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1[[foldercontrol]]
2
3!The Goldbergs
4
5[[folder:Adam Goldberg]]
6!!Adam Frederick Goldberg
7->'''Played by:''' Creator/SeanGiambrone
8->'''[[NostalgicNarrator Future narration provided by]]:''' Creator/PattonOswalt ([[UncreditedRole uncredited]])
9[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/adam_goldberg.jpg]]
10
11The narrator of the show and youngest child of the family who chronicles his and his family's life in the 80s.
12----
13* AffectionateNickname:
14** Barry sometimes calls him "Adrock".
15** Beverly calls him "Schmoopie".
16* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: He'll usually be this to Barry and/or Erica. Subverted with Barry as the series goes on: While the two occasionally squabble, the two share a close bond and are both usually willing to participate in the other's shenanigans.
17* AuthorAvatar: Given that he's a younger version of creator and producer Adam F. Goldberg.
18* CatchPhrase:
19** "Oh, balls!"
20** As narrator, "It was ''(exact day-and-month date)'', nineteen-eighty-something..."
21** Also as narrator, he'll list a number of things relevant to the scene or sequence. The last thing he gets to is usually somewhat questionable which he describes as "whatever this was."
22* HopelessSuitor: Post-Dana he's pretty pathetic when it comes to romance, with both attempts failing horribly, not helped by him calling the girls "New Dana" and "Pancake Girl" respectively. Subverted when he starts dating a girl named Jackie in Season 4.
23* IdiotBall: Sometimes Adam is fully aware that whatever scheme Barry comes up with is going to backfire. Other times, he goes right along with the fullest certainty of success.
24* KiddieKid: He has shades of this. Despite being a teenager, he has a love for his action figures and gleefully plays with them like a young child would: One episode revolved around Adam having difficulty over donating his action figures; he gets them back in the end.
25* LovableNerd: He's a nerdy boy who in general has an awkward, yet sweet demeanor.
26* MommasBoy: While he's often exasperated with Beverly, he has the best relationships with all the adults, and several episodes revolve around him trying to break away from her influence, then realizing he really does need her.
27** Highlighted in the Mother's Day episode, as he's the only one who remembers to get her a gift, and goes the extra mile when he does out of appreciation.
28* TheMovieBuff: Frequents the local video store and makes movies frequently, to the point that his films are the center of quite a few plots.
29* NerdGlasses: He's quite the nerd and wears glasses.
30* NiceGuy: Most of the time. Well, out of the five main family members, he's not as cantankerous as Murray; aloof as [[DeadpanSnarker Erica]]; tempermental as [[LargeHam Barry]]; or high and mighty as [[ItsAllAboutMe Beverly]].
31** NiceJewishBoy: Being Jewish and ticking at least a few boxes, he falls under here too.
32* NiceMeanAndInBetween: The nice to Barry’s mean and Erica’s in-between.
33* OfficialCouple: With Dana from Season 2 to late Season 3, then Jackie from Season 4 through 6, and Brea Bee since season 7.
34* OlderThanTheyLook: He's a teenage boy, but could easily pass for a kid in his pre-teens.
35* OldShame: InUniverse, occasionally admitted to via narration by his adult self looking back.
36* SmartPeopleWearGlasses: He's nerd smart and wears glasses.
37* StereotypicalNerd: He has an immense passion and knowledge in math, wears glasses, [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer doesn't have a very good reputation]], and is bullied on an occasional basis.
38* UnreliableNarrator: He openly admits in the pilot that he doesn't always remember things exactly as they happened, which is used to {{Handwave}} the show's AnachronismStew.
39[[/folder]]
40
41[[folder:Barry Goldberg]]
42!!Barry Norman Goldberg (Big Tasty)
43->'''Played by:''' Creator/TroyGentile
44[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/barry_goldberg.jpg]]
45
46The middle child of the family. Older brother to Adam and younger brother to Erica.
47----
48* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: He'll usually be this to Erica.
49* BigBrotherBully: He flips back and forth between this and BigBrotherInstinct with Adam.
50* BigBrotherInstinct: DependingOnTheWriter, he can zig-zag between this and BigBrotherBully very often. Though despite his surly treatment of Adam, he really cares for him and tries his best to help him out whenever he's in a quandary.
51* BigBrotherMentor: Adam usually goes to him for advice on dating.
52* BigEgoHiddenDepths: During his most vulnerable moments, he reveals himself to be far less sure of himself than he normally seems, and admits that he considers himself to be a loser deep down.
53* BoisterousWeakling: Barry's confidence in his fighting ability is inversely proportional to his actual fighting ability. The only person who he can successfully overpower is Adam, who is even more wimpy and uncoordinated than he is.
54* BookDumb: He thinks farts are an inert gas, confuses historical figures for others, and there is too much else to list.
55* BreakoutCharacter: An overwhelming number of episodes tend to focus on or feature him prominently.
56* BrilliantButLazy: Several episodes imply and "Oh Captain, My Captain" outright states that he has an incredible amount of innate potential but chooses to apply almost all of it to stupid and frivolous pursuits such as his doomed rap career.
57* ButtMonkey: Though in fairness, it's usually brought about by his own stupidity.
58* BrutalHonesty: He has zero filter and truthfully expresses how he feels about everything and everyone, often without acknowledging that the other person may find it offensive.
59* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: He can get to be this at times.
60* CoolKidAndLoserFriendship: Played with in his friendship with Matt Bradley. Barry is the clear loser and Matt is cool, but Matt is so chill he doesn't challenge Barry's delusions of grandeur and excessive put downs, and is perfectly content and even happy to follow under him in the JTP.
61* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Of all the Goldberg children, Barry is probably the most deserving of being called a moron by his dad, and is nowhere near close to being the peerless badass that he believes himself to be. At the same time, though, his unbending to devotion to his dreams regardless of how stupid they may be, lack of interest or care in what others think of him, and ''absurd'' level of confidence in himself bestow him with an unconventional sort of charisma that naturally draws others toward him. He's also regularly suggested to have genuinely excellent potential in a variety of fields, which he can occasionally make use of to great results.
62* TheCuckoolanderWasRight: Barry's advice, while complete nonsense, can be spot on once in a blue moon. For one, putting yourself out there without fear of looking silly really did help Erica become more popular at college.
63* {{Determinator}}: His most consistent positively-portrayed trait is his refusal to ever give up when he puts his mind to something. Several characters who initially look down on him eventually grow to respect him after seeing just how far he's willing to go to achieve his goals. Coach Mellor in particular is constantly moved to the verge of ManlyTears by his spirit, despite otherwise finding him to be annoying.
64* TheDitz: Easy to fool, makes a MissingStepsPlan on a regular basis, and by his own admission, he can't follow instructions with too many steps.
65* DumbassTeenageSon: The not-so-bright teenage son of the Goldberg family.
66* DumbMuscle: Barry places far more value on physical prowess and sports than on learning and intellect.
67* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Very early on his show his driver's license gives his name as Barry ''Stuart'' Goldberg. Just a bit later he says his name is Barry ''Norman'' Goldberg.
68* TheFool: A classic example. A directionless, delusional idiot who nonetheless manages to find both great success and the respect of many around him through a combination of boundless drive, [[HiddenDepths buried potential]] and unshakable confidence.
69* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: Usually the foolish one to Adam and Erica.
70* GeniusDitz: This bumbling idiot goes on to graduate from Harvard Med.
71* GirlyRun: A literal RunningGag.
72-->'''Murray:''' Who runs like that?
73* HairTriggerTemper: [[DependingOnTheWriter Depending on the episode]], he has a bad temper and can get angry over the pettiest of things.
74* HiddenDepths: "Oh Captain, My Captain" reveals he loves science and is quite good at studying it when properly motivated. It is also fairly obvious that most of Barry's ego is simply him trying to convince himself that he isn't a loser.
75* HighHopesZeroTalent: Whether it's sports, music, dance or martial arts, Barry's confidence far outweighs his actual skill.
76* HollywoodAutism: Never mentioned by name, given the time period, but Barry displays a fair number of behaviors that make it likely he has a mild form.
77* IRejectYourReality: Oftentimes Barry will choose to believe obvious lies and reject the truth if it fuels his ego. The best example of this is when his Uncle Marvin admits that instead of actually teaching him Karate by having him do chores (like in ''Karate Kid'') Barry convinces himself that his confession is just a test and that he is still a blackbelt [[spoiler:since the only other alternative would be that he isn't and would, according to Barry, send him spirling down a deep dark path he would never fully recover from]].
78* IconicOutfit: His Philadelphia Flyers shirt, Big Orange. He replaces it in Season 3 after the original is destroyed with another Philadelphia Flyers shirt.
79* InsufferableImbecile: Downplayed. He's not stupid per se but acts rather knuckleheaded and mean-spirited in his ill-thought out attempts to be popular. He's really pretty together when he gets his priorities in order.
80* ItsAllAboutMe: He doesn't always consider other people's feelings or needs and expects everyone to do what HE wants. This nearly costs him the JTP in one episode.
81* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Sure, he's a short-tempered, stupid bastard who occasionally harasses his little brother Adam, but ultimately he actually cares about him and his family in general.
82* KavorkaMan: While he's not ugly, he's incredibly obnoxious and childish, yet has a number of girlfriends throughout the series, most of whom are explicitly stated to be way more attractive than he is.
83* LargeHam: He's prone to overreacting and behaving dramatically when the situation doesn't call for it, and is generally very loud and abrasive.
84* TheLeader: Of the JTP, mostly because they're as dumb as he is, but he's got the biggest mouth.
85* LikeFatherLikeSon: He is prone to overreacting, makes grandiose gestures for the approval of his peers, and has an unrealistically inflated sense of his skills, just like his mother.
86* MagneticHero: Albeit an unconventional one. Barry's bizarre antics and ridiculous self-confidence often draw others toward him out of morbid curiosity. This curiosity eventually morphs into something in-between acceptance and admiration down the line, and has caused him to form many [[OddFriendship Odd Friendships]] across the series. This is perhaps most notable during his appearance in ''Schooled'', where he ends up charming C.B. into becoming his friend, despite C.B. having initially approached him with the intention of sabotaging his relationship with Lainey.
87* ManChild: Has the short temper, absurd sense of entitlement, lack of tact and undeniable innocence of a toddler despite spending much of the series as a high schooler.
88* NiceMeanAndInBetween: The mean to Adam’s nice and Erica’s in-between.
89* NoIndoorVoice: Due to his HairTriggerTemper.
90* NoSocialSkills: He's a loud, abrasive idiot who instinctively treats almost everyone as though they should bow down and submit themselves to his overwhelming awesomeness.
91* OfficialCouple: With Lainey from season 2 through season 6, then Ren in the last few episodes of season 7 to the first four episode of season 8, and as of mid-season 8 with Joanne Schwartz.
92* PrettyFlyForAWhiteGuy: When he's in rapper mode, he goes by the name Big Tasty. His singing isn't that bad, but his lyrics need work.
93* SmallNameBigEgo: Thinks he's a skilled martial artist, dancer, rapper, athlete and ladies man. Not a single one of these is true.
