Whose Line Is It Anyway?/Characters

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The characters larger-than-life performers of Whose Line Is It Anyway?.

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UK side:

Clive Anderson

"What kind of fairy tales have lesbians in them?!"

The original host of the show, from the early simplistic UK seasons to the more elaborate studio version as it slowly morphed into the format that fans of the US run are familiar with.

Tropes associated with Clive:

• Amoral Attorney: The players sometimes called attention to Clive's legal background and suggested he was one.
• Butt Monkey: At least once a season, someone will go "hello, I'm Clive Anderson" before getting buzzed out.
• Catch Phrase:
  • "The winner shall now read the credits in a style of my choosing... it remains to me now to thank our contestants... thisismeCliveAndersonsayinggoodnight,goodnight!"
  • (at the end of Film Dub) "Bonus points for actually getting the original dialogue..."
  • (at the end of Stand Sit Bend) "One of my favourite games, but it's not much fun on your own..."
• Do Not Explain the Joke: Elephants packing for a holiday. Packing their trunks, I suppose.
• Deadpan Snarker: Not even the audience is spared, as he will pick at the more ridiculous suggestions they give him.
• Department of Redundancy Department: "Our next round is called 'Different Games', because different games are played in this round..."
  • When introducing Props: "The contestants will be split into two pairs of two..."
• Foe Yay: with Greg Proops. To quote a related interview:

Clive: But there is a bit of a falling out here, because, having made you the big star that you are by bringing you on--you've gone off with another man! You've gone off to America to do the American version of Whose Line, which is exactly the same as the British version, except I don't introduce it! Greg: Well, you know, Drew Carey hosts that one, and he's a bit different than you. He's very gentle. But, you know, Clive, I like it rough.

• Kick the Dog: "Unfortunately that was a non-scoring round..."
• Mondegreen: He often misheard audience suggestions for film and theatre styles as nonsense phrases ("Bearded Collie", "Fifty" for Disney, "Mwah Mwah" for Braveheart, etc.) and sometimes even actually used these as styles to give the players a real challenge.
• Motor Mouth
• The Napoleon: While Clive's actual height in comparison to the players never comes up, his wideset build and noticeable... lack of a neck qualifies him for this trope.
• Not So Stoic: Getting him to crack up is a challenge of sorts. The US players, being US players, went to town in this aspect.
• Self-Deprecation: At some point Clive learned how to get out of the bald and 'neck' jokes... by doing them first.
• Sitcom Arch Nemesis with Greg Proops (see below)
• Take That: Once after declaring the winner of the game to be Tony Slattery, he assigned him to read the credits in the style of a comedian who was constantly cracking up while trying to tell a joke. Tony was not amused.
• Take That, Audience!: Often mocked the audience during the "Film and Theatre Styles" round for suggesting low-brow and proletarian styles from TV. To be fair, so do some of the players.

John Sessions

Known for being the first regular performer, John is still, hands down, the most knowledgeable performer in the show's history... sadly, he would be better known for his somewhat misguided application of said knowledge, while paving the way for the ones we would come to know as the legends of Whose Line.

Tropes associated with John:

• The Ace
• Achilles' Heel: Sure he had his references down pat, and he pulled off a credible Leonard Cohen during one Song Styles, but the one thing that would always be a problem for him was the actual improvisation. Seriously, he messed up a couple of the guessing games by giving the answer away.
• The Cast Showoff
• Cloudcuckoolander: Intentional or not, John's habit for ignoring the buzzer and carrying on one of his spiels was legendary.
• Large Ham
  • Hoist by His Own Petard: Season 2 episode 12 had a new guest performer, Chris Langham, who could give John a run for his money.

Clive: (after holding the buzzer down for some time) "Are you doing this in the style of two deaf actors?..."

• Meaningful Name: Someone named Sessions becoming a regular on a show with this format, what are the chances?
• The Smart Guy: Depending on how much you like him, John is either this or an Insufferable Genius. Everyone can agree, however, that John Sessions has read more books than you.

Archie Hahn

The first American performer ever in the UK version.

Tropes associated with Archie:

• Eagle Land: Not deliberately, but he's been singled out for it anyways.
• Expository Hairstyle Change: His return to the show after getting Put on a Bus saw him sporting a ponytail. He didn't stay for long.
• Man of a Thousand Voices: Impressions were Archie's primary strength - one end credits reading saw him going through random cartoon voices, including Donald Duck. He was also talented with providing sound effects.

Josie Lawrence

"You're travelling with Air Bunkup!"

The first regular female player, and fondly remembered as one of the most versatile.

