Characters in Daria
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The following is an extensive list of the fictional characters featured in MTV's animated series Daria (1997-2002).
Note: In reference to episode numbers, the system used is as such: the first of the three digits following the '#' symbol indicates the season of the episode, and the following two digits represent the episode's place in the order of episodes for that season (For example, "#306" would indicate the sixth episode of the third season).
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[edit] The Morgendorffer Family
[edit] Daria Morgendorffer
- (First Appearance: Episode #101, "Esteemsters")
- The titular character of the series, Daria is present in every episode and central to almost every plot. Abrasive and cynical to a terminal degree, Daria's intellectuality and academic insight is often counterbalanced by her devout lack of motivation. Her trademark on the show was that she rarely changed the expression on her face or the tone of her voice. Daria is voiced by Tracy Grandstaff (although it was once rumored that she was voiced by Janeane Garofalo).
[edit] Quinn Morgendorffer
- (First Appearance: Episode #101, "Esteemsters")
- Daria's materialistic younger sister. Quinn's only interests are fashion and dating, and she holds a Vice Presidency in Lawndale High's self-appointed Fashion Club. Polar opposites, she and Daria rarely agree on anything (except to disagree), and so ashamed is Quinn of her sister that she claims status in her social life as an only child, referring to Daria when necessary as her cousin. Quinn is occasionally hinted at as having high intelligence but simply disguising it. Quinn is voiced by Wendy Hoopes.
[edit] Helen Morgendorffer
- (First Appearance: Episode #101, "Esteemsters")
- Daria's workaholic mother and the family's principal wage earner. She feels guilty about not being able to spend more time with her family, but as an attorney (apparently, a defense attorney), is unable to do so. Helen is voiced by Wendy Hoopes.
[edit] Jake Morgendorffer
- (First Appearance: Episode #101, "Esteemsters")
- Daria's father. He had a strict military father, "Mad Dog" Morgendorffer who has passed away and an emotionally distant mother, Ruth, and because of this tends to have mood swings and go off on rants about his childhood. His efforts to run a consulting business from home are not blessed with success. Despite good-hearted attempts at parenting and a genuine love for his wife and daughters, Jake is quick to blame others (such as clients, his own deceased father and various members of public service) and becomes inordinately angry over minor setbacks. Like Mr. O'Neill, he is caught in his own personal "black hole," utterly unable to see the world beyond the self imposed terms of his perpetual victimhood, ignorance and anxiety. Jake is voiced by Julián Rebolledo.
[edit] The Lane Family
- Jane Lane - (First Appearance: Episode #101, "Esteemsters") Daria's artistic best friend and fellow outcast. While sharing some of Daria's cynical views and attitudes, Jane is much more lively, productive and well adjusted than her best friend. Living with her older brother Trent (see below), she manages to stay completely functional and content with life despite complete absence of parental guidance or even presence. Jane is the show's second central character, and is voiced by Wendy Hoopes.
- Trent Lane - (First Appearance: Episode #102, "The Invitation") Jane's older brother by five years, the second youngest child in the family, and the only other Lane still permanently residing in the Lane household. A laid-back slacker, he plays lead guitar in garage band Mystik Spiral and bears a strong resemblance to Jakob Dylan of The Wallflowers, though it is strongly speculated that he is actually unofficially based on Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. He drives a broken-down 1973 Plymouth Satellite coupe, and was also Daria's romantic interest for much of the series, although he seemed rather ignorant of this. Trent's perpetual laziness is presented in almost every aspect of his personality, down to his voice, which is provided by theatre actor Alvaro J. Gonzalez.
The remaining Lane family members made only irregular appearances on the series.
- Vincent Lane - (First Appearance: Episode #308, Lane Miserables) Jane's father. Like her mother, Amanda, Vincent was rarely present in the series, frequently taking long trips to foreign countries for artistic purposes. Scarcely a father figure and with no apparent occupation, Vincent seemed to take little to no interest in his family and how he and his wife managed to afford the house Jane and Trent live in was never explained.
