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Characters / Whose Line Is It Anyway?

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The larger-than-life performers of Whose Line Is It Anyway?.

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     UK Side 

Clive Anderson

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/clive_anderson_whose_line_uk.jpg
"What kind of fairy tales have lesbians in them?!"

The original host of the show, from the early simplistic UK seasons to the more elaborate studio version as it slowly morphed into the format that fans of the US run are familiar with.

Tropes associated with Clive:
  • Amoral Attorney: The players sometimes called attention to Clive's legal background and suggested he was one.
  • Butt-Monkey: At least once a season, someone will go "hello, I'm Clive Anderson" before getting buzzed out.
    • Also, any disaster would often be attributed to him, such as the dinosaurs being wiped out by a plague of Clive Andersons.
  • Catchphrase:
    • "The winner shall now read the credits in a style of my choosing... it remains to me now to thank our contestants, (four names in rapid succession) and Richard Vranch on the piano, thisismeCliveAndersonsayinggoodnight,goodnight!"
    • (at the end of Film Dub) "Bonus points for actually getting the original dialogue..."
    • (at the end of Stand Sit Bend) "One of my favourite games, but it's not much fun on your own..."
  • Deadpan Snarker: Not even the audience is spared, as he will pick at the more ridiculous suggestions they give him.
  • Department of Redundancy Department: "Our next round is called 'Different Games', because different games are played in this round..."
    • When introducing Props: "The contestants will be split into two pairs of two..."
  • Don't Explain the Joke: "Elephants packing for a holiday. Packing their trunks, I suppose."
    • This leaves Paul and Josie to audibly groan, as Clive ruined the punchline of their Scenes From A Hat skit.
  • Kick the Dog: "Unfortunately that was a non-scoring round..."
  • Mondegreen Gag: He often misheard audience suggestions for film and theatre styles as nonsense phrases ("Bearded Collie", "Fifty" for Disney, "Mwah Mwah" for Braveheart, etc.) and sometimes even actually used these as styles to give the players a real challenge.
  • Motor Mouth
  • The Napoleon: While Clive's actual height in comparison to the players never comes up (since he's sitting at a desk the whole time), his wideset build and noticeable... lack of a neck qualifies him for this trope.
  • Not So Stoic: Getting him to crack up is a challenge of sorts. The US players, being US players, went to town in this aspect.
  • Self-Deprecation: At some point Clive learned how to get out of the bald and 'neck' jokes... by doing them first.
  • Sitcom Arch-Nemesis with Greg Proops (see below)
  • Take That!: Once after declaring the winner of the game to be Tony Slattery, he assigned him to read the credits in the style of a comedian who was constantly cracking up while trying to tell a joke. Tony was not amused.
  • Take That, Audience!: Often mocked the audience during the "Film and Theatre Styles" round for suggesting low-brow and proletarian styles from TV. To be fair, so do some of the players.

John Sessions

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/john_sessions_whose_line_uk.jpg

Known for being the first regular performer, John is still, hands down, the most knowledgeable performer in the show's history... sadly, he would be better known for his somewhat misguided application of said knowledge, while paving the way for the ones we would come to know as the legends of Whose Line. Also sadly, he passed away in 2020.

Tropes associated with John:
  • The Ace
  • Achilles' Heel: Sure he had his references down pat, and he pulled off a credible Leonard Cohen during one Song Styles, but the one thing that would always be a problem for him was the actual improvisation. Seriously, he messed up a couple of the guessing games by giving the answer away.
  • The Cast Showoff
  • Cloud Cuckoo Lander: Intentional or not, John's habit for ignoring the buzzer and carrying on one of his spiels was legendary.
  • Large Ham
    • Hoist by His Own Petard: Season 2 episode 12 had a new guest performer, Chris Langham, who could give John a run for his money.
      Clive: (after holding the buzzer down for some time) Are you doing this in the style of two deaf actors?...
  • Meaningful Name: Someone named Sessions becoming a regular on a show with this format, what are the chances?
  • Motor Mouth: Known for monologuing during scenes intended for two people — Jonathan Pryce gets annoyed with him for this in Film & Theatre Styles, though he plays it off as being amused by it. Also often keeps rambling after Clive has buzzed the scene. He even does this during what are intended to be incredibly rapid fire games like Props and World's Worst.
  • The Smart Guy: Depending on how much you like him, John is either this or an Insufferable Genius. Everyone can agree, however, that John Sessions has read more books than you. Except for The Lord of the Rings, which he hasn't.
  • Spotlight-Stealing Squad: In rounds of Authors since, in addition to his Motor Mouth, he usually gets more time than other contestants.
  • Take That!: Many of his impressions would include at least one unflattering description of the person or music style.

Archie Hahn

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/archie_hahn_whose_line_uk.jpg

The first American performer ever in the UK version.

Tropes associated with Archie:

Josie Lawrence

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/josie_lawrence_whose_line_uk.jpg
US Side - Original
"You're travelling with Air Bunkup!"

The first regular female player, and fondly remembered as one of the most versatile.

Tropes associated with Josie:

Paul Merton

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/paul_merton_whose_line_uk.jpg
"...slaphead."

Known for being one of the legends of the UK run - even if he seemed out of touch for the most of it. Known mostly for his quick, deadpan wit and generally being a Jerkass to the other contestants (Played for Laughs of course).

Tropes associated with Paul:

Tony Slattery

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tony_slattery_whose_line_uk.jpg
"Hello, is this Clive Anderson Ties Limited? Yes, I think you should shut down. Bye."

Known for being the other legend of the UK run - US fans, imagine Brad's sense of humor, Wayne's energy, and Colin's inhibitions in one package.

Tropes associated with Tony:
  • The Ace: Tony was quite good at every game and brought a little extra to every episode that he was featured in.
  • Achilles' Heel: Tony is very, very good at laughing. Often at himself.
  • Ambiguously Gay: Tony's sexuality is a favorite topic amongst fans with too much time on their hands.
    Clive: *playing Scenes from a Hat* "Robin Hood selecting his merry men."
    Tony: *comes out in the middle of the stage with the other (male) performers, and throws his arms out flamboyantly* "I'll have all of you!"
  • The Cast Showoff: He was pulling dance moves long before Wayne Brady.
    • He was also very good at the Hoedown game, and was often given the very last spot in these games whenever he played. (The creators actually have come out saying the last spot on Hoedown is the hardest. It gives the most time to think, but if the player can't think of something funny, then the entire game feels like a waste of time.)
  • Creator Breakdown: He was fired after a bad episode in season seven. After this, he had a nervous breakdown.
    • To clarify: Tony began suffering from severe bipolar disorder a few years before he was fired, and, instead of seeking professional help, he turned to drugs and alcohol instead as a form of self-medication. It didn't work. His career was the only thing keeping him even remotely sane. Eventually, though, he did begin seeking professional help, and now he's sobered up and gradually easing back into show business (occasionally he performs live improv with the Comedy Store Players, including Paul, Josie, and Steve), so it's not a complete downer.
  • Early-Bird Cameo: Eagle-eyed viewers can spot him in the audience in the very first episode.
  • Face Palm: Tony had a very nice one when the audience suggested and Clive told him to make up a song about him being in love with an inflatable pig. Another example came when Greg, Colin and Ryan were asked to read the credits in the style of Tony.
  • Hoist by His Own Petard: When Caroline Quentin (below) became one of the first players (the first lady even) to get his goat.
  • I Was Quite a Fashion Victim: It says a lot that the end of his tenure was marked by some of the most unflattering outfits in the show's history.
  • Keet: Energetic, loud, and smaller than most of his castmates, Tony sure fits the bill.
  • Large Ham: When Tony really gets going, he's just a ball of manic energy. Clive once buzzed him out of Questions Only not because he failed to ask a question, but just because Clive got sick of Tony shouting in a higher and higher pitch.
  • Lovable Sex Maniac: To the extent of whatever passed for Memetic Mutation in those days. By Series 2, he was already infamous for this.
  • The Napoleon: It's not obvious till much later that Tony really is one of the shortest players on the stage, especially after more Americans join in.
    • It's not so much that Tony is short (he's 5'11") as it is that everyone else is really tall. Even Josie, the female performer who appeared the most, is 5'10"!
  • Precision F-Strike: After a particularly disastrous playing of Party Quirks, Tony yelled "Oh, well, FUCK OFF!" at Clive... consequently losing every point he'd ever won on the show up to that point. We all know The Points Mean Nothing, but damn.
  • Punctuated! For! Emphasis!: "Shut. Your. Face."
  • Red Oni, Blue Oni: Red to Paul Merton's blue.
  • Refuge in Audacity: Some of the dirtiest lines on the show are attributed to Tony.
  • Running Gag: Sneaking a Vomit Discretion Shot into any session of Props.
  • Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness: Occasionally. For example, during one Party Quirks, Greg was playing a "compulsive liar." Tony guessed that he was an "inveterate bullshitter."
  • Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Tony was suggested as a replacement for Stephen Fry when Stephen backed out of becoming a regular on the show. The producers were skeptical, but he quickly won them over.
  • Take That!: Tony's occasional throwing out of the name Patricia, rumored to be an old girlfriend of his. Also note some of his initial guesses.
    Greg: [playing a surfer] Dude, what's up, broheim? Screaming flat, man! Look, shredding snacks! Whoo! ['surfs' over to the 'snack table' while humming a surfing tune]
    Tony: Are you Margaret Rutherford?
  • What the Hell, Hero?: When playing film and theater styles, Clive would sometimes give the style: "Musical." If that happened, Tony would say to the other: "You know a song about that, don't you? Well, off you go then!" Only Greg Proops was able to give a good response by encouraging the audience members to sing with him.
    • Encouraging. Thaaaat is what we call it.
      Greg: "SING, DAMN IT!"

