Charlie Kaufman has forged one of the most successful careers of any screenwriter in the business, earning acclaim from both critics and audiences alike. He first gained attention for his Being John Malkovich script which went on to earn him an Oscar nomination for best screenplay.

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His unique mind and style have created some of the greatest films of the past two decades. In addition to his innovative films, he has created some of the best most dynamic, and rich characters ever seen in fiction. With this in mind, here are the 10 best Charlie Kaufman characters.

Sammy Barnathan - Synecdoche, New York

Sam is being interviewed by Caden in Synecdoche, New York

Sammy Barnathan featured in 2008's Synecdoche, New York. He is hired to portray Caden Cohen in his play. At the audition, he neglects to bring his resume, as he has no acting experience.

On top of all this, he doesn't fit the part in the slightest and shares no physical similarities to Cohen. Despite this, he gets the job. He was obsessed with Coden Cohen and understood him even more than himself.

Susan Orlean - Adaptation

Susan Orlean was a career-driven journalist whose life changed forever when she wrote a piece for the New Yorker about orchid poaching. She featured in 2002's Adaptation and was a complex character who seemingly had it all, including a career and a loving husband.

But her need for passion and adventure proved to be her undoing and she found herself entangled in a web of crime, pushing her to do things she never would have dreamed of previously.

Maxine Lund - Being John Malkovich

Maxine Lund's life was already a little unusual - working on a floor between floors isn't exactly normal. But things became even stranger when it was revealed that on the same floor there was a hole to John Malkovich.

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In Being John Malkovich, Maxine was bizarrely able to become John Malkovich, and so could anyone else. Her immediate instinct was to profit from this phenomenon and she decided to charge entry into Malkovich. Maxine is cunning and knows exactly what she wants from life, and how to get it.

Craig Schwartz - Being John Malkovich

A talented puppeteer, Craig is forced to change career trajectory and gets a steady office job, putting to use his fast fingers in Being John Malkovich. It was Craig that discovered the portal to John Malkovich and he was the first one to take the trip.

Little did he know that it would be his puppeteering skills that would allow him to not only be inside Malkovich, but eventually allow him to become him, using the man himself as the ultimate puppet.

Dr. Mierzwiak - Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind

Dr. Mierzwiak was seen in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and is the genius behind the memory wiping technology. The ethical implications of this job are numerous, but on the surface, Mierzwiak appears to be a decent man.

The reality of his character is something far more complex and his actions and work have caused untold damage to those he claims to care about. The character is, without a doubt, one of the most surprising and morally complex characters of the film.

Michael Stone - Anomalisa

An old man looking fazed in Anomalisa

Featured in the 2015 stop-motion cult classic Anomalisa, Micheal Stone is a customer service expert who finds himself unable to connect with people.

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This bizarre state of mind strangely manifests itself, and everyone around has the exact same voice. Michael's tragic journey throughout the film finds him unable to shake this issue, despite his best efforts, ultimately leaving both his personal and professional life hanging in the balance.

Caden Cotard - Synecdoche, New York

Caden cleans an empty, modern apartment in Synecdoche, New York

What's real and what isn't is a question of endless debate in this film. The strange and dreamlike work of Synecdoche, New York is unlike any other. Furthermore, Caden Cotard is as confusing and contradictory a character as the world he inhabits.

The frustrated theater director tried to replicate reality in his art, an impossible task that failed to bring him the creative satisfaction he craved. Moreso than any other character in the film, we can see into his life over the course of a few decades and get a full picture of the man.

Clementine Krucynsk - Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind

Featured in 2004's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Clementine Kruczynsk was never afraid to speak her mind. An extrovert by nature, she was the polar opposite of her boyfriend, Joel Berish.

The couple argued and came to blows in a realistic way, squabbling about petty things, and sometimes big issues, like children. Despite not being the protagonist of the film, she was never portrayed as the bad guy, rather another complicated person in a complicated world.

Joel Berish - Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind

We got to understand Joel Berish more so than any other character in the film. This is because Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind allows us to navigate through his memories and gain a more in-depth look at his entire existence.

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Nothing is off-limits, from his happiest moments to terrible arguments, and even shameful childhood memories, allowing the audience to understand Joel on a deeper level.

Charlie Kaufman - Adaptation

Nicolas Cage in Adaptation

A fictionalized version of the man himself was presented to the world in Adaptation. And there's no doubt that Charlie Kaufman is the most interesting character Charlie Kaufman has ever created, offering us a glimpse into the tumultuous and painful reality behind his art, and his struggle to create.

He pulls himself apart, pointing out his shortcomings, and failures. Top this all off with his fictional twin brother, Donald, who presents a version of the screenwriter that can be both happy and successful.

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