- Amanda Lane - (First Appearance: Episode #201, Arts N' Crass {In a non-speaking role}) - Jane's mother. Rarely present at the Lane household and consequently rarely featured on the series, Amanda was an uncoventional artist and very laid back about the raising of her children. She would let them do whatever they wanted and took absolutely no role either to guide them or hinder them in growing up, a parenting approach that is highly discouraged even among even the least experienced of experts in the subject. Amanda also appeared in episodes #308 (Lane Miserables) and #507 (Art Burn)
- Wind Lane - (First Appearance: Episode #308, Lane Miserables) Jane's eldest brother. Wind had been married and divorced three times, lived away from home and, despite only appearing in the series twice, could well have been the show's most emotionally damaged character. Seemingly unable to control his emotions, he was prone to crying at even the faintest provocation, particularly on the topic of his romantic life. Wind also appeared in episode #507 (Art Burn).
- Summer Lane - (First Appearance: Episode #308, Lane Miserables) Jane & Trent's older sister, and seemingly the eldest child of Amanda and Vincent. Summer appeared in the show once, in episode #308 (Lane Miserables). She has four children, two of which appeared in the series (see Courtney and Adrian Lane, below). Not much of her personality was revealed in the series, save for her apparent exhaustion from parenting a party of four.
- Penny Lane - (First Appearance: Episode #308, Lane Miserables) Jane & Trent's older sister, and presumed middle child of the Lane family. Her name is a reference on the famous Beatles song, Penny appeared in the show only once, in episode #308 (Lane Miserables), where she was revealed to have spent most of her time in then recent years backpacking across Latin America with her pet parrot Chiquito. It was known since episode #211 (See Jane Run) she attended the same high school as Daria and Jane and "spent the last ten years out of the country."
- Courtney Lane (First Appearance: Episode #308, Lane Miserables) - Summer's daughter.
- Adrian Lane (First Appearance: Episode #308, Lane Miserables) - Summer's son.
Some other insignificant members of the Lane extended family that were seen in Episode #112 (The Teachings of Don Jake) include Aunt Bernice, Uncle Max and an abusive, unnamed grandmother.
[edit] Lawndale High Students
[edit] General Student Populace
The following characters attended Lawndale High in the years during the show's lifespan but do not fall into any one specific sub-genre (for more information see Lawndale High).
- Andrea - (First Appearance: Episode #101, "Esteemsters") The Lawndale High token goth. Andrea's last name was never revealed on the show or in any affiliated sources (although she rumored to be related to Principal Li), but she was a relatively regular character, appearing often, if not always in a speaking role. She has a darkly nihilistic personality, as evidenced by her poetry, and works a parent-enforced part-time job as a stock clerk in the local warehouse store.
- Brittany Taylor - (First Appearance: Episode #101, "Esteemsters") Lawndale High's head cheerleader. Brittany was an exemplifying perpetuation of the prejudiced stereotypes about blonde-haired girls. She had the trademark of both a dazzlingly low intellect and an extremely high-pitched voice, which would frequently squeak in mid sentence. It is of note, however, that despite poor grades and a general lack of common sense, Brittany has shown that a greater intellect may lie beneath the surface, such as when she spontaneously devised a masterful battle strategy during a school-sponsored paintball game, and a powerful motivational speech she gave to Daria when Daria was feeling hypocritical. From the beginning of the series, Brittany was romantically involved with fellow student Kevin (see The Football Team). Brittany is voiced by Janie Mertz.
- Jodie Landon - (First Appearance: Episode #102, "The Invitation") One of few black students at Lawndale High, Jodie was the quintessential overachiever, pushed by her ambitious parents. Jodie was constantly searching for more extracarricular activities and other selling points for her college resumé. Since the beginning of the series, Jodie was romantically involved with fellow student "Mack" (see The Football Team).