Mike McShane

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mike_mcshane_whose_line_uk.jpg
"Here's your keys and HERE'S YOUR LUNCH!!"

There have been US guests before Mike of course, but Mike stands out for being the most versatile - and well, being the most.

Tropes associated with Mike:
  • Achilles' Heel: He was a very good singer, both in performance and lyric creativity, but it seems he did not understand the point of a hoedown game was less to sound like an actual hoedown and more to make up a simple four-line poem set to music. The few times he participates in a hoedown he completely derails the scheme.
    • This was one of the things the producers were not happy with, as they were increasingly playing to a formula (mainly to pack the show with guaranteed laughs, not to intentionally limit creativity), and this threw off the Hoedown game. Watch his last hoedown - the Tight Trousers Hoedown. He adheres much more closely to the standard tune, but looks angry.
    • Leaked footage from the Whose Line's 30th anniversary show, done in London in December 2018, shows that Mike still doesn't seem to have the point of hoedown. To be fair, he hadn't been a part of Whose Line since 1997, but still...
    • Arguably, his appearance. Although at least a bit familiar to American audiences thanks to his film roles, the producers of the US version never considered bringing him on because he was morbidly obese.
  • Acrofatic: He will bust out the dance steps if needed.
  • The Big Guy: For such a big guy, he was surprisingly dextrous and agile.
  • Hypocritical Humor: Mike once made a bald joke about Clive. Clive wasted no time in pointing out the hypocrisy in this when he has a noticeable bald patch as well.
    "[By] early rock 'n' roll, do you mean at this point in your hairline or at this point in your hairline?"
  • I Resemble That Remark!: When suggesting a song for a Bartender game, a member of the audience suggested Mike was drinking to forget a problem with his diet. He fired back with: "Wow, all these weight references, I've never heard them before. Get some original material."
  • Large Ham: If Mike feels like swallowing a scene whole, he'll do it. Watch his playings of That'll Be Charlie Now for a good example, though he usually got a great excuse to go nuts in Party Quirks.
  • Retroactive Recognition: Possible, especially for American viewers who didn't discover the show until later. Mike played the role of Friar Tuck in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and for some of the audience, that may be where they saw him first.
  • True Companions: Rumor has it that Mike quit the show when Tony Slattery was fired during season seven in a display of camaraderie and to protest how Tony was treated by the producers. He did, however, make one more guest appearance on the show in season nine.
    • It's a bit more complicated than that, as Mike explained in a recent radio interview. Both he and Tony were let go simultaneously in 1995, as Dan Patterson and Mark Leveson (the show's creators) were in the midst of selling the show to American producers, who deemed Tony too vulgar for US audiences, and Mike too unappealing looks-wise. Although Mike was allowed back for one show in season 9, he still was not allowed on the US show. Mike also went on to say that both he and Tony were not happy with Ryan Stiles, who went up to bat for his friend Colin Mochrie (whom US producers also wanted removed), but still stood back and allowed Mike and Tony to get thrown off.

Sandi Toksvig

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sandi_toksvieg_whose_line_uk.jpg
"I've got lots and lots of scarlet fishes. That's nothing to do with the party, that's a red herring." (audience groans)

The diminutive and strangely gruff-voiced Danish addition to the cast is known for being more than just the second female regular.

Tropes associated with Sandi:

Jim Sweeney

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jim_sweeney_whose_line_uk.jpg

As a semi-regular, Jim may mostly be remembered for bringing his colleague Steve Steen onto the show — which is a pity, because he holds his own remarkably well against the regulars.

Tropes associated with Jim:
  • '80s Hair
  • Deadpan Snarker
  • Keet: The real reason he brought his longtime partner Steve Steen on the show - their chemistry. Partner Jim with someone else, and the building nervousness makes him look like he's been shooting up on caffeine.
    Jim: "Well, I have to go..."
    Greg: "Yes, I know you have to leave now, to see the... musical instruments..."
    Jim: (beat) "...Xanadu was a really bad film, wasn't it?!"

Steve Steen

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/steve_steen_whose_line_uk.jpg
Tropes associated with Steve Steen:

Steve Frost

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/stephen_frost_whose_line_uk.jpg
"You're goin' 'ome in a BLEEDIN' AMBULANCE!!"

Huge, balding and gruff of voice, with eyebrows you could lose a man in, Steve may be the most intimidating comedian ever.

Tropes associated with Steve Frost:
  • Achilles' Heel: Steve was especially bad at the Hoedown game. He had a terrible sense of rhythm and his rhymes made no sense.
    Steve: When I was a young man, I went to my friend's house for tea. Well he was growing up too fast, he was going through puberty. He had hairs on his top lip, and underneath his arms. His mother came in and caught us kissing. And... joined in.
    • It doesn't help that he was almost always in the first spot, which meant he got basically no time to think of a verse. One gets the feeling he just wanted it over with.
      • He had a third spot in one of the first games he appeared on. One would think he was moved to the first spot because the producers realized the extra time didn't help him.
  • Artistic License – Biology: During the vasectomy hoedown, Steve described the procedure as: "Gonna cut your balls off, and put 'em in a jar!"
  • Ass Shove: Steve pretending to pull on a long rubber glove is usually a sign for Clive to hit the buzzer.
  • The Big Guy: He's as tall as Ryan, but significantly burlier.
  • Big Ol' Eyebrows: He's gotten a couple of jabs for that.
  • Boisterous Bruiser: To the extent that his turn on Weird Newscasters as a "soccer fan" started becoming disturbingly realistic.
    Steve: ...ENGLAAAAND! ENGLAAAAND!! [takes his seat and starts swinging it around]
  • Cool Old Guy: You really get the feeling that Colin and Ryan were basically his understudies during his tenure.
  • Iconic Outfit: It's been speculated that those baggy Hawaiian shirts were all they had in his size...
  • Large Ham: Steve had a big voice and a big presence. In one Scene To Music, he went so ridiculously over-the-top that it took every ounce of self-control Tony had to not burst out laughing.
  • Refuge in Audacity: He actually lowered his pants for a laugh twice.
  • Stock Characters: Jimmy Saville ("Now then now then now then!")
  • Violent Glaswegian: Practically oozes this.

