frozen lake that did the best job of thawing him out.
  • Professor Kingsfield in The Paper Chase. For instance, in one episode he apparently blows off both Logan's desperate phone call from jail and Hart's attempt to hand in his extra credit work. However, Kingsfield actually intervenes behind the scenes to get Logan released and turns over an entire class period for Hart to present the research he's done.
  • David Rossi comes off as this on several occasions. A prime example is in the episode "Penelope", where he's basically a complete jerk to Penelope Garcia - but only because he wants to catch the guy that shot her. He becomes a bit more subdued in this trope as he gets closer to the team, but he still has his moments.
  • Del Boy Trotter in Only Fools and Horses.
  • Nathan Young from Misfits is a pretty extreme example of this. He is indisputably selfish, immature, insensitive, petulant and obnoxious, and while his Jerkass personality may be a facade to some extent, the fact remains that he often goes out of his way to upset others and seems pretty oblivious to his companions' dislike of him. However, as his Character Development continues, his own vulnerability is made clearly apparent, and he does (occasionally) start to show concern for other people and even expresses remorse for some of the things he's done. Plus, his surprisingly heroic actions during the series finale prove beyond a doubt that there is a half-decent person in there somewhere, no matter how well he hides it most of the time.
  • Dr. Owen Harper from Torchwood, gaining his heart of gold mainly during series 2. Especially in "Fragments".
  • Leo from The West Wing is this, but he should be considered more pure gold with a crust of jerk rather than a jerk with a heart of gold, especially as he doesn't really attempt a Hidden Heart of Gold. Toby fits this trope more accurately -- he acts like an asshole, but cares deeply about his friends, is fiercely loyal to the President, and has very deep compassion for people, as shown by the pains he took and emotions he tried to suppress when trying to arrange a military funeral for a homeless veteran.
    • And Toby's heart of gold gets a quick glimpse whenever he really shows the depth of his friendship with CJ (such as at the end of "The Women of Qumar") or his pride in Sam, who he usually yells at all the time.
  • Elliot Stabler from Law and Order SVU. He can be quite an ass at times, but when the chips are down, he'll do whatever he can to come through for his friends and the case.
    • Arguments could also be made for the original Law and Order's Jack McCoy and Mike Cutter, who can both appear unsympathetic, over-zealous, and cut-throat at times, but their intentions are almost always noble.
  • Derek Venturi can be a complete ass most of the time, but there have been a number of occasions where his "heart of gold" has shone through. Especially around his little sister, Marti.
  • Fonzie from Happy Days, particularly before his Badass Decay.
  • Aphrodite on Hercules and Xena started out as a petty, materialistic bitch who cared more about her temples and used mortal's feelings to get what she wanted. Over time, however, the character evolved into one who did care about some mortals (at least the ones devoted to her), built a friendship with Gabrielle and was one of the few gods who refused to join Athena's war against Xena and her daughter Eve.
    • You can't forget that lovable rouge, Autolycus! He's proven time and time again that despite claiming that his main interest is himself... and riches, he's put his own life on the line to save his friends on multiple occasions. Gabrielle even says that he has a heart of gold after he defends her bad plan to Xena even though he himself had been criticizing her for it shortly before the warrior princess' arrival.
  • Walter White's brother-in-law, Hank Schroeder, is a DEA agent and a bit of a jerk to Walt (while Walt starts off a simple high-school chemistry teacher, while Hank is far cooler). He is also extremely stubborn and self-confident. On the other hand, he genuinely loves his wife and his nephew, Walter, Jr. (who in turn idolizes Hank).
  • Shorty Rossi of Pit Boss. Despite his rougher aspects, he is a genuinely nice guy underneath who tries to do right by people and the dogs.
  • Wait, seriously? This page made it this far with nobody mentioning the ultimate example? Archie Bunker from All in The Family.
  • Agent Albert Rosenfield from Twin Peaks.

"You listen to me. While I will admit to a certain cynicism, the fact is that I am a naysayer and hatchet-man in the fight against violence. I pride myself in taking a punch and I'll gladly take another because I choose to live my life in the company of Gandhi and King. My concerns are global. I reject absolutely: revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method... is love. I love you, Sheriff Truman."