94* WithFriendsLikeThese: Generally treats the JTP closer to lackeys than he does friends, though [[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther once in a while he'll show that he cares about them deep down]].
95[[/folder]]
96
97[[folder:Erica Goldberg]]
98!!Erica Dorothy Goldberg
99->'''Played by:''' Creator/HayleyOrrantia
100[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/erica_goldberg.jpg]]
101
102The oldest child in the family. A former nerd who reinvented herself in high school.
103----
104* BigBrotherBully: Well, Big Sister. Not as jerkish as Barry, but Erica occasionally berates Adam for his nerdy/geeky demeanor.
105--->'''Erica:''' I told you, nerd, get out of my room!
106* BrattyTeenageDaughter: Downplayed. She's often the most levelheaded of the Goldberg children, but is also the most openly rebellious against Beverly.
107* ButtMonkey: Not to Barry's extent, but one prime example is in "The Circle of Driving Again", where [[TheFriendNobodyLikes she's the black sheep in college]] and [[RunningGag constantly hit by a frisbee]].
108* ClosetGeek: She still likes some of the things in her youth that don't seem cool to her now, such as ''Star Wars'' and "New Kids on the Block".
109* CoolBigSis: Back when they were younger, Erica played with Adam constantly; later, while she often finds him annoying, she will still help him out time and again.
110* DeadpanSnarker: Second only to her father.
111* GenderFlip: Of RealLife Adam Goldberg's brother, Eric Goldberg.
112* GenerationXerox: She shares her mother's matchmaking talent and her father's dry wit and low tolerance for stupidity.
113* NiceMeanAndInBetween: The in-between to Adam’s nice and Barry’s mean.
114* NotSoAboveItAll: The typical pattern is that she scoffs at whatever ridiculous things Adam and Barry are involved in, only to get involved herself, or do something even ''more'' ridiculous. At times she can be just as boneheaded as Barry.
115* OfficialCouple: with Geoff.
116* OnlySaneWoman: Tends to come off as this compared to the rest of her family.
117* SheCleansUpNicely: Until the ninth grade, Erica had to wear NerdGlasses and braces, and had stringy hair. Now she's among the hottest girls in school.
118* YankTheDogsChain: In "La Biblioteca Es Libros", when Murray starts bonding with Barry by sharing his beers to rewad his work efforts as a pizza deliverer, Erica expresses jealousy since she herself has been working longer and yet gets no time with her father in return. When Barry gets fired from his job for continually getting lost on the way to his deliveries, he pretends to still be in employment to keep his bond with his father. Eventually, Erica exposes Barry's firing and Murray realizes he really should have given equal attention to his daughter. In reconciliation, Murray hands Erica a beer, but just as he is about to cherish a bond with his daughter, Beverly walks in on them and disapproves of her daughter drinking, resulting in Murray breaking the moment of affection and taking his wife's side, proclaiming "[[YouAreGrounded You are grounded!]]" to Erica.
119[[/folder]]
120
121[[folder:Murray Goldberg]]
122!!Murray Christian Goldberg
123->'''Played by:''' Creator/JeffGarlin
124[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/murray_goldberg.jpg]]
125
126The patriarch of the family who tends to be a bit of a grump.
127----
128* BumblingDad: It's more because of a lack of interest in trying than actual ineptitude. When he gets his rear in gear, Murray can be more effective as a parent than Beverly.
129* CatchPhrase:
130** "(Something the kids have done), moron!"
131** "I'm home. Nobody bother me."
132* ComedicUnderwearExposure: Soon as he comes home from work, he kicks his pants off and lays back in his chair.
133* DeadpanSnarker: Very fluent in the art of sarcasm.
134* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: The older responsible to his young foolish Marvin.
135* HappilyMarried: To Beverly.
136* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Bill.
137* HiddenDepths: "Smother's Day" shows that he's actually a talented ventriloquist.
138* {{Homage}}: Or even a ShoutOut. The resemblance in looks and mannerisms to a live-action [[WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones Fred Flintstone]] cannot be accidental.
139* HypocriticalHeartwarming: Don’t call his kids morons. Only he can call his kids morons.
140* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He's constantly exasperated and speaks wither with sarcasm or yelling most of the time, but he truly does love his wife and kids.
141* LazyBum: Whenever he's not working, he's laying on the couch in his underwear.
142* ParentalNeglect: Downplayed. He usually leaves the more hands-on parenting to Beverly and Pops.
143* RapIsCrap: His hatred of rap, and him having to put up with whatever rap music hijinks his son Barry throws at him, is a RunningGag.
144* StraightMan: Towards Beverly, being the more level-headed to Bev's ambitious demeanor.
145* SurroundedByIdiots: He calls his kids morons more often than by their names. To be fair, it's not always inaccurate.
146* WellDoneSonGuy: His relationship with his father, Big Murray. He subverts this with his own kids: While he berates them regularly, and rarely outright says he loves them, he does take effort to be a good dad to his kids and fix any screw ups he makes with them.
147[[/folder]]
148
149[[folder:Beverly Goldberg]]
150!!Beverly Solomon Goldberg
151->'''Played by:''' Creator/WendiMcLendonCovey
152[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/beverly_goldberg.jpg]]
153
154The matriarch of the family who absolutely babies her kids.
155----
156* AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents: Due to her DotingParent methods, her children occasionally view her as this.
157* BerserkButton: Anything within the venue of "not getting her way" ticks Beverly off, but the mere mention of drugs will send her into a specific rage.
158* BreakoutCharacter: An overwhelming number of episodes tend to focus on or feature her prominently.
159* CatchPhrase: "If (something she doesn't want her children to do) then I have failed as a mother!"