Tropes associated with Josie:

• Adorkable: She was more like this during the show's dork age.
• As Long as It Sounds Foreign: Her faked foreign accents are sometimes as charming as they are convincing, check out her faux-Albanian.
• Achilles' Heel: Her tendency to crack up - and it's not even her own fault, since at some point she became...
• Butt Monkey to Paul and Tony
  • Kick the Dog: Even semi-regulars like Jim and the US players like Ryan did it too.
    • Earn Your Happy Ending: She appeared in US series And the Fandom Rejoiced.
• Eighties Hair: In the earlier seasons...from the 80s.
• Nakama: When Josie went to America to film the US version of the show, she stayed with Greg and his wife at their LA home. Say it with me: aww.
• Ship Tease with Mike McShane
• Skinship Grope with Caroline Quentin.
• Thanks for the Mammary: Josie bites Tony's hand during a game of Helping Hands with Tony providing the hands for Josie. He gets his revenge by openly groping her for the rest of the scene.
• The Smurfette Principle
• Three Faces of Eve: Josie is Sweet.

Paul Merton

"...slaphead."

Known for being one of the legends of the UK run - even if he seemed out of touch for the most of it. Known mostly for his quick, deadpan wit and generally being a Jerkass to the other contestants (Played for Laughs of course).

Tropes associated with Paul:

• Boke and Tsukkomi Routine: His routines with Tony tend to fall into this rut. Which of them gets which role depends on who you ask, though.
• Breaking the Fourth Wall: Paul used this trope like a WEAPON. If he saw an opportunity he'd casually break character for a joke.
• Cloudcuckoolander: From Volvos to bestiality in 5 seconds flat.
• The Comically Serious: Paul's appeal stems primarily from acting like this.
• Deadpan Snarker: Paul took this Up to Eleven. He was THE person who could stop a routine completely dead with a single comment.
• Only Sane Man: Parodied.
• Perpetual Frowner:

Clive: And next we have Paul Merton, whose radiant, smiling face... we have yet to see.

• Red Oni, Blue Oni with Tony Slattery
• The Stoic: Paul's schtick, although he doesn't take it to the extreme some comics do.

Tony Slattery

"Hello, is this Clive Anderson Ties Limited? Yes, I think you should shut down. Bye."

Known for being the other legend of the UK run - US fans, imagine Brad's sense of humor, Wayne's energy and Colin's inhibitions in one package.

Tropes associated with Tony:

• The Ace
• Achilles' Heel: Tony is very, very good at laughing. Often at himself. Jury's out on whether or not he has an Annoying Laugh.
• Ambiguously Gay: Tony's sexuality is a favorite topic amongst fans with too much time on their hands.

Clive: * playing Scenes from a Hat* "Robin Hood selecting his merry men." Tony: * comes out in the middle of the stage with the other (male) performers, and throws his arms out flamboyantly* "I'll have all of you!"

• The Cast Showoff: He was pulling dance moves long before Wayne Brady.
  • He was also very good at the Hoedown game, and was often given the very last spot in these games whenever he played. (The creators actually have come out saying the last spot on Hoedown is the hardest. It gives the most time to think, but if the player can't think of something funny, then the entire game feels like a waste of time.)
• Downer Ending: He was fired after a bad episode in season seven. After this, he had a nervous breakdown.
  • To clarify: Tony began suffering from severe bipolar disorder a few years before he was fired, and, instead of seeking professional help, he turned to drugs and alcohol instead as a form of self-medication. It didn't work. His career was the only thing keeping him even remotely sane. Eventually, though, he did begin seeking professional help, and now he's sobered up and gradually easing back into show business (occasionally he performs live improv with the Comedy Store Players, including Paul, Josie, and Steve), so it's not a complete downer.
• Early-Bird Cameo: Eagle-eyed viewers can spot him in the audience in the very first episode.
• Embarrassing Middle Name: Not only does Tony have two middle names, but one of them is "Declan." [Pronounced like "Dek-lin" not "The Clan".]
• Face Palm: Tony had a very nice one when the audience suggested and Clive told him to make up a song about him being in love with an inflatable pig.
• Hoist by His Own Petard: when Caroline Quentin (below) became one of the first players (the first lady even) to get his goat.
• I Was Quite a Fashion Victim: It says a lot that the end of his tenure was marked by some of the most unflattering outfits in the show's history.
• Large Ham
• Lovable Sex Maniac: To the extent of whatever passed for Memetic Mutation in those days.
• The Napoleon: It's not obvious till much later that Tony really is one of the shortest players on the stage, especially after more Americans join in.
  • It's not so much that Tony is short (he's 5'11") more than everyone else is giant. Even Josie, the female performer who appeared the most, is 5'10"!
• Precision F-Strike: After a particularly disastrous playing of Party Quirks, Tony yelled "Oh, well, FUCK OFF!" at Clive...consequently losing every point he'd ever won on the show up to that point. We all know The Points Mean Nothing, but damn.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni with Paul Merton
• Refuge in Audacity: Some of the dirtiest lines on the show are attributed to Tony.
• Running Gag: Sneaking a Vomit Discretion Shot into any session of Props.
• Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness: Occasionally. For example, during one Party Quirks, Greg was playing a "compulsive liar." Tony guessed that he was a "inveterate bullshitter."
• Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Tony was suggested as a replacement for Stephen Fry when Stephen backed out of becoming a regular on the show. The producers were skeptical, but he quickly won them over.
• Take That: Tony's occasional throwing out of the name Patricia, rumored to be an old girlfriend of his. Also note some of his initial guesses.