  • Santana, Rachel, Sue, Puck and Quinn from Glee.
  • Lost in Austen casts both Wickham and Darcy in this role.
  • Sergeant Carter from Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. tries to act as nasty to his troops as possible. After all, it is his job. But Gomer keeps his cheerful attitude and even tells the sergeant how much he likes him, making Carter's job even harder.
    • In one episode, another trooper's baby won't stop crying unless Sergeant Carter is holding the baby.
    • Another episode shows Gomer catching a cold, but due to a mix-up of information from the doctor's office, Carter thinks that Gomer is dying. This causes him to show complete kindness to Gomer.
  • In the first season of Green Wing, Guy is annoying and insensitive, with very few redeemable features. In the second series, he starts to grow fond of Caroline, and even proposes to her. Though still something of a jerk, he clearly does have a soft side.
  • Jaye Tyler from Wonderfalls. She's lazy, whiny and frequently mean-spirited, but she loves her family and is, in her own words, "very susceptible to guilt".
  • Jeff Winger in Community is an unapologetic Jerkass, and yet -- although he'd loudly complain about it -- would do absolutely anything for the people he loves.
  • One Hundred Deeds for Eddie Mcdowd has the titular character going from antagonizing Justin while he's a dog to helping him when he's in trouble.
    • The Drifter also counts.
  • Anthony Bourdain from No Reservations. On the outside he may seem like a Jerkass, but really, he's all right and cares about his crew and the people he visits in his travels.
  • Drake Parker from Drake and Josh has his moments, contrasting to his Jerk with a Heart of Jerk sister, Megan.
    • I dunno, Megan has her (incredibly rare) moments, too...
  • Pablo Guerra from Carrusel. He may be the class prankster, may get into trouble often, and may inadvertently cross the line at times. But he is not malicious or cruel. In fact, he was the first one to befriend Mario the new boy.
  • Ron Swanson from Parks and Recreation is a gruff, bitter misanthropist who hates his ex-wives, liberals, and the government, but when it comes down to it he's always there to help his coworkers and dispense sage wisdom.
    • Tom to a lesser extent.
  • The Walking Dead has Daryl Dixon, a racist who has no problem saying someone is stupid, but who also shares his stash of medicine and comforts a mother with a missing child.
    • Daryl has never indicated being a racist. In the Season 2 opener he saves T-Dog's life. (As the name T-Dog implies, it could be that the writers are a little racist or at best behind the times.) His brother Merle, on the other hand, is undiluted jerk.
  • Statler and Waldorf from The Muppet Show. They have a couple of moments that show that they aren't total jerks. Like when they sing this song for example.
  • Axl on The Middle. Underneath the Bratty Teenage Son exterior, he's twice helped his sister out in ways she'd never be aware of, despite the many times he's called her a dork and similar things to her face (although once he did call her a "dork optimist" as a compliment. He's also been shown as very willing to help out Brick, his younger brother, with schoolwork.
    • In "Halloween II" persuaded his friends to abandon their original plan to steal candy when they encountered some little kids who'd had their candy stolen, and instead they got the kids their candy back. When a college football recruiter visited, we saw that he could be very polite and charming.
  • Sister Evangelina in Call the Midwife. Grumpy, hot tempered and disapproving, she a great midwife and a dirt-poor backstory.
  • Nick in New Girl may qualify. He's incredibly cynical and likes to watch his friends insanity unfold around him but doesn't really do anything Jerkish. He seems to consider Jess one of his closest friends and appears to really like her quirks. Overall it is made quite clear throughout the series that Nick is a really good guy who has simply endured a lot of misfortune and unhappiness.
  • Every Degrassi antagonist turned protagonist has a period of this. The longest being Holly J's which starts toward the end of Season 7 and ends... around the end of Season 9. But Paige, Spinner, Jay, Alex, Peter, Jonny, Declan, Drew, Owen, and Bianca also had there time as primarily Jerk, minor heart of gold period.
  • In the sixth season of the reality series The Amazing Race, Jonathan was usually unmercifully mean to his wife Victoria (his race partner) and even other teams, but in the episodes taking place in African countries he was shown embracing the culture, mingling with the locals, and giving candy to children.
Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Jerk_with_a_Heart_of_Gold/Live-Action_TV?oldid=1932495"