160** "My shmoo!"
161* CharacterDevelopment: By the time Erica goes to college in season 5, Bev understands her life cannot revolve around being a mother forever, and embarks on a journey of self-discovery.
162* DotingParent: Deconstructed; Beverley's parenting style is essentially babying her kids whether they want it or not, but later seasons prove that tending to their every need and swooping in to get them out of trouble have left them, Erica especially, completely unprepared to survive in the adult world.
163* ExpositoryHairstyleChange: Downplayed, but it's there. Possibly signifying a time change, Beverly goes from more of a [[TheSeventies 70s]] style flip curl in the first two seasons to more of a Princess Diana-meets Dorothy Hamill layered look in the third season.
164* GoodParents: She's a loving and caring mother and knows what's right for her children.
165* HappilyMarried: To Murray, albeit not an overly romantic one.
166* HotTeacher: As of Season 4, when she begins a job as a substitute, much to her children's embarrassment.
167* ImpossiblyTackyClothes: Though the entire cast wears clothes straight from TheEighties, Beverly tends to dress up more, resulting in some truly spectacular outfits, including ShouldersOfDoom and that [[EightiesHair hairdo]] that looks shellacked.
168* ItsAllAboutMe: Beverly is ridiculously self-centered and a limelight hog. Usually, her crazed over-mothering is rooted in wanting to ''be'' loved by her kids rather than out of care for them.
169* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: She's usually neglecting the personal space her kids need, ridiculing the authority figures in their classes, and often is pushy to her friends. Also, she sometimes ignores someone's advice and pleas when it comes to her selfish demeanor plus she can smothering and wholly blind to reality. However, that's mostly out of love and she will make things right if she goes too far.
170* JewishMother: Fits this to a tee.
171* TheMatchmaker: Loves fixing people up, to the point of having a Rolodex of just about everyone in town called her "Yentadex."
172* MamaBear: Do not mess with her kids or get on their bad side. Most of the teachers at the kids school have learned to fear her.
173* MyBelovedSmother: The show calls her this by name, shortening it to Smother.
174* NeverMyFault: To IRejectYourReality proportions, but her one greater delusion is that it's "Never my Kids' Fault." It takes a significant amount of BreakTheHaughty to get Beverly to acknowledge that neither she nor her children are perfect.
175* ObnoxiousEntitledHousewife: She ticks a lot of the boxes; she is a wolverine where her kids are concerned, and is forever looking for the get-rich-or-at-least-noteworthy scheme, such as trying to get her recipe book published on her own account, and tries to live vicariously via her children, who are of course brilliant, talented and gifted in her eyes.
176* StacysMom: Adam's friends openly admire Beverly's looks and refer to her, to Adam, as "your hot mom".
177* SupremeChef: She takes pride in her cooking even to the point she dumps out entirely cooked turkeys when they don't meet her exacting standards to Barry's chagrin. And all to please Pop-Pop who still remembers her only by the first Thanksgiving she cooked for him.
178** Then there's her signature shrimp parm...
179* TookALevelInJerkass: While her heart's [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold still in the right place]], her "smotherly" traits had really taken over her entire personality the following five seasons. Her petty intentions are far more ambitious and she doesn't bother listening to reason as she used to.
180* {{Yandere}}: She is a very loving mother...too loving. As described by Adam, his own mom goes beyond the boundaries of a good mother. So much so that upsetting her is a risky move, by both relative and stranger alike.
181[[/folder]]
182
183[[folder:Pops Solomon]]
184!!Albert "Pops" Solomon
185->'''Played by:''' Creator/GeorgeSegal
186[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/albert_solomon_2.jpg]]
187
188Beverly's father, Murray's father in-law and grandfather to the kids. Especially close to Adam.
189----
190* CatchPhrase: "By god, woman!"
191* CoolOldGuy: In Adam's eyes, he's the coolest member of his family.
192* TheCasanova: After his wife died, Pops couldn't bring himself to have another meaningful relationship with a woman, so he casually dates and sleeps around with a laundry list of hot grandmas.
193* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Pops has his lapses in judgment, but the man is a World War II veteran and gives good advice sometimes.
194* MagicalJew: He is the most unambiguously Jewish character on the show, and also [[OnlySaneMan the least insane family member]] and quite often gives good wise advice to daughter [[JewishMother Beverley]], son-in-law Murray, and to his three grandchildren [[JewishAmericanPrincess Erica]], [[CloudCuckooLander Barry]] and [[NiceJewishBoy Adam]].
195* TheMentor: Usually to Adam, but does give out sage advice to other members of the family.
196* OutOfFocus: After Season 1. He still gets focus episodes from time to time, but mostly serves as a supporting character, especially in Season 3.
197[[/folder]]
198
199[[folder:Pop Pop Goldberg]]
200!! Ben "Pop Pop" Goldberg
201->'''Played by:''' Creator/PaulSorvino in Season 1, Creator/JuddHirsch in Season 2 onwards.
202
203Murray's ill-tempered father.
204----
205* AbusiveParents: Of the emotional variety, never giving Murray the love he wanted or needed.
206* GrumpyOldMan: He's a definite sourpuss, and seems to only get along with Adam.
207* {{Jerkass}}: A wholly unpleasant man.
208* TheScrooge: A holiday-hating penny-pincher.
209* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute:
210** He appeared frequently in Season 9 explicitly due to helping Adam moving past the death of Pops, taking on Pops' former role as TheMentor.
211** Pop-Pop later became a member of the main cast in Season 10 to coincide with the death of Murray, serving as the new grouch and StraightMan.