Greg: * playing a Surfer* "Dude, what's up, broheim? Screaming flat, man! Look, shredding snacks! Whoo!" * 'surfs' over to the 'snack table' while humming a surfing tune* Tony: Are you Margaret Rutherford?

• This Is Sparta: "Shut. Your. Face."
• What the Hell, Hero?: When playing film and theater styles, Clive would sometimes give the style: "Musical." If that happened, Tony would say to the other: "You know a song about that don't you? Well, off you go then!" Only Greg Proops was able to give a good response by encouraging the audience members to sing with him.
  • Encouraging. Thaaaat is what we call it.

Greg: "SING, DAMN IT!"

Mike McShane

"Here's your keys and HERE'S YOUR LUNCH!!"

There have been US guests before Mike of course, but Mike stands out for being the most versatile - and well, being the most.

Tropes associated with Mike:

• Acrofatic: He will bust out the dance steps if needed.
• The Big Guy
• Hey, It's That Guy!: Mike was Friar Tuck to Kevin Costner's Robin Hood - and scores major points for getting the accent right.
  • He was also the therapist who dies of a heart attack in Office Space.
  • It's the mechanic from Brotherly Love!
  • It's the wacky professor from the Richie Rich live-action movie!
  • Hey, It's That Voice!: And for the more geekily-inclined among us, he was also the voice of Cid (Rikku's father as well as the leader of the Al Bhed and the Fahrenheit's captain) in Final Fantasy X.
• Hypocritical Humor: Mike once made a bald joke about Clive. Clive wasted no time in pointing out the hypocrisy in this when he has a noticeable bald patch as well.

"[By] early rock 'n' roll, do you mean at this point in your hairline or at this point in your hairline?"

• I Resemble That Remark: When suggesting a song for a Bartender game, a member of the audience suggested Mike was drinking to forget a problem with his diet. He fired back with: "Wow, all these weight references, I've never heard them before. Get some original material."
• Large Ham
• Nakama: Rumor has it that Mike quit the show when Tony Slattery was fired during season seven in a display of camaraderie and to protest how Tony was treated by the producers. He did however make one more guest appearance on the show in season nine.
• Playing Against Type: He often did female roles, long before Colin became known for it.
• Reality Subtext: He returned for one last appearance in UK season 9, and during "Weird Newscasters" his character was "fired and it's his last day at work".

Sandi Toksvig

I've got lots and lots of scarlet fishes. That's nothing to do with the party, that's a red herring. (audience groans)

The diminutive and strangely gruff-voiced Danish addition to the cast is known for being more than just the second female regular.

Tropes associated with Sandi:

• Achilles' Heel: Any musical games.
• Affirmative Action Girl
• Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: She tends to get paired up with Mike for FT&T styles, also she played one with Ryan. Many people noticed the slight difference in height.
• The Ladette: There's a reason for that...
• Large Small Ham
• Memetic Outfit: It's been speculated that the jockey outfit was all they had in her size...
• Self-Deprecation: Seen in this Worlds Worst Submarine Captain

"Well it's not a problem, you just pull down the periscope. You just pull... (Jumps to try to reach it)

• The Napoleon
• Three Faces of Eve: Sandi is Sour.
• A Worldwide Punomenon: Her primary strength.

Jim Sweeney

As a semi-regular, Jim may only be remembered for bringing his colleague Steve Steen onto the show - which is a pity, because he holds his own remarkably well against the regulars.

Tropes associated with Jim Sweeney:

• Creator Backlash: Admitted a few years ago on Myspace that he never really cared much for Whose Line. He explained that while it was fun to do, true improv should never be seen more than once, as would be the case for live shows. He said that Whose Line loses its quality if you watch reruns because you already know what's going to happen, and there's no spontaneity.
• Deadpan Snarker
• Eighties Hair
• Keet: The real reason he brought his longtime partner Steve Steen on the show - their chemistry. Partner Jim with someone else, and the building nervousness makes him look like he's been shooting up on caffeine.

Jim: "Well, I have to go..." Greg: "Yes, I know you have to leave now, to see the... musical instruments..." Jim: (beat) "...Xanadu was a really bad film, wasn't it?!"

• Spiritual Successor to John Sessions

Steve Steen

Tropes associated with Steve Steen:

• Man of a Thousand Voices
• Memetic Outfit (a very distinctive vest-and-shirt combo)
• The Napoleon
• Red Oni, Blue Oni

Steve Frost

"You're goin' 'ome in a BLEEDIN' AMBULANCE!!"

Huge, balding and gruff of voice, with eyebrows you could lose a man in, Steve may be the most intimidating comedian ever.

Tropes associated with Steve Frost:

• Achilles' Heel: Steve was especially bad at the Hoedown game. He had a terrible sense of rhythm and his rhymes made no sense.