- Charles "Upchuck" Ruttheimer III - (First Appearance: Episode #102, "The Invitation") An obnoxious sex-fiend with curly red hair and freckles, Charles was always propositioning any girl he met, armed with the world's worst taste in (and largest arsenal of) come-ons. Bears a striking resemblance to the character of Sherman from the movie American Pie. Charles was voiced by Marc Thompson.
[edit] The Football Team
The following characters were members of the Lawndale High Football Team in the show
- Kevin Thompson - (First Appearance: Episode #101, "Esteemsters") Lawndale High's football team's quarterback and boyfriend to Brittany. Fulfilling the stereotypical role of the dumb jock, Kevin displayed such a dismally low ability to retain information and understand fundamental concepts that it's probable that he suffered from some kind of learning disorder. Kevin was voiced by Marc Thompson.
- Michael "Mack" Jordan MacKenzie - (First Appearance: Episode #102, "The Invitation") Jodie's boyfriend and also another of the few black students at Lawndale High. He is more or less of comparable intelligence to Jodie and was the Lawndale High's football team's captain. He was also the only student on the football team of notable intelligence. His father had his middle name legally changed from "James" to "Jordan" after seeing a Chicago Bulls playoff game when Mack was 12. In their school years, fellow student Kevin would call him "Mack Daddy", a nickname he detested and presumably still detests.
- Joey, Jeffy, and Jamie - In their junior years at Lawndale High, "The Three J's", as they are known amongst fans, were continuously seeking the attention and affection of Quinn, perpetually competing to take her out to events, buy her presents or help her in any way. Although Quinn made it clear she would never date any of them in episode #102 (The Invitation), they continued throughout the series to desperately try to win her over, and as characters served little other purpose. One of the show's running gags was that other characters had extreme difficulty remembering Jamie's name; he was referred to as Jeremy, Jimmy, and Jameel, among other names. The Three J's can be distinguished by their hair: Joey has black hair, Jeffy has auburn hair and Jamie has blond hair.
[edit] The Fashion Club
The following characters were members of the Lawndale High self-appointed "Fashion Club", who would have meetings to discuss fashion and set examples for fashionable trends. This list excludes Vice President Quinn Morgendorffer, who can be found under The Morgendorffer Family. The Fashion Club, it should be noted, disbanded in the Daria movie finale Is It College Yet? but the four girls promised to meet regularly to discuss fashion and set examples for fashionable trends.
[edit] Sandi Griffin
- (First Appearance: Episode #101, "Esteemsters")
- The club president, or more appropriately, its tyrant, she rules the fashion club with an iron fist. Sandi is a control freak who is intensely jealous of Quinn's popularity and ability to get what she wants, and tends to bully the other Fashion Club members into submission. She was voiced by Janie Mertz.
[edit] Stacy Rowe
- (First Appearance: Episode #101, "Esteemsters")
- Pigtailed Stacy is the secretary of the club and appears in the beginning of the show to be skittish, extremely insecure, and a born follower. However, later in the show, it was frequently hinted at that she probably possessed more character than anyone else in the fashion club except perhaps Quinn. She has developed a powerful following among Daria fans, and was voiced by Sarah Drew.
[edit] Tiffany Blum-Deckler
- (First Appearance: Episode #102, "The Invitation")
- The "yes man" of the club, Tiffany will always side with either Sandi or Quinn, depending on who's winning at the time. She is generally presented as the least intelligent of the group. She speaks slowly with a valley girl monotone to her voice. Tiffany is also the only Asian high school student featured as a constant character in the series. She is also very shallow and self-centered (even more so than the other fashion club members). Her role in the Fashion Club was Coordinating Officer, whose only job was to make sure that the club members never wore clothes that clashed with each other. Tiffany was voiced by Ashley Albert.