Rory Bremner

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rory_bremner_whose_line_uk.jpg
(as John Major) "I must say, it makes a difference taking the piss out of myself..."

Specialising in impressions, Rory enjoyed a semi-regular run on this show before moving on to Mock the Week.

Tropes associated with Rory:
  • The Bus Came Back: Rory was on the radio show and season one, then (due to his busy work schedule) quit appearing. He made one guest shot on the 6th season- and became a regular in the 8th and 9th.
  • Catchphrase: Ironically, none are actually his own. He's known to have milked Murray Walker's "Look! At! That!" a few times.
  • Man of a Thousand Voices: Rory's main strength.
  • Nerd Glasses: Actually carried a pair for his more specific impressions.
  • Spotlight-Stealing Squad: Rory won many of the games he appeared on. He was also always given a chance to show off an impression he was good at, or another subject he knew about. See for example the Tory Politicians Hoedown, which was the topic when the other three contestants were two Americans and a Canadian. Greg is able to show off his UK politics knowledge, but Colin and Ryan just sort of flounder.
  • Stock Characters: Implied to have a dozen, but his British politicians and Eagle Land acts come to mind.
  • Take That!: His impressions of co-stars can be pretty spot on, check out his takes on Tony and Clive.

Caroline Quentin

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/caroline_quentin_whose_line_uk.jpg
Clive: "...in this scene, you are a woman in labor, and Tony is the father of th..."
Caroline: "I'll be the judge of that!"

Despite joining the UK lineup relatively late, Caroline's talent and chemistry with Josie has created some moments to remember.

Tropes associated with Caroline:
  • Refuge in Audacity: In American terms, she was the Colin to Josie's Ryan.
    • In one game she is paired with Steve Frost and given the scene At the Butcher's. He asks if she wants "some dripping to go with that." She answers: "Don't worry, I'm doing me own," to Steve's complete revulsion.
  • Thanks for the Mammary: Much like the example with Josie, Caroline is groped by Tony in revenge after she slaps him in the face. She counters to this by openly grabbing his crotch immediately afterward. Can be seen here.

Richard Vranch

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/richard_vranch_whose_line_uk.jpg

Colleagues with Paul and Josie (all hailing from The Comedy Store Players) prior to Whose Line, Richard is best known for being the musician for the UK series.

Tropes associated with Richard Vranch:
  • Iconic Outfit: How often is he seen without those earphones of his?
  • Omnidisciplinary Scientist: He slings a guitar alongside that piano, and there's a synthesiser on top and probably some other musical implements behind it.
    • He's also literally a scientist. He has a doctorate in physics from Cambridge University.
  • The Voiceless: Richard Vranch rarely spoke during all of his years on the show. He did smile and occasionally move his head though.
  • They Wasted a Perfectly Good Character: He's actually a successful improvisational comedian himself, with music only forming a small part of his act. He really wanted to come out from behind his piano and show what else he could do, but the producers never let him.

One-shot or infrequent performers:

     US Side - Original 

Drew Carey

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/drew_carey_whose_line_us1.jpg
"Welcome to Whose Line Is It Anyway?, where the points don't matter, that's right, the points are like the plot of a porn movie, they don't matter!"

Known for already having an eponymous sitcom, Drew went with his co-star Ryan's idea of adapting this show for US audiences and became host and executive producer of Whose Line until its initial cancellation.

Tropes associated with Drew:
  • Achilles' Heel: It's not hard to get Drew to laugh, but it is hard to make him stop.
  • Adipose Rex: Drew was the performers' and musicians' boss during his run. He even sometimes jokes about Ryan's place on his sitcom show whenever he makes a joke on him.
    Drew: I have the power to hire and fire.
  • Big Fun: Was often the butt of jokes about his weight but took them in good humor and enjoyed taking part in the games.
  • Catchphrase:
    • "I'm your host Drew Carey, c'mon down, let's have some fun!"
    • "Welcome to Whose Line Is It Anyway?, the show where everything's made up and the points don't matter... if you've never seen the show before, this is how it works: our performers are going to make up everything you see here, right off the top of their heads, based on suggestions from the audience... we give 'em some fakey points, it's just a gag to hold the show together..."
    • "A thousand points to everyone!"
      • This last one was lampshaded in one episode when Drew brought in a tape recorder with him saying "One thousand points" on it. He joked that he's trying to get to the point where he doesn't even have to show up at all. Ryan said "Damn close." in response to that.
  • Character Development: Drew got much better at improvisation as the show went on. Compare early performances where he flubbed the one-word rule of "Three-Headed Broadway Star" multiple times in the same game to episodes nearer the end of the run, where he had become much more competent thanks to by-then years of practice and observation with the pros.
  • Comedic Sociopathy: Drew, as the series progressed, used schadenfreude more and more as a major part of his humor. He relished in watching the cast squirm.
    • His standard intro to Superheroes includes "they're gonna try to screw each other up". To Drew, the point of the game was watching them struggle to act out the insane characters they assigned each other.
  • Embarrassing Middle Name: Allison.
  • Freudian Excuse: Drew lost his father and was molested by an adult male as a kid, so his relish for hoedowns is dampened when the subjects of Christmas and family reunions come up.
  • The Hyena: Drew was often prone to fits of helpless, giggly laughter during particularly absurd or brutal games, often at the hands of Ryan or Colin.
  • Iconic Outfit: Not just the suit but the suspenders struggling with his pants.
  • It's the Best Whatever, Ever!: Drew's reaction to the Colin Newsflash.
  • Kick the Dog: "A thousand points to everybody but Wayne..."
  • Nerd Glasses: Carried over, not from his sitcom or even his standup routine prior, but from his days in the US Marine Corps.
  • Nice Guy: Drew loves to laugh at others misfortune but he overall is a decent and easygoing host.
  • Pet the Dog: "A thousand points, and my heart goes out to all of you, man..."
  • Running Gag: Many of the players always joke about the fact Drew is the producer of both Whose Line and his own Drew Carey Show, ranging from the fact he's astoundingly wealthy and that he has two shows in the first place.
  • Self-Deprecation: "...the points don't mean anything. Just like my treadmill..."

Greg Proops

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/greg_proops_whose_line_uk.jpg
US Side - Original
US Side - Revival
"Yes, Mister Patronising Barrister, we do have trampolines in America..."

One of the best known US regulars in the UK run, mainly for his distinct voice and his habit of directing jokes at Clive's expense. Whether it was Clive's relative inaction during the UK run, or his habit of condescending cracks at the US players, or both, it's turned Greg vs Clive into the best known Running Gag (the distinguishing aspect even) of the late UK run.