Steve: When I was a young man, I went to my friend's house for tea. Well he was growing up too fast, he was going through puberty. He had hairs on his top lip, and underneath his arms. His mother came in and caught us kissing. And... joined in.

• • It doesn't help that he was almost always in the first spot, which meant he got basically no time to think of a verse.
    • He had a third spot in one of the first games he appeared on. One would think he was moved to the first spot because the producers realized the extra time didn't help him.
• Ass Shove: Steve pretending to pull on a long rubber glove is usually a sign for Clive to hit the buzzer.
• Bald of Awesome
• Big Ol' Eyebrows
• Boisterous Bruiser: To the extent that his turn on "Weird Newscasters" as a "soccer fan" started becoming disturbingly realistic.

"...ENGLAAAAND! ENGLAAAAND!!" *takes his seat and starts swinging it around*

• Cool Old Guy: You really get the feeling that Colin and Ryan were basically his understudies during his tenure.
• Face of a Thug
• Make Me Wanna Shout: He's known for his very loud and sharp whistle, able to cut right through the pace of whatever act he was in.
• Memetic Outfit: It's been speculated that those baggy Hawaiian shirts were all they had in his size...
• Refuge in Audacity: He actually lowered his pants for a laugh twice.
• Stock Characters: Jimmy Saville ("Now then now then now then!")
• Violent Glaswegian: Practically oozes this.
• You Fail Biology Forever: During the vasectomy hoedown, Steve described the procedure as: "Gonna cut your balls off, and put 'em in a jar!"

Rory Bremner

(as John Major) "I must say, it makes a difference taking the piss out of myself..."

Specialising in impressions, Rory enjoyed a semi-regular run on this show before moving on to Mock the Week.

Tropes associated with Rory:

• Catch Phrase: Ironically, none are actually his own. He's known to have milked Murray Walker's "Look! At! That!" a few times.
• Man of a Thousand Voices
• Nerd Glasses: Actually carried a pair for his more specific impressions.
• Spotlight-Stealing Squad: Rory won many of the games he appeared on. He was also always given a chance to show off an impression he was good at, or another subject he knew about. See for example the Tory Politicians Hoedown, which was the topic when the other three contestants were two Americans and a Canadian. Greg is able to show off his UK politics knowledge, but Colin and Ryan just sort of flounder.
• Stock Characters: Implied to have a dozen, but his British politicians and Eagle Land acts come to mind.
• Take That: His impressions of co-stars can be pretty spot on, check out his takes on Tony and Clive.

Caroline Quentin

Clive: "...in this scene, you are a woman in labor, and Tony is the father of th..." Caroline: "I'll be the judge of that!"

Despite joining the UK lineup relatively late, Caroline's talent and chemistry with Josie has created some moments to remember.

Tropes associated with Caroline:

• Hey, It's That Guy!: from Men Behaving Badly!
• Refuge in Audacity: In American terms, she was the Colin to Josie's Ryan.
  • In one game she is paired with Steve Frost and given the scene At the Butcher's. He asks if she wants "some dripping to go with that." She answers: "Don't worry, I'm doing me own," to Steve's complete revulsion.
• Thanks for the Mammary: Much like the example with Josie, Caroline is groped by Tony in revenge after she slaps him in the face. She counters to this by openly grabbing his crotch immediately afterward. Can be seen here.
• Three Faces of Eve: Caroline is Spicy.

Richard Vranch

Colleagues with Paul and Josie (all hailing from The Comedy Store Players) prior to Whose Line, Richard is best known for being the musician for the UK series.

Tropes associated with Richard Vranch:

• Memetic Outfit: How often is he seen without those earphones of his?
• Omnidisciplinary Scientist: He slings a guitar alongside that piano, and there's a synthesiser on top and probably some other musical implements behind it.
  • He's also literally a scientist. He has a doctorate in physics from Cambridge University.
• Suspiciously Apropos Music: He's also known for impromptu piano playing to flavor up the non-musical games.
• The Voiceless: Richard Vranch rarely spoke during all of his years on the show. He did smile and occasionally move his head though.
  • Don't forget the winking!

---

US side:

Drew Carey

"Welcome to Whose Line Is It Anyway, where the points don't matter, that's right, the points are like the plot of a porn movie, they don't matter!"

Known for already having an eponymous sitcom, Drew went with his co-star Ryan's idea of adapting this show for US audiences - and the rest, as they say, is history.