[edit] Lawndale High Faculty
- Ms. Janet Barch - (First Appearance: "The Lab Brat") Science teacher. She is psychotically aggressive towards all males due to a rather messy and bitter divorce, to the point of one-dimensionality. On "The Daria Hunter", Ms. Barch falls for Mr. O'Neill and makes out with him every chance she gets (cf. "Fair Enough" and "Just Add Water"). Ms. Barch was voiced by Ashley Albert.
- Mrs. Diane Bennett - (First Appearance: "Malled") Economics Teacher. For some obscure reason she is known primarily for her hatred of pennies. Her blackboard diagrams resemble football plays. She is usually seen executing a plan to undertake some vaguely, or barely, educational "field trip" in order to avoid actually having to teach her students anything or discussing the school budget with Ms. Li. Voiced by Amy Bennett.
- Ms. Claire Defoe - (First Appearance: "The Invitation") Art Teacher. The most down-to-earth of the Lawndale High faculty, and patient to a fault. Probable hippie past.
- Mr. Anthony DeMartino - (First Appearance: "Esteemsters") History Teacher. DeMartino is stressed to the point of being put in a straitjacket. He has the habit of shouting every fifth word or so, causing one of his eyes to bulge out of its socket. Dimwits like Kevin and Brittany really upset him. He seems to be an amalgam of Christopher Walken (appearance) and Kirk Douglas (speech pattern). On "The Daria Hunter", it's revealed that Mr. DeMartino was sent to military school (just like Daria's father, Jake) and was neglected by his mother who didn't want her dates to know she had a son. The episode "Just Add Water" reveals that DeMartino is a gambling addict who lost his car. Anthony DeMartino was voiced by Marc Thompson.
- Ms. Angela Li - (First Appearance: "Esteemsters") Principal of Lawndale High. She is obsessed with fund raising and the school's image. Many fans assume that the interest in fund raising is because she uses the regular budget on security measures for the school, such as drug dogs, closed circuit cameras, and bulletproof skylights over the swimming pool. She will do anything to bring fame to Lawndale High. The obsession over security reflects her desire to control the school. Her self-aggrandizement frequently brings her into conflict with Daria and Jane, who rarely see eye to eye with either her goals, or methods of achieving them. She never says the name "Lawndale High" without affecting a tone of awe and reverence.
- Mr. Timothy O'Neill - (First Appearance: "Esteemsters") English Teacher. Sensitive "new age guy" who is always talking about feelings but doesn't have a very good grip on his own emotions, as he tends to break down and cry quite frequently. He became romantically involved with Ms. Barch during a field trip. He also tends to have a problem remembering students' names, or faces. More than any other aspect of his personality, Mr. O'Neill is apparently trapped in his own personal "black hole," unable to relate to anyone at the school, or in his personal life. He reflects everything he experiences through his own twisted lens of spinelessness and over-compensation for his desire to avoid even the appearance of conflict at all costs. This usually leads to his being either utterly misunderstood, effectively told to shut up, or simply ignored. Mr. O'Neill was voiced by Marc Thompson.
- Mrs. Margaret Manson - (First Appearance: "Esteemsters") School psychologist. She only has one speaking role, in episode 101 "Esteemsters", in which she declares Daria has self-esteem issues. She seems underqualified for her job, and she spews psychological jargon and buzzwords that few can decipher. Her last name is an apparent nod to serial killer and cult leader Charles Manson. Mrs. Manson was voiced by Jessica Zaino.
[edit] Other
[edit] Recurring Characters
- Rita Barksdale - (First Appearance: Episode #204, "I Don't") Helen's sister. Rita and Helen have an ongoing fight from childhood, and never get along. Helen is still bitter about the fact that Rita was the favorite child, and that she is always receiving financial assistance from their mother while Helen has had to work hard for everything she has. Aunt Rita was voiced by Barbara Soehner-Layton. She appeared in two episodes of the show, I Don't (#204) and Aunt Nauseam (#510) and was mentioned in The Story of D (#505).