Tropes associated with Greg:
  • The Bus Came Back: After rumors that The CW didn't want too many of the older players back, he reappeared in the second season of the revival series.
  • Deadpan Snarker: The pinnacle of this trope in Whose Line circles, perhaps second only to Paul Merton. Greg could dish out a sharp wit to anyone at the drop of a hat, including the host if he's so inclined.
  • Demoted to Extra: Arguably, this happened during the ABC run as Colin, Ryan and Wayne were the main three contestants and the fourth seat was usually filled in by Brad or one of the female performers.
  • Fascinating Eyebrow: The first 15 seconds of this.
  • Fish out of Water: He's usually able to keep up with the British humor and references. However, in one round of Dating Game, he was completely unable to guess that Tony Slattery was pretending to be Noddy because he had never heard of the character. note  He was on the right track - he guessed "Some colorful British cartoon character?" - but after the answer was revealed he was clearly flummoxed.
  • Four Eyes, Zero Soul: Heavily invoked, despite the similarity to Drew's Nerd Glasses.
  • Iconic Outfit: The glasses and the suit, especially the jacket that Wayne borrows at times.
  • Last-Second Word Swap/Subverted Rhyme Every Occasion: A specialty of his during the UK run.
  • Man of a Thousand Voices: His most underrated strength, possibly because of a very nasally tone in all of them.
  • Self-Deprecation: Not above this.
    • At the end of one Let's Make A Date game, Clive asked if Greg figured out the quirks, to which Greg replied with that certain sardonic humor of his:
      Greg: Oh I think I do, Clive, but you know how this goes. There's always the hope of me getting it and then the crushing disappointment of my actual guess.
      Clive: It's usually a disappointment with you, Greg.
    • Played with while hosting one game of "Party Quirks."
      "It's a 'Come as a Greg Proops joke' party. Ocelot! Ocelot! Nehehehehehe—God, you're bald, Clive."
  • Sharp-Dressed Man: Easily the sharpest dresser on the series.
  • Sitcom Arch-Nemesis: To Clive Anderson.
  • Smug Snake
  • Stock Characters: Known for his nigh-perfect Woody Allen. He did this once during a Film & Theater Styles playing where you can see professional impressionist Rory Bremner in the back, smiling and nodding in approval.
  • Totally Radical: Looking back, his early appearances have shades of this; it's hard to tell how much of it is self-mockery/exaggeration and how much is genuinely what hip Californians talked like then...
    • It's self-mockery AND accurate. If you've seen his solo act, most of his jokes revolve around how dumb stereotypical Californians sound.
  • Troll: Most of his best humor was spent making the hosts look silly and bringing them down a peg - most iconically Clive (with whom it was almost an art form), but also to an extent with Drew as well. It sometimes overlapped with Karmic Trickster, especially with Clive.
  • Viewers Are Morons: After failing to get a laugh with the joke: "Wow Alice, there are two Cheshire Cats!" he indignantly yelled out: "It's called a book!" He's done that more than once.
  • Waxing Lyrical: Once managed to squeeze John Lee Hooker lyrics into a Hats suggestion.

Ryan Stiles

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ryan_stiles_whose_line_uk.jpg
US Side - Original
US Side - Revival
"That's right, I'LL respect YOU in the MOOORNIIING!!"

From early in the UK run to the last episode of the original US run (and then to the 2013 revival), Ryan Stiles has become a staple of the show. He's its driving force in more ways than one, as he served as executive producer on the show for helping to bring it to the US, and serves in the same position on the CW revival.

Tropes associated with Ryan:
  • The Ace: From general quick wit and Refuge in Audacity to some some actual singing ability, it's easy to see why Ryan's the main man of the show.
  • Berserk Button: You can pick on Ryan, you can pick your nose, but don't pick on Ryan's nose.
    • Ryan loathes hoedowns, due to how overused they are and how difficult it is to come up with lyrics on the fly, especially since he's often the last person in the line, meaning he has less content to work with.
      Ryan: Singing a song about a vending machine/Don't you know that it's really not my scene?/Trying to think of something clever with a little twist,/If we do another hoedown, I'll slit my fucking wrist!
  • The Big Guy: At 6'6", he's the tallest performer.
  • Butt-Monkey: Meta-example - from being fed with the weirdest suggestions in the cards to being fed with pretty much anything by Colin in Helping Hands.
    "I'm just leaving a little time here so everyone can read the novel that is my suggestion..."
    • Also often gets poked fun at for the outrageous shoes he would wear, which are custom-made due to the unusual size of his feet. In one game of Scenes From a Hat, Kathy Greenwood suggested that his bright blue footwear could even be seen from space.
  • The Cast Showoff: A minor example; Ryan is very good at remaining very, very still, and some party quirks are written with that in mind (such as being a taxidermic stuffed corpse or being strapped to a bomb that will go off if he moves).
  • Covert Pervert: It's been noted out that he's by far more familiar with certain subjects than he'll own up to.
    (After Greg guessed that Ryan was a "70s Porn Star Dude")
    Drew: That's close enough... (lets Greg see the answer)
    Greg: (reads) ""A Series Of Delivery Guys In Porn Films"?"
    Ryan: I had to just, think about what that'd be like cos I've never... ahem...
    Colin: ...AAAAHAHAHAHA!...
    • Xaviera Hollander, his frequent pick for X in 90 Second Alphabet, is a former prostitute.
  • Deadpan Snarker: In his own right. You'd have to be if you're gonna work regularly with Colin. He particularly loves employing this whenever a scene goes Off the Rails or has a particularly noticeable plot hole.
  • Dirty Old Man: Was never shy about being filthy-minded right from his very first UK episode, so he basically aged into this, still doing dick jokes well into his sixties.
  • Gag Nose: Famously called "a big stick with a big nose" by Colin. Ryan clearly found it Actually Pretty Funny.
  • Gag Penis: From imaginary ones to actual ones thanks to some of the Props.
  • Game-Breaking Injury:
    • Ryan's bad back has come up once or twice, even resulting in the only Ice Skaters game ever being aborted. In the 2013 revival, he's left out of Sideways Scene, and even Moving People (which he actually headlined in the old days).
    • For a one-off example, in one Party Quirks game where he's pretending to be "Carol Channing getting her head stuck to things," he actually falls and smashes a floor light with his head. He manages to remain in character the whole time, but that was the last time he or anyone else was given that kind of prompt.
  • Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Colin. Which is amazing, considering the number of times they've kissed each other.
  • Hidden Depths: He really can sing if he puts his mind to it, just take a listen here.
    • His "malevolent poltergeist" act involves going to Laura Hall's usual place and working her piano and synthesiser, making some pretty creepy sounds (Full episode here).
  • Hoist by His Own Petard: Any time Ryan's attempts to strongarm the current act in a direction of his own choosing is thwarted by Colin.
    • Also the Hoedowns: The last slot in the hoedown is the most important; a good player can use it to elevate the entire episode to legendary funniness while a bad one can leave the audience feeling cheated. Ryan was good at it, really really good. It was one of the reasons why there are so many Hoedowns in the US run, so many that Ryan came to hate the game with a passion because he was always last and always had to try and top not only the other players but himself. When the Hoedown returned in the revival, Ryan is now situated in the #3 slot, with Jeff Davis or Brad Sherwood bringing up the final verse depending on the episode.
  • Iconic Outfit: His shoes.
    • The shoes, the cowboy shirts, the ties.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Downplayed with the "jerk" part. Ryan is a pretty normal and well-meaning person but on top of being a Deadpan Snarker, he may have the most irreverent and unsympathetic sense of humor out of the main cast.
  • Large Ham: Ryan's such a whirlwind of physical comedy that he can completely steal an entire scene without even saying a word.
  • Likes Older Women: That episode with Florence Henderson...
  • Made of Iron: Takes a neon light to the head and keeps on going.
  • Multiple-Choice Past: Sort of. Ryan was born in the U.S. but spent much of his childhood in Canada. When he needs an excuse for getting something wrong, it's usually something along the lines of, "I'm Canadian. It's different there." But he's still allowed free passes to mock Colin for being Canadian, implying Ryan isn't.
    • Oddly, Ryan is identified as Canadian far more in the UK episodes than he is in the US episodes.
  • Murder the Hypotenuse: He'll jokingly threaten to do this to the spouse or boyfriend of any attractive female audience member.
  • One Head Taller: Given his height, every time he's involved with a woman ends up this way.
  • Pungeon Master: One of his specialties.
  • Refuge in Audacity: Many of the show's racier gags (and, by extension, outtakes) seemed to occur during Ryan's final Hoedown line. Just one of many examples.
  • Rule of Funny: To the extent that the nickname "Anything-for-a-Laugh" has been used in-universe on the show.
    • Subverted when taking a mouthful of Altoid mints comes back to bite him in the worst way.
      Drew: They are curiously strong when you pop them all in your mouth at once.
  • Running Joke: Ryan would tend to make as many references to Nazis or impressions of Adolf Hitler as he could get away with, especially in the Helping Hands game.
    • He was upset when "Bill Cosby and Hitler are roommates" was suggested for a game in the American version and Executive Meddling stopped the game before it even started.
      • Of course, he managed to get an amazing bit of revenge against the Executive Meddling during the show's hoedown.
        Ryan: Our director, he really is the boss/For yelling, and screaming, he's never at a loss! He's the meanest guy that you will ever see/He should sprout a mustache and move to Germany! (Audience promptly loses its shit)
  • Stock Characters: Elvis Presley, Carol Channing, John Wayne, animals of all kinds.
  • Suicide as Comedy: He's mimed hanging himself several times.
  • Those Two Guys: So much so with Colin, as the two are regularly paired together in games (such as "Infomercial" and "Greatest Hits") and are the only performers to have been regulars for the show's entire duration, appearing in every episode of the original US series' run together with Drew (Wayne was a recurring player in Seasons 1 and 8).
  • Too Kinky to Torture: He's made jokes about this several times (which is downright suicidal if you know about his back condition). This literally bites him in the ass when Colin gets his hands on a fancy bondage crop, makes a nonchalant swing at Ryan, and then they learn it's the real deal.
  • Troll: Ryan was always quick enough to mess with his longtime comrades, but as Ryan got older during the CW version, he started getting even more willfully obnoxious about it (for cheap laughs, of course). His latter-day Greatest Hits games with Colin are often just Ryan gleefully undermining Colin and driving him nuts, such as the game where Ryan plays a slobbering drunk the entire time just so Colin has to carry things. In one Irish Drinking Song, he just gives up and starts ending all his lines with "cheese." Aisha Facepalms at the cheap cop-out, and Ryan just sits down afterward and says "Nailed it!" This is what happens over time when you've truly done it all on Whose Line.
  • Vitriolic Best Buds: With Drew Carey. More and more with Colin as the years go by.
  • What the Hell Is That Accent?: Accents are not his strongest point... and he knows it, too.
    Ryan: Lemme just say that this Spanish Colonel has some Italian in him..."