Tropes associated with Drew:

• Achilles' Heel: It's not hard to get Drew to laugh, but it's even harder to make him stop.
• Catch Phrase:
  • "I'm your host Drew Carey, c'mon down, let's have some fun!"
  • "Welcome to Whose Line Is It Anyway?, the show where everything's made up and the points don't matter... if you've never seen the show before, this is how it works: our performers are going to make up everything you see here, right off the top of their heads, based on suggestions from the audience... we give 'em some fakey points, it's just a gag to hold the show together..."
• Deadpan Snarker
• Embarrassing Middle Name: Alison.
• If I Had a Nickel
• It's the Best Whatever Ever!: Drew's reaction to the Colin Newsflash.
• Kick the Dog: "A thousand points to everybody but Wayne..."
• Memetic Outfit: Not just the suit but the suspenders struggling with his pants.
• Nerd Glasses: Carried over, not from his sitcom or even his standup routine prior, but from his days in the US Marine Corps.
• Pet the Dog: "A thousand points, and my heart goes out to all of you man..."
• Self-Deprecation: "...the points don't mean anything. Just like my treadmill..."

Greg Proops

"Yes Mister Patronising Barrister, we do have trampolines in America..."

One of the best-known US regulars in the UK run, not just for the cartoony voice but for the number of times it's been directed at Clive. Whether it was Clive's relative inaction during the UK run, or his habit of condescending cracks at the US players, or both, it's turned Greg vs Clive into the best known Running Gag (the distinguishing aspect even) of the late UK run.

Tropes associated with Greg:

• Deadpan Snarker
• Fascinating Eyebrow: The first 15 seconds of this.
• Four Eyes, Zero Soul: Heavily invoked, despite the similarity to Drew's Nerd Glasses
• Getting Crap Past the Radar: "I have someone coming in my ear right now!" (During News Report.)
• Hey, It's That Voice!: Greg was, at one point, the American voice of Bob the Builder. Really.
  • He's also one of the podrace announcers in The Phantom Menace. And one of the announcers, alongside John Dimaggio, for MadWorld. He's got an eclectic mix of roles.
• I Was Quite a Fashion Victim: You wouldn't know it by looking at him, but Greg was not always the suave, suit-sporting man he is now.
• Last-Second Word Swap/Subverted Rhyme Every Time: this was a specialty of his during the UK run.
• Man of a Thousand Voices: His most underrated strength, possibly because of an unshakeably nasal tone in all of them.
• Memetic Outfit: The glasses and the suit, especially the jacket that Wayne borrows at times.
• Sitcom Arch Nemesis: To Clive Anderson.
• Smug Snake
• Stock Characters: Woody Allen
• Take That Me: Played with while hosting one game of "Party Quirks."

"It's a 'Come as a Greg Proops joke' party. Ocelot! Ocelot! Nehehehehehe--God, you're bald, Clive."

• Totally Radical: Looking back, his early appearances have shades of this; it's hard to tell how much of it is self-mockery/exaggeration and how much is genuinely what hip Californians talked like then...
  • It's self-mockery AND accurate. If you've seen his solo act, most of his jokes revolve around how dumb stereotypical Californians sound.
• Viewers are Morons: After failing to get a laugh with the joke: "Wow Alice, there are two Cheshire Cats!" he indignantly yelled out: "It's called a book!"
  • He's done that more than once.

Ryan Stiles

"That's Right, I'LL respect YOU in the MOOORNIIING!!"

From early in the UK run to the last episode of the US run, Ryan Stiles has become a staple of the show, its driving force in more ways than one as he gets an Exec Producer credit for helping bring it to the US.

Tropes associated with Ryan:

• The Ace: With a bit of The Big Guy thrown in.
• Butt Monkey: Meta-example - from being fed with the weirdest suggestions in the cards to being fed with pretty much anything by Colin in Helping Hands.

"I'm just leaving a little time here so everyone can read the novel that is my suggestion..."

• Covert Pervert: It's been noted out that he's by far more familiar with certain subjects than he'll own up to.

(After Greg guessed that Ryan was a "70s Porn Star Dude") Drew: That's close enough... (lets Greg see the answer) Greg: (reads) ""A Series Of Delivery Guys In Porn Films"?" Ryan: "I had to just, think about what that's be like cos I've never... ahem..." Colin: "...AAAAHAHAHAHA!..."

• • Xaviera Hollander, his frequent pick for X in 90 Second Alphabet, is the eponymous Happy Hooker.
• Deadpan Snarker
• Gag Nose
• Gag Penis: From imaginary ones to actual ones thanks to some of the Props.
• Game-Breaking Injury: Ryan's bad back has come up once or twice, even resulting in the only Ice Skaters game ever being aborted
• Heterosexual Life Partners: With Colin.
• Hidden Depths: He really can sing if he puts his mind to it, just take a listen here.
• Hoist by His Own Petard: Any time Ryan's attempts to strongarm the current act in a direction of his own choosing is thwarted by Colin.
  • Also the Hoedowns: The last slot in the hoedown is the most important; a good player can use it to elevate the entire episode to legendary funniness while a bad one can leave the audience feeling cheated. Ryan was good at it, really really good. It was one of the reasons why there are so many Hoedowns in the US run, so many that Ryan came to hate the game with a passion because he was always last and always had to try and top not only the other players but himself.
• Large Ham
• Likes Older Women: That episode with Florence Henderson...
• Made of Iron: Takes a neon light to the head and keeps on going.
• Memetic Outfit: His shoes.
  • The shoes, the cowboy shirts, the ties.
• Multiple Choice Past: Sort of. Ryan was born in the U.S. but spent much of his childhood in Canada. When he needs an excuse for getting something wrong, it's usually something along the lines of, "I'm Canadian. It's different there." But he's still allowed free passes to mock Colin for being Canadian, implying Ryan isn't.
• Nice Shoes
• Not Even Bothering with the Accent: Accents are not his strongest point... and he knows it, too.