212[[/folder]]
213
214[[folder:Marvin Goldberg]]
215!!Marvin Goldberg
216->'''Played by:''' Creator/DanFogler
217
218Murray's underachieving younger brother.
219----
220* WhyDoYouKeepChangingJobs: Every time he appears, he has a new job or GetRichQuickScheme.
221[[/folder]]
222
223!Adam's friends and colleagues
224
225[[folder:Dana Caldwell]]
226!! Dana Eleanor Caldwell
227->'''Played by:''' Creator/NatalieAlynLind (seasons 1—3; 7)
228
229Adam's girl friend turned first girlfriend turned girl friend.
230----
231* AdaptationNameChange: Her RealLife counterpart was named Amanda Caldwell, but her name was changed because [[OurLawyersAdvisedThisTrope the production could not reach the real-life counterpart and the legal team wanted to avoid potential lawsuits]]. The counterpart has stated she likes the show, and real-life Adam stated he regrets not using her real name.
232* BetterAsFriends: What ended up happening when Adam tried to get back together with Dana.
233* CompositeCharacter: According to Dana Marlowe, one of Adam’s friends, Dana Caldwell was based on Amanda Caldwell and herself, based on [[https://twitter.com/DanaMalowe/status/514969882690334720 her Tweet]].
234* DatingWhatDaddyHates: Beverly did not like Dana as the former was jealous of her for spending time with her Shmoopie that she could herself be spending; this fades away when the latter moves to Seattle. Dana herself has mixed feelings towards Beverly.
235* GirlNextDoor: Literally (they live in the same neighborhood) and metaphorically (she's a NiceGirl).
236* LongDistanceRelationship: Adam and her tried this, but it didn't work, so they ended their relationship.
237* PutOnABus: She moved to Seattle during season 3.
238** TheBusCameBack: She came back during season 7 after her grandma died and her family had nothing else that tied them to Seattle. She doesn't appear in any season afterwards, however.
239* SerenadeYourLover: How Adam won her love first time. He tried to do this a second time, but it didn't work.
240[[/folder]]
241
242[[folder:Jackie Geary]]
243!! Jackie Geary
244->'''Played by:''' Creator/RowanBlanchard (seasons 3-5) and Creator/AlexisGZall (season 6)
245
246Adam's second girlfriend. At first a nerd just like Adam, she later got a big change during summer camp.
247----
248* HippieParents: Her parents, Vinny (played by Creator/ScottAdsit) and Lynn Geary.
249* OddFriendship: With her former bully, Carla, after they both went to the same summer camp and became punks.
250* UsefulNotes/{{Punk}}: Became this after the radical summer camp change. This was the origin of their second big clash which, however, ended in them breaking up.
251* PutOnABus: Between seasons 6 and 7, which was justified in a latter season's episode as her going to college.
252* RealityIsUnrealistic: [[WordOfGod Adam F. Goldberg]] [[https://mobile.twitter.com/adamfgoldberg/status/1047643435824365569 mentioned]] that the RealLife!Jackie did have the same summertime radical change that Character!Jackie had between seasons 5 and 6 (apart from changing actresses, of course).
253* RealPersonCameo: The real-life Jackie Geary played her mother, Lynn Geary.
254* {{Trekkie}}: Was this before the radical summer camp change. This was the first big clash between Adam (who loves ''Franchise/StarWars'') and Jackie, which they were able to settle.
255[[/folder]]
256
257[[folder:Dave Kim]]
258!! Dave Kim
259->'''Played by:''' Creator/KennyRidwan
260
261Adam's best friend.
262----
263* AbhorrentAdmirer: He was one to Erica before he got into a relationship with Carla.
264* AbortedArc: His relationship with Carla during season 7 is not even mentioned, much less continued, by season 8 -- at least, at first. Instead it's [[{{ImpliedTrope}} implied]] she went back with Johnny and Dave Kim has no girlfriend. Later, that's made explicit.
265* AscendedExtra: In-universe. He started out as a classmate Adam only vaguely knew, and was only invited over because Adam needed an Asian kid to be Data for his Goonies adventure. Later, Dave Kim becomes Adam's best friend.
266* AsianAndNerdy: He wears glasses and plays Dungeons and Dragons.
267* DemotedToExtra: He appears much less frequently in season 10. Justified as he's gone off to college.
268* TheFriendNobodyLikes: There's nothing wrong or annoying about him, but he's not a member of any of the Goldberg siblings' circles of friends, and they only hang out with him when out of options. This aspect has since been dropped, as Adam willingly hangs with Dave Kim on a regular basis.
269* FullNameBasis: Everyone calls him "Dave Kim" in full.
270* InformedAttribute: Ms. Cinnomin evidently sees potential in him, as he has repeatedly been chosen for the lead in the school musical despite not having any clear singing or acting ability.
271* PhraseCatcher: "I know, Dave Kim!"
272[[/folder]]
273
274[[folder:Emmy Mirsky]]
275!! Emmy Mirsky
276->'''Played by:''' Creator/StephanieKatherineGrant
277
278----
279* AffectionateNickname: Adam often calls her "Muscles".
280* DCupDistress: Happens in "O Captain! My Captain!" when Adam (reluctantly) reads a note to the class about her chest, making her become self conscious.
281* MasculineGirlFeminineBoy: She is stronger than Adam, as shown in “Double Dare”.
282* OneOfTheBoys: She hasn’t any problem hanging around Adam and Dave Kim.
283* TheNotLoveInterest: While she and Adam ''do'' love each other, they're more than happy to keep it strictly platonic.
284* PlatonicLifePartners: With Adam.
285* ThePrankster: She often helps Adam out with his pranks.