- Amy Barksdale - (First Appearance: Episode #204, "I Don't") Helen's other sister. Daria sees her as the "cool one." She stays out of Helen and Rita's fights, for the most part. She is seen by many fans as a foreshadowing of what Daria may grow up to be. The physical resemblance between them (especially when Amy dons glasses) is noteworthy. Aunt Amy is voiced by Rita Pietropinto. She appeared in three episodes of the show, I Don't (#204), Through a Lens Darkly (#302), and Aunt Nauseam (#510).
Amy is seen by many fans as an adult version of Daria. In addition, the physical resemblance between them when Amy dons glasses is noteworthy, thus making her a fan favorite. Amy drives a 1977 Triumph Spitfire Mark IV Convertible. She often blasts alternative-type music from her stereo system, including bands like The Cramps.
- Tom Sloane - (First Appearance: Episode #313, "Jane's Addition") First appeared as Jane's boyfriend and later became Daria's boyfriend. He belongs to one of Lawndale's richest families, but this isn't apparent from his appearance. Tom and Daria ended their relationship in the series finale (and the second Daria movie) Is it College Yet? Tom is voiced by Russell Hankin.
- Ted DeWitt-Clinton - (First Appearance: Episode #207, The New Kid) A student at Lawndale High who began attending after prompting his parents (Leslie DeWitt and Grant Clinton) to let him experience a non-home schooled education. In the series, Ted had a very friendly and accepting personality, but was a product of a severely sheltered existence, having never consumed either pizza or chewing gum, visited a video arcade, listened to any music created after the Eighteenth century or watched television. Ted also appeared in episodes #403 (A Tree Grows in Lawndale) and #406 (I Loathe A Parade). Ted is considered by many to be Daria's first, unofficial, boyfriend, and is voiced by Sky Berdahl. He is likely named after New York Governor DeWitt Clinton.
- Jesse Moreno (see Mystik Spiral).
- Max Tyler (see Mystik Spiral).
- Nick Campbell (see Mystik Spiral).
- Mrs. Johanssen (First Appearance: Episode #104, Cafe Disaffecto) A local, morbidly obese Lawndale resident whose notable character traits were that she was never seen wearing anything but a muumuu and was hypoglycemic. In her first appearance, she passed out in front of characters Daria and Jane while trying to persuade them to sell her chocolate. Her following appearances on the show were in episodes #205 (That Was Then, This Is Dumb), #302 (The Old and the Beautiful), #408 (Psycho Therapy) and #409 (Mart of Darkness). Like Lawndale High's economics teacher, Mrs. Johannsen is voiced by Amy Bennett.
- Monique (First Appearance: Episode #212, "Pierce Me") Trent's on again, off-again girlfriend with an affinity for piercings. She was once in a band with Trent, and is now in a band named The Harpies, but dreams of going solo. She also appeared in episode #308 (Lane Miserables).
- Artie - (First appearence: Episode 101, "Esteemsters") Young local resident pizza employee and self-proclaimed alien abductee, evidently in his late-teens or early-20's. Though he often tells anyone he can about his ordeals with aliens, his tales are anything but standard close encounters, and tend to be a mix of both the terrifying, and courteous. Artie also appeared in episodes #311(The Lawndale File) and #403 (A Tree Grows in Lawndale).
- Eric Schrecter - (First Appearance - Episode #212, Pierce Me) Helen's domineering colleague. Eric was only seen in the show twice, in two different episodes. He was referred to far more frequently; whenever Helen was on the phone, it was usually to Eric, debating over a legal matter of some kind. He always monopolized her time and in the musical episode, declared that he is in love with Helen. Eric is voiced by Evan Farmer.
[edit] Notable Guest Appearances
- Tommy Sherman - (First and Only Appearance: Episode #113, The Misery Chick) An ex-student of Lawndale High and star Quarter Back of the football team. In his only appearance, Tommy was portrayed and perceived by many as an insensitive, contemptible and narcissistic person, and half way through the episode he was killed by a collapsed football goal post. He was mentioned again in the episode A Tree Grows in Lawndale, where Kevin destroyed the Tommy Sherman Memorial Tree after crashing into it on a motorcycle. Through the rest of the episode Brittany and the Cheerleading Squad thought his ghost was haunting the girls bathroom. The late Tommy Sherman was voiced by Ken Schatz.
