After making feature films for almost twenty years, director Wes Anderson has a stable of characters that would make any filmmaker green with envy. I’m almost surely overlooking some fantastic imaginary folks, but let’s take a look at my Top 10 Wes Anderson Characters, starting with 10 through 6.
10. Mr. Fox Voiced by George Clooney
Mr. Fox is…a fox. On a farm. He’s fantastic, that’s really all you need to know. But seriously, he’s pretty much like any other George Clooney character – calm, cool, and collected. And he always has a plan. He wants to retire from farm raiding for his family but one last job lures him back in.
9. Scout Master Randy Ward Played by Edward Norton
Scout Master Ward is a Khaki Scout leader on New Penzance Island. He’s very orderly and by the book but he cares for his scouts and pulls out all the stops when Khaki Scout Sam Shakusky runs away. Ward gets his moment in the sun when a hurricane hits New Penzance Island and he has to take charge of a large group of scouts.
8. Klaus Daimler Played by Willem Dafoe
Klaus is adventurer Steve Zissou’s right hand man (or at least, he was until Steve’s long lost son Ned came along). He always thought of Steve and his partner Esteban as his dads. He’s jealous and a bit of a hothead but he’s a good person. And he might be on B Squad, but he’s the B Squad leader!
7. Max Fischer Played by Jason Schwartzman
Max is a student at Rushmore Academy and he’s involved in a lot of extracurriculars. He also saved latin. What did you ever do? When you get right down to it, Max starts his journey as a deeply flawed character, whose pride and ego get him in all sorts of trouble. By the end of Max’s story, however, he’s saved more than just latin.
6. Sam Shakusky Played by Jared Gilman and Suzy Bishop Played by Kara Hayward
You can’t feature Sam or Suzy without the other one so that’s why they share this spot. Sam and Suzy, two troubled kids in their own ways, meet on New Penzance Island and young love blooms. Many forces conspire to keep them apart, but whatever happens, they’ll always have Moonrise Kingdom.