Colin Mochrie

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/colin_mochrie_whose_line_uk.jpg
US Side - Original
US Side - Revival
"Monkey monkey chew the butter / See my buttocks, they've better,
batter, patoota / patoota monkey monkey!
Look! There's a gerbil! / I'm going up and down!
60 Minutes, where are you? / Here's an expose for you!
* gibberish*"

A regular towards the end of the UK run, Colin quickly became a crowd favorite for all the right reasons (and a few wrong ones). Starting with Season 5 of the CW revival, he is now an executive producer.

Tropes associated with Colin:
  • The Ace: All around, though perhaps most notably with Irish Drinking Song. He has a reputation of making every other cast member laugh at the drop of a hat while barely cracking a smile at his costars' silliest gags.
    • Taken to a slightly further level in the revival series, where he reveals a surprising strength, picking up wrestlers with boggling ease.
  • Achilles' Heel: Any music-based game - except possibly the Irish Drinking Song.
    • Colin has admitted the Hoedown is the only game in which he feels real fear while playing.
    • Colin often freezes in "If You Know What I Mean", but he has his moments, like "I'll help you fluff your Garfield, if you know what I mean.".
    • He's often implied on-camera to have difficulty with impersonations (usually deferring to a general Walter Brennan western accent whenever it comes time to do one), and thus seems hesitant whenever participating in "Questionable Impressions". His only good impression is Colonel Klink, from Hogan's Heroes. It's dead on.
      Colin: (steps up onto the stage, speaking in his normal voice) "Do you have anything for Craig T. Nelson?
  • Berserk Button: Played for laughs whenever Colin needs to be "held back" by Ryan after one too many bald jokes.
  • Beware the Nice Ones: See The Woobie below - when he finally decides that it's time for a comeback, expect comedy gold.
  • Butt-Monkey: "Hey, make fun of the bald guy! I'll be your Lightning Rod of Hate(tm)!"
  • Courteous Canadian: He doesn't usually sound like a stereotypical Canadian, but his being from Canada is often referenced in various ways. He also, upon hearing that one audience volunteer was visiting from Canada, immediately jumped up and ran to hug her even though he wasn't involved in the skit for which she was assisting.
  • Catchphrase: Only when playing the role of the "director" in Hollywood Director, when he interrupts the scene with the first cut, he will use the word "crap" somewhere to describe the bad acting of the others.
  • Chivalrous Pervert: "I'm gonna stick my nose in there!..."
  • Cloud Cuckoo Lander: He often blurts out weird stuff randomly. Especially in the games "Irish Drinking Song" and "Three Headed Broadway Star".
  • The Comically Serious: The man has an amazing talent for bringing down the house without making a facial expression.
  • Cool Old Guy: The (lack of) hair makes it hard to tell that he's merely 2 years older than Ryan.
  • Dark Humor: His twisted sense of humor caused Drew to call him a “dark little man.”
  • Deadpan Snarker: Tons of this, usually to keep Ryan on his toes.
  • Determinator: Though he often makes the entire cast break down and unable to finish when doing Irish Drinking Song, he doggedly finishes even if he's the only one. It makes it that much funnier.
  • Double Standard: Everyone takes potshots at Colin for being bald and/or Canadian, but one time when he made fun of Ryan's nose, the audience reacted negatively, making him say "Notice how all the melon jokes, the bald jokes? I make one nose joke, it's OHHH!"
  • Enemy to All Living Things: Colin's earlier performances usually involved miming the killing of small animals - and people.
  • Heterosexual Life-Partners: He and Ryan practically make this trope. They also kiss numerous times on the show.
  • I Was Quite a Fashion Victim: While nearly everyone who'd been in the UK series prior were hit with this, Colin stood out thanks to some very ill-fitting jackets.
    "I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you over your shirt."
  • Large Ham: In his own ardorable way.
  • Meaningful Name: Someone who's done equal amounts of time on the giving and receiving end, named Mochrie.note  Think about it. He even punned on it in one late UK Hoedown about himself.
  • Nice Guy: He's swears the least out of the lot, even in deleted outtakes, making the animal abuse jokes that much more random.
    "You big... poo-head!"
    • Subverted in the revival, with his "Bitch Coin" quip.
  • Overly Prepared Gag: One of Colin's specialties. Considering that any 'preparing' starts from the moment he sits down...
  • Pet the Dog: "Canada - the UPSIDE!"
  • Pungeon Master: There's been all kinds of puns on this show, but Colin is perhaps the all-time champion of this trope. His most famous ones are his "top stories" in Weird Newscasters.
  • Refuge in Audacity: Not just in the usual sense but in-game - how else do you explain him filling his third of a session of "Three-Headed Singer" with repetitions of "YOU!" up to nine times. And copping out of Hoedown, of course.
  • Thinks of Something Smart, Says Something Stupid: One "Party Quirks" game has Colin Mochrie practicing clever pickup lines—and then when he comes face-to-face with Kathy Griffin, all he can say is "Nice boobs!" and immediately cringe at what he just said.
  • Those Two Guys: So much so with Ryan, as the two are regularly paired together in games (such as "Infomercial" and "Greatest Hits") and are the only performers to have been regulars for the show's entire duration, appearing in every episode of the original US series' run together with Drew (Wayne was a recurring player in Seasons 1 and 8).

Brad Sherwood

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/brad_sherwood_whose_line_uk.jpg
US Side - Original
US Side - Revival
"This just in, Wayne's got a fig old futt."

Joining as a semi-regular late in the UK run, having appeared in a few of the earlier episodes, Brad stands out not just physically but for his distinctly fratboy-juvenile style of humor.

