The best characters from Wes Anderson films

Bottle Rocket was not just the breakout film for Anderson. His debut was also a showcase for three of his friends, the Wilson brothers. That includes Owen Wilson, who plays Dignan. His performance is excellent, but Wilson also gets credit for co-writing the movie.

For many, Fischer is the first Anderson character they think of. He’s right on the Rushmore poster, and he became a sterling example of the overly ambitious kid who drives everybody else around him nuts. Basically, Max is like Tracy Flick but with a little more deadpan humor. Hey, at least he saved Latin.

Rushmore also began Anderson’s great working relationship with Bill Murray. Murray is a legend and usually delivers the goods when he’s not phoning it in. Herman Blume is right up Murray’s alley as a sardonic man exasperated with life. Murray nails his droll attitude, and Herman’s interactions with Max are the fodder for some quality filmmaking.

Royal is and isn’t the titular character of The Royal Tenenbaums. It’s really about his dysfunctional family, and Royal’s actions as a parent definitely contributed to that dysfunction. Royal is played by Gene Hackman, who has since retired from acting. This is a great reminder of how good of an actor he was.

The Baumer has an iconic look, for starters. Anderson’s eye for detail and style makes his characters perfect fodder for Halloween costumes. Richie was a tennis pro whose life took a tumble, culminating in one of the bleakest moments in Anderson’s filmography. Whenever we hear “Needle of the Hay,” we think of Richie.

The fact Margot has one wooden finger is perhaps a little too precious, but we never said Anderson was a perfect filmmaker. Margot is also far from perfect. After all, she smokes. She’s cheating on her husband and generally living a life always on the verge of falling apart. Gwyneth Paltrow plays Margot and does well in the role.

Everybody knows that the Tenenbaums are the only good characters in The Royal Tenenbaums. What this entry presupposes is, maybe they aren’t. We’ve paraphrased perhaps Anderson’s most-quoted line — give or take a quip about OR scrubs — and that line is spoken by the mescaline-loving cowboy poet Eli Cash.

Finally, Murray gets his chance to be the central character of an Anderson film. It’s a perfect match, leading to The Life Aquatic as the best of Anderson’s films. Zissou is like Jacques Cousteau if Cousteau was burnt out, drunk, and bitter. He’s a complicated character, but his complexities are what make him great to watch.

Casting Cate Blanchett as reporter Jane Winslett-Richardson was a coup for Anderson. She’s one of the best actors working today and throws herself into the role. Jane doesn’t have as many quirks as some other Anderson characters, but she still feels like a whole person, and Blanchett probably deserves a good chunk of the credit for that.

Do we like Hennessey so much just because of when he’s wearing an “I’m a Pepper” shirt? OK, that goes a long way. However, Hennessey is also played by Jeff Goldblum, and Goldblum fills him with his traditional Goldblum tics. Just the way he says “Steve” is fun.

After making live-action films, Anderson brought the same attention to detail to animation. Naturally, he chose stop-motion animation. With the lead character in Fantastic Mr. Fox, Anderson made a talking fox more complex than we ever expected. This family film has an unexpected amount of content about compromises in a relationship.

Mr. and Mrs. Fox share the dramatic load of Fantastic Mr. Fox, but Clive Badger brings the laughs. He’s the comedic relief character in many respects. Oh, and he’s voiced by Bill Murray. There’s quite a bit of Murray on this list.

Have you seen the Saturday Night Live sketch about the Wes Anderson horror movie? It’s really good, the kind of thing you laugh at more when you know all of Anderson’s quirks and tics. In that sketch, Ed Norton plays Owen Wilson. He does a really good job! Norton has been in an Anderson film, making a memorable turn as Scout Master Ward. It’s a goofy character, but he doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb.

Murray is at it again. At one point in Moonrise Kingdom, Mr. Bishop is shirtless and carrying a bottle of alcohol and an ax. This alone is enough for him to make a list of beloved Anderson characters. His awesome pants are the icing on the cake.

Mr. Bishop is, of course, married to Mrs. Bishop. Murray does his thing as the patriarch of the family. Mrs. Bishop is a bit more high-strung. She’s played by Frances McDormand, so she is more of a McDormand-type character. Nobody does that type of character better than McDormand. The Bishops make a fine pair of characters.

The Grand Budapest Hotel is Anderson’s most successful film. That’s true at the box office but also because it was nominated for nine Oscars and won four. At the center of the film is Ralph Fiennes as Monsieur Gustave, the concierge of the titular hotel. It’s a showy but not flashy performance and one of the most-balanced depictions in an Anderson movie.

Much of The Grand Budapest Hotel is about Gustave showing the new lobby boy at the hotel the ropes. That would be Zero. That makes Zero something of the point-of-view character for the audience. He’s likable and interesting, wide-eyed without being too naïve. Of course, now Tony Revolori is destined only to be remembered as Flash Thompson from the Spider-Man movies.

We don’t know the Madame’s name. We just know she’s old and rich. Also, she’s played by Tilda Swinton. Like a lot of Swinton’s work, the Madame is a bit offbeat and full of business for her to do. She’s a big reason for the movie winning Academy Awards for Best Costume Design and Best Makeup and Hairstyling. She definitely makes a mark.

This is the fourth person from The Grand Budapest Hotel on this list. As we said, it’s his most successful movie. Plus, we had to include apprentice baker Agatha. One, those bakery boxes are a sight to behold. Two, she’s played by Saoirse Ronan, now one of the most respected actors in the world.

Anderson went back to the stop-motion realm for Isle of Dogs. There are a bunch of talking dogs in it. This includes Chief, the most interesting character of the bunch. The lifelong stray is the leader of the dogs on the island, left to fend for themselves. Bryan Cranston’s voiceover performance helped imbue the character with pathos uncommon in a talking dog.

Swinton gives another distinct, eccentric performance in The French Dispatch. She plays Berensen, a staff writer for the titular newspaper giving a talk on one of her pieces. It's the funniest performance in the film, with Swinton bringing her usual distinct style to the role.

Jeffrey Wright is a new addition to the Anderson camp and gives the best performance in The French Dispatch. Wright plays, well, Wright, a food writer modeled on James Baldwin. The performance was worthy of award love, even if it didn't get any.