"Lemme just say that this Spanish Colonel has some Italian in him..."

• Rule of Funny: To the extent that the nickname "Anything-for-a-Laugh" has been used in-universe on the show.
  • Subverted when taking a mouthful of Altoid mints comes back to bite him in the worst way.

Drew: They are curiously strong when you pop them all in your mouth at once.

• Running Joke: Ryan would tend to make as many references to Nazis or impressions of Adolf Hitler as he could get away with, especially in the Helping Hands game.
  • He was upset when "Bill Cosby and Hitler are roommates," was suggested for a game in the American version, and Executive Meddling stopped the game before it even started.
• Stock Characters: Elvis Presley, Carol Channing, John Wayne, animals of all kinds.
• Suicide as Comedy: He's mimed hanging himself several times.
• A Worldwide Punomenon: One of his specialties.

Colin Mochrie

"Monkey monkey chew the butter / See my buttocks, they've better, batter, patoota / patoota monkey monkey! Look! There's a gerbil! / I'm going up and down! 60 Minutes, where are you? / Here's an expose for you! *gibberish*"

A regular towards the end of the UK run, Colin quickly became a crowd favorite for all the right reasons (and a few wrong ones).

Tropes associated with Colin:

• Achilles' Heel: Any music-based game - except possibly the Irish Drinking Song.
  • Colin has admitted the Hoedown is the only game in which he feels real fear while playing.
  • Colin often freezes in "If You Know What I Mean", but he has his moments, like "I'll help you fluff your Garfield, if you know what I mean.".
  • He's often implied on-camera to having difficulty with impersonations (usually deferring to a general Walter Brennan western accent whenever it comes time to do one), and thus seems hesitant whenever participating in "Questionable Impressions".

Colin: (steps up onto the stage, speaking in his normal voice) Got anything for Craig T. Nelson?

• Bald of Awesome: And the other actors never let him forget it
• Berserk Button: Played for laughs whenever Colin needs to be "held back" by Ryan after one too many bald jokes
• Beware the Nice Ones: See The Woobie below - when he finally decides that it's time for a comeback, expect comedy gold.
• Butt Monkey: "Hey, make fun of the bald guy! I'll be your Lightning Rod of Hate(tm)!"
  • Designated Monkey
• Canada, Eh?: Colin hails from Toronto.
• Chivalrous Pervert: "I'm gonna stick my nose in there!..."
• Cloudcuckoolander: He often blurts out weird stuff randomly. Especially in the games "Irish Drinking Song" and "Three Headed Broadway Star".
• Cool Old Guy: The hair makes it hard to tell that he's merely 2 years older than Ryan.
• Corpsing: Colin's the one who can make the others break up on stage. On occasion, he can make everyone else break up on stage with a single word - such as "Meow!"
• Deadpan Snarker
• Double Standard: Everyone takes potshots at Colin for being bald and/or Canadian, but one time when he made fun of Ryan's nose, the audience reacted negatively, making him say "Notice how all the melon jokes, the bald jokes? I make one nose joke, it's OHHH!"
• Enemy to All Living Things: Colin's earlier performances usually involved miming the killing of small animals - and people.
• I Was Quite a Fashion Victim: While nearly everyone who'd been in the UK series prior were hit with this, Colin stood out thanks to some very ill-fitting jackets.
  • "I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you over your shirt."
• Large Ham
• Meaningful Name: Someone who's done equal amounts of time on the giving and receiving end, named Mochrie. Think about it. He even punned on it in one late UK Hoedown about himself.
• Nice Guy: He's the least sweary of the lot, even in deleted outtakes, making the animal abuse jokes that much more random.

"You big... poo-head!"

• Overly Prepared Gag: One of Colin's specialties. Considering that any 'preparing' starts from the moment he sits down...
• Pet the Dog: "Canada - the UPSIDE!"
• Playing Against Type: You do not cast the balding middle-aged man as the romantic female lead. One can only wonder why.
• Pungeon Master
• Refuge in Audacity: Not just in the usual sense but in-game - how else do you explain him filling his third of a session of "Three-Headed Singer" with repetitions of "YOU!" up to nine times. And copping out of Hoedown, of course.
  • That does not even compare to the Party Quirks game where his quirk was "Suspects that people are not the sex they claim to be and is trying to find out for sure." Any and everytime Refuge in Audacity and Whose Line Is It Anyway are mentioned together, this scene is the go-to reference.