Tropes associated with Brad:
  • The Ace: At Questions Only and Song Titles. In one round of the latter, he was practically unstoppable until the very end.
  • The Big Guy: At 6'4", he's the second-tallest performer in the American edition.
  • The Bus Came Back: Just like Greg above.
  • Large Ham: Slightly behind the regulars, but when he gets the chance to ham it up, he will.
  • Lovable Sex Maniac: "Did you see the jugs of that girl in row 4?"
  • Made of Iron:
    • Brad's deliberate pratfalls have a disturbingly loud thump, though falling on his front while wearing a Lapel mic can have that effect.
    • One Scenes From A Hat game saw him respond to the prompt "If Olympic games were performed drunk" by doing a staggering pole vault over the chairs in the back and right off the stage.
  • Mr. Fanservice: Quite a few female fans have made comments on his good looks.
  • Pungeon Master: Not quite to Colin's extent, but he's known to throw in some serious groaners here and there.
  • Refuge in Audacity: The game If You Know What I Mean is a specialty of his.
    "I hope my husband licks Bush tonight..."
    • Unintentional in this clip's Hoedown, when he was called out for mentioning "pu-pu platter".
    • From an Olympic-themed If You Know What I Mean, "There's nothing better than a 200 lb snatch if you know what I mean...", which prompted Ryan to say "That's never gonna make it to air, if you know what I mean..."
  • Stock Characters: Bruce Springsteen, Fred Schneider from The B-52s.
  • Toilet Humor: His style of humor is more juvenile and immature than the rest of the crew. "Goodbye, beautiful. FLUSH."

Wayne Brady

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wayne_brady_whose_line_uk.jpg
US Side - Original
note 
US Side - Revival
Ryan: "Hey Wayne, can I borrow your butt for the weekend?"
Wayne: "Sorry my brutha, you gots to get your own."

Becoming a regular guest early into the US run, he's well versed in singing, dancing, and has a repertoire of stock impressions. Logically, many of the games that include music often have only him singing, or him taking the lead. Starting with the 2013 revival, he is now credited as an executive producer.

Tropes associated with Wayne:
  • The Ace: As noted below, Wayne is THE go-to guy for song and dance numbers.
  • Acting for Two: Often gets quirks requiring him to play multiple characters, like "Michael Jackson and James Brown in a celebrity deathmatch".
  • Achilles' Heel: Wayne is known for cracking up the most often.
    • He has a real one in that he "has a tickly butt".
  • Adrenaline Makeover: By the revival series, he's gained a ton of muscle tone and even bicep tattoos.
  • Beware the Nice Ones: Parodied. He's known to slip briefly into psychotic personas for a gag, but otherwise almost never snarks or teases.
    • Played straight with his uncanny-but-still-rather-scathing 'inbred-hillbilly' Deep South impressions, and by proxy, his merciless rips on George W. Bush.
  • Breakout Character: Of all the regulars in the original US run (not counting Drew), he's arguably had the most success outside the show, at least on TV.
  • Butt-Monkey: Happens literally after his big secret* came out... (See here.)
  • The Cast Showoff: Wayne may be the most multi-talented member of the cast. He is able to not only do improv well but he can seriously dance and sing in just about any musical style requested by him. He also may be the most athletic.
    • How often has the second or third game of each episode been a Wayne showcase?
  • The Charmer: Probably the most charming performer in the cast.
  • Comedic Underwear Exposure: Spent an episode of the CW version invoking this trope, and finding various excuses (however flimsy) to pull his pants down and show the audience his fancy blue briefs — just another day for a Large Ham like Wayne. Aisha is sure to note to the audience that you don't wear fancy underwear like that if you don't intend on showing them off.
  • Crosscast Role: Not as much as Colin... apparently it's not as funny if done well enough.
  • Everything Is Racist: Invoked (for laughs) a few times when a role he has for a game has stereotypical connotations. For example, he asks why he has to do the African Chant.Answer
  • Fair Cop: upon singling out a beautiful woman from the audience to sing to he discovers she's an LAPD detective and automatically "assumes the position" for comic effect.
    Drew: "In your DREAMS Wayne!"
  • Heroic BSoD: Two mild ones. One comes after he gets a little too close to Richard Simmons. The other is the result of the Jane Tricker incident.
  • Iconic Outfit: Tight tees, flared pants... and The G-String.
  • Keet: The man can move, and talk in some cases.
  • Large Ham: Arguably, Wayne might be the biggest ham in the show's history; certainly the biggest ham of the American shows, and perhaps the American series' answer to Mike McShane. Wayne is such a frequent, shameless scene-stealer that Colin even called him out for it once.
    Colin: Got some cheese to go with the ham?
  • My Greatest Second Chance: Wayne revealed on Aisha Tyler's podcast that he initially auditioned for the UK Whose Line sometime during the early to mid 90s.
  • Nice Guy: By many accounts, he's a sweetheart to fans and has a great camaraderie with the other regulars.
  • Older Than They Look: By the 2013 revival, the years show on Wayne the least compared to Ryan and Colin.
  • Once an Episode: Or in this case, Once A Game. As the Drew-era version got into its third season's tapings, Wayne became increasingly fixated on finding a way to get Drew involved with his Weird Newscasters quirk, usually in some kind of humiliating fashion. The show's writers leaned into this by making Wayne's Weird Newscasters quirks more and more carnal and/or physical, which made it impossible for Wayne to resist the temptation. The writers clearly tried to get this recurring bit going again for Aisha's version, but it wasn't quite the same — Aisha was much more willing to play along by comparison, and thus a lot harder to humble.
  • Renaissance Man: Apart from what's already mentioned here, he's also a television host, Broadway star (in Kinky Boots), and a father.
    • He also, in the guise of The Fox, was the winner of the second season of The Masked Singer - beating out famous musicians like Daughtry (who took second place) and Patti LaBelle.
  • Screams Like a Little Girl: He really does.
  • "Sesame Street" Cred: "Aren't you supposed to be good at making things up in a moment? Good luck!"
  • Series Mascot: When the American version peaked on ABC, Drew was often alongside Wayne; this made it easier to advertise The Drew Carey Show simultaneously.
  • Sitcom Arch-Nemesis: Wayne's back & forth with Aisha Tyler may be the CW's answer to Greg Proops vs Clive Anderson. Neither Wayne nor Aisha ever want to let the other have the last word.
  • Stock Characters: Sassy Black Woman, Uncle Tomfoolery, Bill Cosby, Sammy Davis Jr., Michael Jackson, accented Mexican bandito, hick/hillbilly.
  • Stylistic Suck: Certain acts require him to sing badly, which is done very convincingly and 100 times funnier as a result.
  • Those Two Guys: Pretty much relegated to this with whoever the special guest is, as they'll often be the ones to perform "Greatest Hits" while Ryan and Colin stand to the side and advertise.
    • Interestingly, Wayne and Jonathan Mangum were established as this well before the revival series, which added Jon to the lineup but doesn't play it up quite as much.
  • Token Black: He appeared to be this at first, but proven in time to be a full-fledged Ace. Also joked about it with good humor.
    Wayne: Why do I have to lead the African chant?
  • Verbal Tic: Next time Wayne sings, see how long it takes him to hit on the word "because". Here's a hint: it's usually as soon as he opens his mouth.
  • Viewers Are Morons: Has happened to him a few times:
    Wayne: (during "Scenes From a Hat") Yea! The two revenuers from Verona approacheth! (dead silence) Read a book, people!

Karen Maruyama

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/karen_maruyama_whose_line_uk.jpg
US Side - Original
"I would take you to sporting goods store, and buy some ping-pong balls and keep you up aaaall niiight!"

The only Asian player in the history of Whose Line. Karen is known for playing up her few strengths as far as she can (in essence, a female Colin).

Tropes associated with Karen:

Denny Siegel

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/denny_siegel_whose_line_us1.jpg
"Pork rinds?! I'm having a heart attack..."