286* RealPersonCameo: The real-life Emmy Mirsky (credited by her married name, [=McCoy=]) has a recurring role as Emmy's mother, Serry Mirsky.
287* ThirdWheel: For Adam and either Dana, Jackie, or Brea.
288[[/folder]]
289
290[[folder:Brea Bee]]
291!! Brea Bee
292->'''Played by:''' Creator/SadieStanley
293
294----
295* TheAce: Brea is described as "The most popular girl at William Penn Academy" according to the school's yearbook; she is smart and athletic, and a talented actress, despite her having minimal experience with acting.
296** BrokenAce: However, she comes from a divorced family and is raised by her mother, has to wear her orthodontic headgear at night, and has to work an afterschool job, compared to Adam's privileged lifestyle.
297* HidingTheHandicap: She revealed in "Airplane!" that she has to wear her orthodontic headgear at night, and has to keep that a secret to maintain her popularity.
298* RealPersonCameo: The real-life Brea Bee played her mother, Vickie Bee ([[AdaptationNameChange spelled "Vicki"]]). Bee earlier played an unrelated character, Mrs. Vanica, in the season 4 episode, "The Spencer's Gift".
299[[/folder]]
300
301[[folder:Johnny Atkins]]
302!!Johnny Atkins
303-> '''Played by:''' Creator/SeanMarquette
304
305----
306* AlmightyJanitor: Becomes one in ''Schooled'', where he is now popular with the students (listening to them and their feelings), operated his PirateRadio for a while and is now responsible for the school's radio club.
307* BerserkButton: Do ''not'' harm his ponytail. "That's where my soul resides."
308* TheBully: Often rags on Adam and friends ForTheEvulz, with his erstwhile girlfriend Carla.
309* DemotedToExtra: While not a main character, he recurred very frequently until season 8, appearing in only a small amount of episodes in season 8 and 9.
310* InformedAttribute: In ''Schooled'' Lainey states he did "Rush Hour" ([[NonIndicativeName which actually lasted half an hour]]) on the school radio during the time of ''The Goldbergs''. During the actual ''The Goldbergs'' we never actually hear the school radio, much less "Rush Hour".
311* JadedWashout: Becomes the custodian at William Penn in ''Schooled''. Between his popularity at school and being custodian, he worked for a while at the local roller skate rink with Carla.
312* RockIsAuthenticPopIsShallow: Is a big fan of Music/{{Rush|Band}}, and disdains everything else as "mass produced crap".
313* RelationshipRevolvingDoor: [[{{ImpliedTrope}} Implied]] to have gotten back with Carla after school, during season 8, when both were working at the local roller skate rink -- even though they didn't go together to the prom.
314* StatusQuoIsGod: Briefly stopped being Adam's bully during season 6, when they all went on The Greatful Dead tour, but went back being so with season 7, Johnny saying there was a clean slate then.
315* ThirdPersonPerson: In his first appearances.
316[[/folder]]
317
318[[folder:Carla Mann]]
319!!Carla Mann
320-> '''Played by:''' Creator/AlexJennings
321
322Starts out as Johnny Atkins's girlfriend and a bully just like Johnny. Later has a big change at the summer camp, becomes a punk and dumps him for Dave Kim.
323----
324* AbortedArc: Her relationship with Dave Kim during season 7 is not even mentioned, much less continued, by season 8 -- at least at first. Instead it's [[{{ImpliedTrope}} implied]] she went back with Johnny, while Dave Kim has no girlfriend. Later, that's made explicit.
325* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: Before Dave Kim.
326* TheBully: Before her big change at the summer camp, she was this with her then-boyfriend Johnny.
327* DontExplainTheJoke: Has a habit of needlessly explaining Johhny's put-downs.
328* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: At first she was called Carla Natali.
329* EatingLunchAlone: Not really, but she does not sit with the cool kids after splitting up with Johnny; rather, she changes to Dave Kim's and Adam's table.
330* FiveFingerDiscount: Likes it.
331* JadedWashout: After finishing high school she has a work at the local roller skate hink with Johnny. Unlike him, however, she gets a better job by the time of ''Schooled'', as a pharmaceutical sales rep.
332* OddCouple: With Dave Kim after her big change.
333* OddFriendship: With Jackie after both girls' big change at summer camp.
334* UsefulNotes/{{Punk}}: Became this after the radical summer camp change.
335* RelationshipRevolvingDoor:
336** [[{{ImpliedTrope}} Implied]] to have gotten back with Johnny after school, during season 8, when both were working at the local roller skate rink -- even though they didn't go together to the prom.
337** However, it's made explicit she ended with Dave Kim, and that she misses him, since he was the first boyfriend to have treated her as a human being.
338* SkippingSchool: Also likes this.
339[[/folder]]
340
341!The JTP (The Jenkintown Posse)
342
343[[folder:Geoff Schwartz]]
344!! Geoffrey "Geoff" (“Mad Man”) Schwartz
345->'''Played by:''' Creator/SamLerner
346
347----
348* AbhorrentAdmirer: Originally one to Erica, but the two have since fallen in love and moved in together at college.
349* AscendedExtra: He was just one of Barry's friends, made more distinct by having a crush on Erica. He has since become one of the leads on the show once the two became an OfficialCouple.
350* ExtremeDoormat: Is always eager to please, often at the expense of his own happiness. [[spoiler:This is the reason Erica breaks up with him in season 8, so he can have time to be himself.]]
351* TheUnFavourite: Before Erica intervened in season 8, [[ParentalFavoritism his older sister Jessica was always pampered and complemented]] despite being a moocher who is always changing careers on a whim, while Geoff was made to feel himself down and having to follow his sister's "example" despite being kind, always being able to make an effort, and being eager to please.