Brad Sherwood

"This just in, Wayne's got a fig old futt."

Joining as a semi-regular late in the UK run, having appeared in a few of the earlier episodes, Brad stands out not just physically but for his distinctly fratboy-juvenile style of humor.

Tropes associated with Brad:

• The Big Guy
• Large Ham
• Lovable Sex Maniac: "Did you see the jugs of that girl in row 4?"
• Made of Iron: Brad's deliberate pratfalls have a disturbingly loud thump.
  • Falling on his front while wearing a Lapel mic can have that effect.
• Pungeon Master: Not quite to Colin's extent, but he's known to throw in some serious groaners here and there.
• Refuge in Audacity: The game "If You Know What I Mean" is a specialty of his.

"I hope my husband licks Bush tonight..."

• • Unintentional in this clip's Hoedown, when he was called out for mentioning "pu-pu platter".
  • From an Olympic-themed "If You Know What I Mean", "There's nothing better than a 200 lb snatch if you know what I mean...", which prompted Ryan to say "That's never gonna make it to air, if you know what I mean..."
• Spiritual Successor to Tony Slattery
• Toilet Humor: "Goodbye, beautiful. FLUSH."

Wayne Brady

Ryan: "Hey Wayne, can I borrow your butt for the weekend?" Wayne: "Sorry my brutha, you gots to get your own."

Not just a staple of the US run, but quite possibly one of the most talented people on television. He sings. He dances. He has a repertoire of stock impressions. He's inhumanly fit and flexible to the point of replicating Looney Tunes stunts in live action. Did we mention he can sing?

Tropes associated with Wayne:

• Achilles' Heel: Wayne is known for cracking up the most often - given what show he's on, can you blame him?
  • Also the fact that he "has a tickly butt".
• Beware the Nice Ones: Parodied. He's known to slip briefly into psychotic personas for a gag, but otherwise almost never snarks or teases.
  • Played straight with his uncanny-but-still-rather-scathing 'inbred-hillbilly' Deep South impressions, and by proxy, his merciless rips on George W. Bush.
• But Not Too Black: Partially in retrospect from Chappelle's Show jokes about Wayne. It's made even funnier when Wayne makes jokes like in a Did I Just Say That Out Loud? bit saying "No one realizes that I'm white!"
  • Wayne Brady once joked after one African Chant that he would never be allowed to go back to Africa; another time, he jokingly protested, "Why do I have to do the African Chant?" to which Drew responded, "Because Colin would screw it up."
• Butt Monkey: Happens literally after his big secret came out... (See here.)
• The Cast Showoff: How often has the second or third game of each episode been a Wayne showcase?
• Crosscast Role: not as much as Colin... apparently it's not as funny if done well enough.
• Funny Afro: Loves to mime having these
• Heroic BSOD: Two mild ones. One comes after he gets too close to Richard Simmons. The other is the result of the Jane Tricker incident.
• Keet: The man can move, and talk in some cases.
• Memetic Outfit: Tight tees... and The Thong.
  • Don't forget his flared pants, probably the only straight guy who can pull them off.
• Name's the Same: A variant of this trope occurs with special guest Florence Henderson, better known as Mrs Brady.
• Renaissance Man: Apart from what's already mentioned here, he's also a television host and a father.
• Screams Like a Little Girl (He really does.)
• Sesame Street Cred: "Aren't you supposed to be good at making things up in a moment? Good luck!"
  • Secret Handshake
• Stock Characters: Sassy Black Woman(!), Uncle Tomfoolery, Bill Cosby, Sammy Davis Jr, Michael Jackson... there's a pattern here...
  • There's also his very convincing Mexican accent.
• Stylistic Suck: certain acts require him to sing badly, which is done very convincingly and a hundred times funnier as a result.
• Token Black: He appeared to be this at first, but proven in time to be a full-fledged Ace. Also joked about it with good humour.

Wayne: Why do I have to lead the African chant?

• Verbal Tic: Next time Wayne sings, see how long it takes him to hit on the word "because". Here's a hint: it's usually as soon as he opens his mouth.
• Viewers are Morons: Has happened to Wayne a few times:

Wayne: (during "Scenes From a Hat") Yea! The two revenuers from Verona approacheth! (dead silence) Read a book, people!

Karen Maruyama

"I would take you to sporting goods store, and buy some pingpong balls and keep you up aaaall niiight!"

The only Asian player in the history of Whose Line. Karen is known for playing up her few strengths as far as she can (in essence, a female Colin).

Tropes associated with Karen:

• Memetic Outfit: She wears that same outfit--either with or without suspenders--in every single episode she's in.
  • This clip shows at least three different shirts, but they're all green.
    • She got better after her run on Whose Line by going on an episode of How Do I Look?
• N-Word Privileges: Her Me Love You Long Time routines - even if her acts don't specify it.
• Stock Characters: Mrs. Robinson
• Three Faces of Eve: Karen is Spicy
• Token Minority: Asian

Denny Siegel

"Pork rinds?! I'm having a heart attack..."

