Gothic movie producer, writer and director Tim Burton is the creative genius behind a number of iconic and lovable characters. Figures such as Jack Skellington, Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, and Emily the Corpse Bride immediately spring to mind for many fans and audiences. But what about his other characters?
Ranging from villains, love interests, and paternal figures, Burton has created a number of supporting players in his movies, and some of which deserve a lot more love and credit than what they have. In fact, there are even some main characters that perhaps need some more recognition.
Victoria (Corpse Bride)
Victoria (Emily Watson) is the intended bride of the protagonist Victor before he accidentally proposes to the eponymous Corpse Bride, Emily. With the iconic Emily and the grotesque secondary characters (both living and dead), Victoria is somewhat overlooked.
Regardless, Victoria is a great character who does not get enough credit. She could have been played as the bitter awful 'other woman' but instead, she goes above and beyond to try and rescue Victor out of love. She definitely deserves her happy ending with him and more love from Burton fans.
Carolyn (Dark Shadows)
One of the problems with Dark Shadows was that there were many characters to work with but not enough time to focus on all of them fully, which is a pity because some of them had excellent potential. One example is Carolyn (Chloe Grace Moretz).
As a teenager who locked horns with her mother whilst dealing with a werewolf curse, Carolyn had the potential for an interesting story and fuller character development. Unfortunately, with big characters such as Barnabas, and Angelique the revenge-driven witch, Carolyn didn't get a chance to shine.
Delia Deetz (Beetlejuice)
With such a zany classic title character and the iconic goth girl Lydia Deetz, the other characters of Beetlejuice can be a little overshadowed. But there are some characters that do rise to the ranks of the 'ghost with the most' and one of them is Lydia's eccentric stepmother Delia.
Played marvelously by Schitt's Creek's Catherine O'Hara, it is not difficult to spot early signs of Moira Rose in Delia. Despite her and Lydia not getting along, Delia does have good intentions and she is just delightfully ghastly to watch.
Victor Frankenstein (Frankenweenie)
There is no question that the star of Frankenweenie is the adorable Sparky. But what of his owner that bought him back to life? Good-hearted Victor Frankenstein (voiced by Charlie Tahan) seems pretty normal when compared to his more grotesque oddball classmates.
But underneath the budding and brilliant scientist, he is simply a boy who unconditionally loves his dog, something many can heavily relate to. Watching his reaction to Sparky's death is particularly heartbreaking. Victor is not only one of Burton's most underrated main characters but he's also one of his most relatable.
Alfred (Batman, Batman Returns)
Where would Bruce Wayne be without his loyal and reliable butler Alfred? In both Tim Burton versions of Batman, Alfred is played by Michael Gough. Gough brings a gentle, caring yet no-nonsense approach to Alfred, looking after both Bruce and the ladies Bruce brings home (Vicky Vale and Selina Kyle).
In fact, the relationship between Alfred and Bruce is one of the most wholesome things about the movies. With this and some great one-liners, Alfred deserves the same heroic recognition as the Caped Crusader himself.
Byron Williams (Mars Attacks!)
Everyone remembers Mars Attacks! for the hilarious Martians and the stellar ensemble cast of wacky characters. But one of the movie's true heroes is the retired boxer, Byron (played by Jim Brown).
Working at a Las Vegas casino, Byron is just trying to provide support for his family. When the Martians invade, he makes sure that his ragtag party is safe and sacrifices himself to fight Martians in a fistfight. Whilst it is Richie and his grandmother who figure out how to defeat the Martians, Byron deserves recognition as one of Burton's most underrated heroes.
Ed Wood (Ed Wood)
The movie Ed Wood is a very underrated Burton movie overall, but the titular character Ed Wood, in particular, stands out. Played by Burton regular Johnny Depp, Ed's enthusiasm is infectious and it is hard not to love him.
Furthermore, as opposed to the more strange characters he has played, Depp is playing a real-life person and brings him to life with an inspiring and touching performance. This is one of Johnny Depp's best roles yet one of his lesser-known ones and it deserves a lot more credit.
Max Shreck (Batman Returns)
There is no question that the Penguin and Catwoman shine as villains in Batman Returns. But arguably the real villain in the movie is Max Shreck, played by Christopher Walken.
Whilst Catwoman is more of an antihero and the Penguin is a somewhat sympathetic character, Shreck is deceptively evil through and through. He pushes Selina out of the window, manipulates the Penguin, and abandons him the moment things go awry, all the while carrying out corrupt plans behind the backs of Gotham. Shreck is perhaps one of Burton's most successful villains to date.
Juno (Beetlejuice)
The Maitlands' deadpan caseworker Juno is one of Burton's funniest and most underrated creations. Played by Sylvia Sydney, Juno's impatience and lack of empathy towards the Maitlands results in rather funny exchanges ("What did you expect? You're dead!").
Additionally, her interactions with the recently deceased high school football team are particularly hilarious to watch. It's a shame that Juno did not get more screen time. It would have been glorious to watch the sharp-tongued Juno playoff against her brash former assistant, Beetlejuice.
Peg Boggs (Edward Scissorhands)
Edward Scissorhands is one of Tim Burton's most iconic creations, with a sympathetic main character against a mostly unlikeable and grotesque supporting cast. Yet one character that deserves more love from this movie is Peg, the kindly Avon sales rep lovingly played by Dianne Wiest.
Peg is the only character that is kind to Edward throughout the entire movie. Unlike the other housewives, Peg treats him like a human being rather than a novelty. She genuinely cared about Edward and gave him a family - albeit a temporary one, but a family nevertheless.