In simple terms, Denny is an all-rounded performer and very much one of the guys.

Tropes associated with Denny:

Kathy Greenwood

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kathy_greenwood_whose_line_us1.jpg
"I do not dance for the likes of you, get your stinking hands off meeEEEEEEEE..."

Debuting in US season 2, Kathy is the best known of the Whose Line US women, appearing on the show the most out of all of them.

Tropes associated with Kathy:
  • Achilles' Heel: Drew occasionally teased Kathy about her struggles in guessing games — she was a perfectly good Straight Man, but once it came time for the actual guessing, she wasn't quite as adept as someone like Brad. Kathy took it on the chin, though.
  • As Long as It Sounds Foreign: Faking European accents is her most underrated strength - and a bit of an Achilles' Heel in itself as it bled into her attempts at anything different.
    Kathy: I do not dance for the likes of yoou.
    [Drew and Wayne burst out laughing, and even Ryan needs a moment to recover]
    Ryan: You're from Canada, aren't you?
    Kathy: [looking defeated] Chè, and me mother is from Swëëden.
  • Beware the Quiet Ones:
    • Every so often, Kathy would come up with a surprisingly vile joke for someone so mild-mannered — in her first Scenes From A Hat game she makes a yeast infection joke, and one Hollywood Director game ended with her and the others performing the scene as supermodels, so Kathy spent the scene posing, runway-walking, and then making herself vomit.
    • One that a lot of people remember is the Song Styles game where Wayne sings about goats in the style of West Side Story, and Kathy, Colin and Ryan play dancing goats behind him. Kathy's idea of "goat-like behavior" involves a lot of headbutts, lifting one leg(?), and... uh, humping, for lack of a better term. The game ends with what looks like Colin and Wayne giving her an Eiffel Tower. No one expected that level of suggestiveness from Kathy, and it becomes a Running Gag, making for one of the rare episodes where Kathy's the center of attention.
  • Bratty Teenage Daughter: Plays one in one version of Weird Newscasters, pretending to be on the phone the entire time and performing random contortions.
    Kathy: [as though suddenly spotting the audience] Hey... people are looking at me...
  • Cute, but Cacophonic: Her turn as "whiny girlfriend of gangster boss Colin" in Weird Newscasters.
    Colin: This just in: all dogs in a five-mile area go deaf.
  • Older Than They Look: She's younger than Drew, Greg, Ryan and Colin, but older than Brad, Chip and Wayne.
  • Straight Man: Often was one in scenes when it wasn't Colin, which is probably why she was unfairly criticized as not being very funny.
  • The Voiceless: In episode 4.2, she doesn't say a single word (as she was a prop in "Living Scenery", she was just a back-up dancer in "Song Styles", and she didn't come up with any suggestions in "Scenes from a Hat").

Chip Esten

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chip_esten_whose_line_uk.jpg
US Side - Original
US Side - Revival
"...if you come down this weekend you can drive off the lot with Colin Mochrie right here! There's some wear on the tread here, that can be replaced for no extra charge..."

After appearing late in the UK run, Chip rejoined the US in season 2, but the audience warmed up to him very quickly. You can't go wrong with looks and talent in equal amounts.

Tropes associated with Chip:
  • The Ace: At Hoedown. Chip always made a game that was hated by almost every other performer on the show look like a breeze.
  • Black Comedy: Mostly averted, as Chip's sense of humor tended to be cleaner than that of the other male performers. Still, he got in a few Black Comedy jokes once in a while, such as the Scenes From a Hat suggestion about unlikely lounge songs:
    Chip: "Cannibalism, cannibalism..."
  • The Bus Came Back: Makes his long-awaited revival series debut (as a Special Guest) in season 5, and by 2019, he's finally in a chair again.
  • I Was Quite a Fashion Victim: UK hair.
  • Keet: Especially notable as he's gone toe-to-toe with Wayne on occasion.
  • Large Ham: In his UK debut, Clive brought up Chip's stage musical experience, and it really shows.
  • Mr. Fanservice: His dance moves garnered appreciative whistles from the audience on more than one occasion.
  • No Doubt the Years Have Changed Me: Came back to the show after a fourteen-year absence going by the name Charles for the first time and looking like he'd been around the block a few times.
  • Older Than They Look: In his season 5 appearance, the years show on him way less than Colin and Ryan (but roughly as much as Jeff). By 2019 he's got a full beard that edges him a little closer, though.
  • Only Known by Their Nickname: Particularly in the UK version. Watch the US end credits: sometimes he's credited as Charles Esten.
  • Pun: When he punned his name, and this Hoedown:
    My wife caught me with a prostitute
    She came into the room and she began to shoot
    And then she went and yelled all around the town
    I know there's more prostitutes; I guess that's one hoe down.
  • Put on a Bus: First appeared in the UK version, then took a long hiatus before reappearing in the original US one (and another before appearing in the revival). He become a regular on Nashville long before there would be a revival series.
  • Retraux: His chiseled good looks invoke '60s screen idols, and has been lampshaded once.
  • Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness: Chip has a reputation for using surprisingly big words in singing games. In his very first show in the Drew version, he managed to squeeze "bicuspid" into a song.
  • Stock Characters: Snagglepuss, and hillbillies.

Jeff Davis

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jeff_davis_whose_line_us1.jpg
US Side - Revival
"Jack please, please don't leave me, don't leave me I beg/I will not leave you, Rose, I've frozen my leg/You've frozen your leg?/I've frozen my leg..."

The last new player added to the US run in season 3, Jeff turned out to be versatile enough to earn regular status. After keeping himself busy by participating in the attempted followups Drew Carey's Green Screen Show, Drew Careys Improvaganza, and a little-known co-production with Chip called On the Spot, he's the first fourth-member from the old series to appear in the revival.

Tropes associated with Jeff:

Laura Hall

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/laura_hall_whose_line_uk.jpg
US Side - Original
US Side - Revival
"...Um, it's hard to explain..."

The charming female pianist actually appeared first in the last leg of the UK run and for the entirety of the US run and its revival series.

Tropes associated with Laura Hall:
  • Not So Stoic: She's never failed to deliver whatever music is required, but noticeably messed up at least once - her piano play went Off the Rails thanks to one Irish Drinking Song.
    • This one too.
      • Her piano playing can also slow down or stop entirely when the cast manages to make her laugh. It's kind of a game for players.
  • Pregnant Badass: Carried out all her usual duties while being very visibly pregnant for a stretch. That, folks, is what we call a trooper. Several jokes were made about how she can possibly play the piano when she can barely reach the keys.
  • The Quiet One: Has only two lines for the entire run, and only after the keyboard crashed this one time.
  • Those Two Girls: With Linda.

Linda Taylor

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/linda_taylor_whose_line_us1.jpg
US Side - Revival

To add versatility to the music center of the show, guitarist Linda was added to Laura's corner. (Later episodes would have brass specialists Cece Worral-Rubin or Anne King joining in, and less frequently, Anna Wanselius.)

Tropes associated with Linda:

One-shot or infrequent performers:

  • Anne King - Musician in ten episodes. Usually played the trumpet.
  • Anna Wanselius - Musician in six episodes.
  • Candy Girard - Musician in one episode.
  • Cece Worrall - Musician in 45 episodes. Usually played the sax.
  • Ian Gomez - Appeared in season 1 and season 8 (actually an episode made out of season 1 footage).
  • Patrick Bristow - Was part of the pilot, which initially didn't air. His appearance eventually was split into two season 8 episodes.
  • Josie Lawrence - The regular on the UK version only got two episodes in the U.S. version, both made from the same taping.
  • Kathy Griffin - Appeared in four episodes. Very talented and arguably one of the funnier female performers, but sadly upstaged by the guest stars that appeared in most of her episodes.
  • Kathy Kinney - Appeared during season 1, no doubt due to her role on The Drew Carey Show. Later appeared much more frequently on Drew Carey's Improv-A-Ganza, and was also a performer on the pay-per-view special Improv All Stars.
  • Robin Williams - Sadly, only got featured on one episode.
  • Stephen Colbert - Also sadly, was only featured in two episodes: One from season 1, and the other from season 8 (made out of season 1 footage). Unlike the other celebrities that have made appearances on the show, Colbert was not billed as a Special Guest, but merely filled the rotating fourth seat for a day, as this was filmed around the time Colbert was starting out on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart as a correspondent. This did, however, lead to him featuring as the anchor in a game of Weird Newscasters, leading to him using the signature deadpan delivery that would later form the basis for his character on The Daily Show and The Colbert Report.
  • Whoopi Goldberg - Appeared a couple times, once in season 4 and again in the season 5 premiere.