In simple terms, Denny is an all-rounded performer and very much one of the guys.

Tropes associated with Denny:

• Cloudcuckoolander: Not just in-character, note some of her answers during guessing-type games.
• She's Got Legs: No really, has anyone looked at her legs, in the episodes where she wears a skirt instead of pants? She has beautiful legs.
• Three Faces of Eve: Denny is Sour
• Token Minority: Jewish

Kathy Greenwood

"I do not dance for the likes of you, get your stinking hands off meeEEEEEEEE..."

Debuting in US season 2, Kathy is officially the best known of all the Whose Line US women, thanks primarily to more appearances.

Tropes associated with Kathy:

• As Long as It Sounds Foreign: Faking European accents is her most underrated strength - and a bit of an Achilles' Heel as it bled into her attempts at anything different.

"I do not dance for the likes of you." * laughter explodes, then...* "You're from Canada aren't you?" "Chè, and me mother is from Swëëden."

• Canada, Eh?: She is from Canada, but Drew tends to save all the Canada jokes for Colin
• Cute but Cacophonic: Her turn as "whiny girlfriend of gangster boss Colin" in Weird Newscasters.

Colin: "This just in: all dogs in a five-mile area go deaf."

• Dumb Blonde: She was not good at some of the guessing games - Ryan's neon tube accident was a direct result of getting the other two right early while taking too long with his.

Drew: "His what keeps sticking to what, Kathy?" Kathy: "Your head is... velcro?" Drew: "Close enough." *buzzes*

• • Although in fairness, many of Ryan's quirks are rather tough to determine.
• The Smurfette Principle: First regular female for the US run
  • Actually, Denny Siegel preceded her.
• Three Faces of Eve: Kathy is Sweet.

Chip Esten

"...if you come down this weekend you can drive off the lot with Colin Mochrie right here! There's some wear on the tread here, that can be replaced for no extra charge..."

After appearing late in the UK run, Chip rejoined the US in season 2, but the audience warmed up to him very quickly. You can't go wrong with looks and talent in equal amounts, as Wayne already proved.

Tropes associated with Chip:

• I Was Quite a Fashion Victim: Two words: UK hair.
• Keet: Especially notable as he's gone toe to toe with Wayne on occasion
• Large Ham: In his UK debut, Clive brought up Chip's stage musical experience, and it really shows.
• Only Known by Their Nickname: Watch the end credits - sometimes they say Charles Esten.
• Put on a Bus: First appeared in the UK version, then took a long hiatus before reappearing in the US one
• Retraux: His chiseled good looks invoke '60s screen idols, and has been lampshaded once.
• Stock Characters: Snagglepuss.
• A Worldwide Punomenon: Sans "lame", when he punned his name, and this Hoedown:

My wife caught me with a prostitute She came into the room and she began to shoot And then she went and yelled all around the town I know there's more prostitutes; I guess that's one hoe down.

Jeff Davis

"Jack please, please don't leave me, don't leave me I beg/I will not leave you, Rose, I've frozen my leg/You've frozen your leg?/I've frozen my leg..."

The last new player added to the US run in season 3, Jeff turned out to be versatile enough to earn regular status.

Tropes associated with Jeff:

• Deadpan Snarker
• Large Ham
• Memetic Outfit: The shinyish suit
• Retraux: The suit, that hair - he'd fit right in with The Beatles, really.
  • Lampshaded when Drew mentioned his resemblance to Paul McCartney.
• Stock Characters: Christopher Walken
• Twinkle Smile

Laura Hall

"...It's very hard to explain..."

The charming female pianist actually appeared first in the last leg of the UK run - again, the rest is history.

Tropes associated with Laura Hall:

• Morality Pet: Drew can be crude, but he is especially warm and gentle toward Laura, going so far as to greet her with "God bless you."
• Not So Stoic: She's never failed to deliver whatever music is required, but noticeably messed up at least once - her piano play went Off the Rails thanks to one Irish Drinking Song.
  • This one too
    • Her piano playing can also slow down or stop entirely when the cast manages to make her laugh. It's kind of a game for players.
• Those Two Guys: With Linda
• Three Faces of Eve: Laura is Sweet, at least for no-Kathy eps.
• The Quiet One: Has only two lines for the entire run, and only after the keyboard crashed.
  • You mean this time?
• Yamato Nadeshiko: Carried out all her usual duties while being very visibly pregnant for a stretch. That, folks, is what we call a trooper.
  • Several jokes were made about how she can possibly play the piano when she can barely reach the keys.

Linda Taylor

To add versatility to the music center of the show, guitarist Linda was added to Laura's corner - enforcing a noticeable trend of female-only musicians (later eps would have brass specialists Cece Worral-Rubin or Anne King joining in.)

Tropes associated with Linda Taylor:

• Affirmative Action Girl: She's usually seen standing and has her hair in that bleached-blonde crewcut. Hmm.
• Those Two Guys: With Laura

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