352[[/folder]]
353
354[[folder:"Naked" Rob]]
355!! "Naked" Rob Smith
356->'''Played by:''' Creator/NoahMunck
357
358----
359* InformedAttribute: Despite his name and often mentioning that he likes being naked, he is almost always fully clothed. {{Lampshaded}} in a season 7 episode, where he mentions he finally goes to a nude colony, but gets uncomfortable because people there are "too nude".
360[[/folder]]
361
362[[folder:Andy Cogan]]
363!! Andy (“Ladies Man”) Cogan
364->'''Played by:''' Creator/MattBush
365----
366[[/folder]]
367
368[[folder:Matt Bradley]]
369!! Matthew "Matt" (“Matty Ice”) Bradley
370->'''Played by:''' Creator/ShayneTopp
371
372----
373* IconicSequelCharacter: He didn't join the group until season 4.
374* OnlySaneMan: Frequently the voice of reason for the group, even though Barry disregards almost every thing that comes from his mouth.
375* SurferDude: Has the look and easy-going demeanor of one.
376[[/folder]]
377
378!Erica's friends
379
380[[folder:Lainey Lewis]]
381!! Lainey Lewis
382->'''Played by:''' Creator/AJMichalka (seasons 1—6 and 8; ''Schooled'' afterwards)
383
384Erica's best friend and Barry's girlfriend. Later becomes a teacher at William Penn Academy in ''Series/{{Schooled}}''.
385----
386* AdaptationNameChange: [[https://mobile.twitter.com/adamfgoldberg/status/1136741297086066688 According to]] the RealLife Beverly, Lainey's real-life counterpart's name was Tammy Lewis. The name "Lainey" supposedly comes from a babysitter Real!Adam had during childhood.
387* AlliterativeName: '''L'''ainey '''L'''ewis.
388* AscendedExtra: Lainey herself, beginning as one of Erica's friends before eventually becoming a breakout character with aspirations of her own. Later she gets her own {{spinoff}}.
389* CharacterizationMarchesOn: In early episodes, she was a spoiled brat with rich parents and her Dad was a crooked lawyer. As she became a more developed character, this was retconned considerably. It is now established that she has had a somewhat difficult life, her mom abandoned her family when she was young, and her dad is a tile salesman on about the same socioeconomic level as the Goldbergs.
390* HeterosexualLifePartner: To Erica.
391* MissingMom: Lainey likes hanging out at the house because [[MyBelovedSmother Beverly]] treats her like one of her own kids.
392* ParentalAbandonment: Lainey's mother.
393* PutOnABus: She leaves the series midway through season six to star in the {{Spinoff}} ''Schooled'', set at the same high school but in the 1990s, with Lainey as the new music teacher.
394** Once ''Schooled'' was cancelled, Lainey made [[TheBusCameBack a couple of return appearances]] to the parent show in the episodes "The Fake-Up" and "Poker Night."
395* WhatDoesSheSeeInHim: Dating Barry. He's immature, not overly attractive, and kind of an ass. Somehow, they work. However as the series goes on Lainey becomes similarly immature and irrational as Barry.
396** In ''Schooled'' she states she tried to pull a ''Film/ShesAllThat'' on Barry.
397[[/folder]]
398
399[[folder:"Valley Erica"]]
400!!"Valley" Erica Coolidge
401->'''Played by:''' Creator/AlisonRich (seasons 5-6 and 8)
402
403Erica Goldberg's roommate from her first time in college. Then they both drop out and form a band, "The Dropouts", with Lainey.
404----
405* AbhorrentAdmirer: Of Barry.
406* AllThereInTheManual: Her last name is Coolidge according to one of her food containers in the episode, "The Scrunchie Rule".
407* FriendsRentControl: When living at the Goldberg house.
408* RoommateDrama: At first, because they have very different personalities and have to share a common room in the college dorm. Later, they get to know each other better (after Erica G. throws a party in their room) and this fades away.
409* OneSteveLimit: Averted, since she has the same first name as Erica Goldberg. Hence why she was nicknamed "Valley Erica".
410* PutOnABus: During season 7. TheBusCameBack for a season 8 episode.
411* ValleyGirl: To the point Beverly nicknames her "Valley Erica".
412[[/folder]]
413
414[[folder:Ren]]
415!!Lauren "Ren"
416->'''Played by:''' Creator/KelliBerglund (seasons 7 and 9), Carrie Wampler (season 8)
417
418Erica's new season 7 friend whom she meets on school campus with Barry. Her father owns a restaurant chain and her mother is a defense attorney.
419----
420* OfficialCouple: With Barry for part of seasons 7 and 8 before she's PutOnABus.
421* OnlyOneName: Lauren, which she shortens as Ren.
422* ParentalNeglect: Her parents are so the exact opposite of Beverly they forget to come to the dinner where they were supposed to meet Erica. She eventually ends up having dinner with Erica, Beverly (whom Erica was trying to keep from meeting Ren for the episode) and Barry. Ren actually states Erica is lucky to have Beverly.
423[[/folder]]
424
425!Teachers and other school personnel
426
427[[folder:Coach Mellor]]
428!! Coach Rick Mellor
429->'''Played by:''' Creator/BryanCallen (seasons 1—6; ''Schooled'' afterwards)
430
431William Penn Academy's physical education teacher. In ''Schooled'' he accumulates that with - of all things! - "training" the Academy's mathletics team.
432----
433* AccidentalMisnaming: Keeps calling Adam "Goldfarb", except that one time he was actually good at PE. However he calls both his siblings "Goldberg".
434* BigBrotherBully: He’s got one of these in his older brother [[Wrestling/{{Goldberg}} Nick]].