     US Side - Revival 

Aisha Tyler

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aisha_tyler_whose_line_us2.jpg
"And just like the bookshelves in the Kardashian home, the points do not matter."

The host of Whose Line after its 2013 revival.

Tropes associated with Aisha:
  • Berserk Button: Played for Laughs when all the ribbing between her and Colin reaches a head (so to speak). She makes a crack about Bitcoins, which Colin claims he misheard as 'bitch coins', leading to Aisha getting out of her chair and tossing her jacket.
  • Catchphrase: At the end of the intro when she stands in the audience introducing herself before heading down to the desk (as per tradition), she alternates between the old "Let's have some fun," phrase that Drew Carey used before or her own new phrase, "Let's make some stuff up."
  • The Coats Are Off: In episode 10x12, after a playful spat with Colin post-Helping Hands, she tells Colin she'll give him points "in Bitcoin; they're worth nothing." Colin snaps back "I'm sorry, was that Bitch-coin?" The audience gasps and Aisha immediately stands up and whips off her coat, ready for a throwdown. (As if it needed to be said, it's all a bit; Aisha and the cast adore each other.)
  • Cool Big Sis: Inverted. While she is older than Wayne, she is still younger than many of the performers on the show. She isn't related to any of them but her style of performance may be equivalent to that of an energetic big sister having fun with her siblings.
  • Expository Hairstyle Change: Inverted in a way - her current 'do serves primarily to indicate which season's footage you're really watching, and not much else (apart from the obligatory jokes about how it got like that).
  • Guest-Star Party Member: As the revival went on, Aisha got up from her desk more and more to make occasional contributions to Scenes from a Hat. note  This leaves one of the panelists (usually Wayne or Ryan) to hit the buzzer on her behalf. Taken even further in a season 20 game of Living Scenery, where Jeff sits at the desk on Aisha's behalf, so Aisha can be one of the human props!
  • Iconic Outfit: Always has a jacket of some sort on. This one's actually lampshaded in one "Weird Newscasters" when Wayne gets the suggestion "a day in the life of Aisha".
  • Nice Girl: She can be sassy but is a larger-than-life, kind, and friendly person.
  • Older Than They Look: Born in 1970, which means she started hosting this show at 43. She looks a lot younger than that, only beginning to look slightly older when season 20 rolled around.
  • One of the Boys: Part of her appeal. Where Clive was the Old Master not easy to impress (much less outwit), and Drew's Nice Guy demeanor belied a prankster side where he loved messing with the cast for fun, Aisha is the most approachable of the hosts. She goes along with all the bawdy humor and outrageous antics of Wayne, Colin & Ryan, and seems like she's just thrilled to be a part of the show.
  • Sassy Black Woman: Usually in an attempt to ground the unpredictable Whose Line staff.
  • Sitcom Arch-Nemesis: Constantly has a snarky back & forth with Wayne, which sometimes brings Clive Anderson and Greg Proops to mind. Aisha is usually the one to take Wayne's braggadocio down a few pegs.
  • Statuesque Stunner: She's six feet tall! And still needs heels!
  • Teeny Weenie: Common subject matter for her lines.
  • Twofer Token Minority: A Black woman.
  • Vitriolic Best Buds: With both Colin and Wayne. They snark at each other but they are clearly good friends.

Jonathan Mangum

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jonathan_mangum_whose_line_us2.jpg
"Welcome everyone, to the Teeny Weenie club..."

Jon's improv credentials run a bit longer than you'd think - he appeared in all three Whose Line attempted followups (Drew Carey's Green Screen Show, Drew Careys Improvaganza, and Trust Us with Your Life), thanks primarily to his work with Wayne Brady on Wayne's short-lived sketch show and over on the set of Let's Make a Deal. Wayne is clearly something of a Big Brother Mentor to Jon, and it shows here as his place in the 2013 revival is very much earned.

Tropes associated with Jonathan:
  • Amusing Injuries: Because Jonathan will do anything for a laugh, he's the most likely to risk seriously hurting himself for the sake of a gag. He got a cut on his forehead from hitting Wayne's belt buckle with his face, and one round of Forward/Rewind ended with him falling off the back of the stage and nearly shattering the stage lights under him. He's okay, but the loud thump scares the hell out of everyone.
  • Early-Bird Cameo: Can be spotted in the audience for one of the season 2 US episodes (the one where they did Greatest Hits - "Songs of Golf").
  • Keet: Jonathan can always be counted on to give extra energy to any given scene.
  • My Greatest Second Chance: He auditioned for the initial US version on ABC, but was turned down by the producers.
  • Nice Guy: He may be even less sweary than Colin.
  • Pretty Fly for a White Guy: Thanks again to Wayne Brady's influence.
  • Remember the New Guy?: Jon started working with the Whose Line alumni shortly after the end of the ABC run, so he was already colleagues with the performers for several years before his first appearance in the revival.
  • Uncool Undies: Like his buddy Wayne, Jonathan is willing to drop his pants to get a cheap laugh. Unlike Wayne and his shiny briefs, Jonathan's only got the tighty-whities.

Heather Anne Campbell

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/heather_anne_campbell_whose_line_us2.jpg
"Uhh, hi... I'm Lucy, and this is my first time talking..."

Having already appeared before in Drew Careys Improvaganza, Heather Anne's performance back then practically ensured her a place here.

Tropes associated with Heather:
  • Chickification: She grew her hair out and found a floral top this time.
  • Cute, but Cacophonic: In one Props game, Ryan introduces Heather (holding their big, furry brown props behind her) as "the rare twin-tailed beaver." There's a Beat as neither of them know what to do with this idea... so Heather just emits this hideous, animalistic scream that cracks up her, Ryan and Aisha.
    Ryan: [between fits of laughter] ...that was terrifying!
  • One of the Guys: Especially notable is her chemistry with Ryan, considering how he's practically binary-bonded with Colin by now. Maybe it's the noses...
  • Screaming Woman: #DentalFears anyone? She pulls this again in Hollywood Director where Colin said "do it like you're easily frightened."

Gary Anthony Williams

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gary_anthony_williams_whose_line_us2.jpg
"They probably kill real zombies on that show!"

Having already appeared in Everybody Hates Chris and The Boondocks, many fans were not expecting him to do quite so well in improv as opposed to a scripted sitcom, earning him a new wave of fans.

Tropes associated with Gary:

Keegan-Michael Key

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/keegan_michael_key_whose_line_us2.jpg
"So, how big are your hips? (Beat) Oh jeez that was- wha- I creeped myself out..." (excuses himself)

Already known for his own weekly show, Keegan-Michael slipped into the improv format easier than you'd believe.

Tropes associated with Keegan-Michael:

Nyima Funk

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nyima_funk_whose_line_us2.jpg
"Oh my god, you have a Whose Line Is It Anyway? tramp stamp?!"

Another Second City alumnus much like some of the Whose Line veterans. As for improv credentials, Nyima participated in the Spiritual Adaptation Nick Cannon presents Wild 'n' Out as a regular in 2005.

Tropes associated with Nyima:

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