- Tad and Tricia Gupty - (First Appearance: Episode #108, Pinch Sitter) The two Gupty children have only been in one episode together, although Tad appeared without his sister in episode #406 (I Loathe A Parade). The Gupty family, including parents Lester and Lauren, only appeared in the show twice, but were succintly established as being disturbingly nice and wholesome (see the Flanders family). Tricia Gupty is voiced by actor Sarah Drew, who also provides the voice for Stacy Rowe (see Lawndale High Students/The Fashion Club).
- David Sorenson (First and Only Appearance: Is It Fall Yet?) - Quinn's summer tutor in the Daria telemovie Is It Fall Yet?. A scholared intellectual, David was hired by Helen to tutor Quinn over the summer in between seasons 4 and 5. David was Quinn's first and only truly romantic interest shown in the series, and his tutorings found Quinn harbouring a hidden intellectuality that changed her perspective of herself. David was voiced by famous American talk show host Carson Daly.
- Daniel Dotson (First and Only Appearance: Is It Fall Yet?) - Jane's art camp teacher in the Daria telemovie Is It Fall Yet?. Daniel was a self-proclaimed artistic genius who held art colony seminars to discuss his own brilliance with students who shared his view of himself, and to seduce female students. In the telemovie that he featured in, Daniel's work was deliberately portrayed as of a mediocre standard, and hence he was portrayed as highly pretentious. Daniel was voiced by rock musician Dave Grohl.
- Alison - (First and Only Appearance: Is It Fall Yet?) Jane's temporary friend in the Daria telemovie Is It Fall Yet?. Never given a last name, Alison was an older artist who confided in Jane her envy of Jane's youth and talent. Her relationship with Jane was severed at the end of the telemovie, following but not as a direct result of Jane's discovery of Alison's bisexuality. Alison was voiced by punk rock singer Bif Naked.
- Lindy - (First and Only Appearance - Is It College Yet?) Quinn's temporary colleague and consequential friend in the Daria telemovie Is It College Yet?. Lindy was a hostess at the Governor's Park restaurant when Quinn applied for work there in the film, and the two bonded. Lindy was later revealed to be an in-denial alcoholic, which put a momentary strain on her friendship with Quinn.
- Link - (First and Only Appearance - Is It Fall Yet?) Main character Daria's nihilistic charge while at Mr. O'Neill's "O.K. to Cry Corral" in the Daria telemovie Is It Fall Yet?. In the film, Link was an unwilling participant in the self-examination camp, and his attitudes and belief reflected in the extreme those of Daria's, resulting in an attempt on her part to reach out to him, metaphorically. His initial reaction was bitter dejection, but he later sent Daria a letter conceding that she may email him if she wanted to.
[edit] External links
- Outpost Daria - Notable Guest Stars
- Rita Is Better Than Helen or Amy! - A Reasoned Defense of Rita Barksdale of "Daria" by The Angst Guy.
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| Morgendorffers: | Daria | Quinn (Sister) | Helen (Mother) | Jake (Father) |
| Other high school students: | Jane Lane | Brittany Taylor | Jodie Landon | Charles "Upchuck" Ruttheimer III | Kevin Thompson | Joey, Jeffy, and Jamie | Sandi Griffin | Stacy Rowe |
| Teachers: | Janet Barch | Claire Defoe | Anthony DeMartino | Angela Li | Timothy O'Neill |
| Miscellaneous: | Rita Barksdale | Amy Barksdale | Mystik Spiral |
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| Beavis and Butt-Head | Is It Fall Yet? | Is It College Yet? | Lawndale High | Lawndale | Episodes | Sick, Sad World | |