435* GymClassHell: In Adam's eyes, Mr. Mellor's class is this, but he's played with a little more sympathy.
436* HiddenDepths:
437** Due to being perpetually single, he knows how to keep house very well, and is capable of effectively teaching Barry and Erica how to do so to get them.
438** In ''Schooled'' it's demonstrated he's actually excellent at math. That's because in high school he could be kicked out of basketball team if he failed, so he cribbed once but got found out and was indeed kicked out for one semester; as such, he started studying math so hard he became excellent at it.
439** Also in ''Schooled'' we find out his actual teaching method is discovering his students' weak spots and building on them so as to strengthen the students.
440* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He’s a total hardass, but he legitimately cares about his student and is a good guy underneath all his bluster.
441* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: After Adam tries to prevent a GymClassHell for him and his friends and then stabs them in the back by picking all the jocks, Mr. Mellor lets Dave Kim and the others challenge them to TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons. Unfortunately he didn't realize it would take over four hours and regrets it.
442* WorthyOpponent: He is the only school faculty member not terrified of Beverly, as he admires her winning spirit and seems to enjoy arguing with her.
443[[/folder]]
444
445[[folder:Miss Cinoman]]
446!!Miss Susan Cinoman
447-> '''Played by:''' Creator/AnaGasteyer
448----
449[[/folder]]
450
451[[folder:Principal Ball]]
452!!Principal Earl Ball
453-> '''Played by:''' Creator/StephenTobolowsky
454----
455[[/folder]]
456
457[[folder:Mr. Glascott]]
458!!Mr. Jonathan "John" “Andre” Glascott
459-> '''Played by:''' Creator/TimMeadows
460
461The school counsellor who later becomes principal in ''Schooled''.
462----
463* ButtMonkey: Life is not kind to poor Mr. Glascott.
464* CompositeCharacter: Of the RealLife Mrs. Bett Glascott (as of 2020, assistant head of school at William Penn Charter School[[note]]the real-life William Penn Academy[[/note]]) with John Dover (former dean of students at the School).
465[[/folder]]
466
467[[folder:Mr. Crosby]]
468!!Mr. Crosby
469-> '''Played by:''' Creator/ClancyBrown
470
471----
472* ActorAllusion: He’s a big fan of ''Film/{{Highlander}}'', particularly the, in his opinion, strangely alluring Kurgan.
473* ApatheticTeacher
474[[/folder]]
475
476[[folder:Coach Nick Mellor]]
477!!Coach Nick Mellor
478-> '''Played by:''' [[Wrestling/{{Goldberg}} Bill Goldberg]]
479
480----
481* BigBrotherBully: Has this relationship with Coach Rick. While they do care about each other and patch their relationship up, whenever they attempt to teach a class it almost always ends with them getting into a brawl.
482[[/folder]]
483
484[[folder:Dr. Katman]]
485!!Dr. Katman
486-> '''Played by:''' Creator/SteveGuttenberg
487----
488[[/folder]]
489
490!Other
491
492[[folder:Bill Lewis]]
493!!Bill Lewis
494-> '''Played by:''' Creator/DavidKoechner
495
496Lainey's dad. A widower for years, he remarries during the show's eighth season.
497----
498* CharacterizationMarchesOn: In early episodes, he was a crooked lawyer and his daughter was a spoiled brat with rich parents. As his daughter became a more developed character, this was retconned considerably. It is now established that they have had a somewhat difficult life, his wife abandoned her family when she was young, and he is a tile salesman on about the same socioeconomic level as the Goldbergs.
499* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Murray.
500* ParentalAbandonment: Bill's ex-wife.
501[[/folder]]
502
503[[folder:John Calabasas]]
504!!John Calabasas
505->'''Played by:''' Creator/RobHuebel
506
507Jenkintown's resident ConMan.
508----
509* HonestJohnsDealership: He's a ConMan version of a JackOfAllTrades. One of his businesses is an actual dealership that sells Murray an Austrian Ferrari [[SerialNumbersFiledOff knock-off]] branded Bitter which breaks after only two days[[note]]there ''is'' an actual Bitter Cars headquartered in Austria - given that ''John Calabasas'' was the seller, it could have been a ''fake'' Bitter[[/note]] - and in RealLife is still parked in the Goldberg house passage at Jenkintown. Other businesses he has operated include: a fake model agency and... a fake bank, the branch of which was in a stall, outside a real branch of a real bank, and which name was clearly a ripoff of said real bank. How can anyone fall for this man, especially when he has done con after con and always uses the same name?
510* NewJobAsThePlotDemands: Whenever he appears, he has a widely different job from the last time. A common link between all of them is that they're cons.
511[[/folder]]
512
513[[folder:Jane Bales]]
514!!Jane Bales
515->'''Played by:''' Creator/HeatherMoiseve (seasons 6--7) and Creator/LeslieGrossman (seasons 8--)
516
517Beverly's rival who is so like her.
518----
519* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Beverly's main purpose is to always beat Jane Bales. Jane Bales's main purpose is to always beat Beverly. Sometimes Beverly succeeds, sometimes Jane Bales does.
520* EnemyMine: Sometimes, Beverly and Jane Bales have to unite their efforts at yenta-ing. Despite their mutual enmity starting out to deny them helping each other, in the end they can always be fruitful.
521* FullNameBasis: Beverly always calls her Jane Bales.
522* TheMatchmaker: Succeeded at finding Bill his new girlfriend.
523* SitcomArchnemesis: She's Beverly's local rival at yenta-ing.
524* SpotlightStealingSquad: She's always trying to outshine Beverly, especially when it comes to her friends, and vice-versa.

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