Follow TV Tropes

Following

Context Characters / WhoseLineIsItAnyway

Go To

1The [[WorldOfHam larger-than-life]] performers of ''Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway''.
2
3[[foldercontrol]]
4
5[[folder: UK Side]]
6
7!!Clive Anderson
8[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/clive_anderson_whose_line_uk.jpg]]
9->''"[[ItMakesSenseInContext What kind of fairy tales have lesbians in them?!]]"''
10
11The 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.
12----
13''Tropes associated with Clive:''
14* AmoralAttorney: The players sometimes called attention to Clive's legal background and suggested he was one.
15* ButtMonkey: At least once a season, someone ''will'' go "hello, I'm Clive Anderson" before getting buzzed out.
16** Also, any disaster would often be attributed to him, such as the dinosaurs being wiped out by a plague of Clive Andersons.
17* CatchPhrase:
18** "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, [[MotorMouth thisismeCliveAndersonsayinggoodnight,goodnight!]]"
19** (at the end of ''Film Dub'') "Bonus points for actually getting the original dialogue..."
20** (at the end of ''Stand Sit Bend'') "One of my favourite games, but it's not much fun on your own..."
21* DeadpanSnarker: Not even the audience is spared, as he ''will'' pick at the more ridiculous suggestions they give him.
22* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: "Our next round is called 'Different Games', because different games are played in this round..."
23** When introducing Props: "The contestants will be split into two pairs of two..."
24* DontExplainTheJoke: "Elephants packing for a holiday. Packing their trunks, I suppose."
25** This leaves Paul and Josie to audibly groan, as Clive ruined the punchline of their Scenes From A Hat skit.
26* KickTheDog: "Unfortunately that was a non-scoring round..."
27* MondegreenGag: He often misheard audience suggestions for film and theatre styles as nonsense phrases ("Bearded Collie", "Fifty" for Disney, "Mwah Mwah" for Film/{{Braveheart}}, etc.) and sometimes even actually used these as styles to give the players a real challenge.
28* MotorMouth
29* TheNapoleon: 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.
30* NotSoStoic: Getting him to crack up is a challenge of sorts. The US players, being US players, went to town in this aspect.
31* SelfDeprecation: At some point Clive learned how to get out of the bald and 'neck' jokes... by doing them first.
32* SitcomArchNemesis with Creator/GregProops (see below)
33* TakeThat: 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.
34* TakeThatAudience: 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.
35
36!!John Sessions
37[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/john_sessions_whose_line_uk.jpg]]
38
39Known 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.
40----
41''Tropes associated with John:''
42* TheAce
43* AchillesHeel: Sure he had his references down pat, and he pulled off a credible Music/LeonardCohen 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''.
44* TheCastShowoff
45* CloudCuckooLander: Intentional or not, John's habit for ignoring the buzzer and carrying on one of his spiels was legendary.
46* LargeHam
47** HoistByHisOwnPetard: Season 2 episode 12 had a new guest performer, Chris Langham, who could give John a run for his money.
48--->'''Clive:''' (after ''holding the buzzer down for some time'') Are you doing this in the style of two deaf actors?...
49* MeaningfulName: Someone named Sessions becoming a regular on a show with this format, what are the chances?
50* MotorMouth: 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.
51* TheSmartGuy: Depending on [[BrokenBase how much you like him]], John is either this or an InsufferableGenius. Everyone can agree, however, that [[GeniusBookClub John Sessions has read more books than you.]] Except for ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', which he hasn't.
52* SpotlightStealingSquad: In rounds of ''Authors'' since, in addition to his MotorMouth, he usually gets more time than other contestants.
53* TakeThat: Many of his impressions would include at least one unflattering description of the person or music style.
54
55!!Archie Hahn
56[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/archie_hahn_whose_line_uk.jpg]]
57
58The first American performer ever in the UK version.
59----
60''Tropes associated with Archie:''
61* EagleLand: Not deliberately, but he's been singled out for it anyway.
62* ExpositoryHairstyleChange: His return to the show after getting PutOnABus saw him sporting a ponytail. [[KickTheDog He didn't stay for long.]]
63* ManOfAThousandVoices: Impressions were Archie's primary strength - one end credits reading saw him going through random cartoon voices, including WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck. He was also talented with providing sound effects.
64
65!!Josie Lawrence
66[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/josie_lawrence_whose_line_uk.jpg]]
67[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:[=US Side - Original=]]]\
68https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/josie_lawrence_whose_line_us1.jpg]] [[/labelnote]]
69-> "You're travelling with Air Bunkup!"
70
71The first regular female player, and fondly remembered as one of the most versatile.
72----
73''Tropes associated with Josie:''
74* EightiesHair: In the earlier seasons...from the 80s.
75* AchillesHeel: Her tendency to crack up - and it's not even her own fault, since at some point she became the ButtMonkey.
76* AsLongAsItSoundsForeign: Her faked foreign accents are sometimes as charming as they are convincing, check out her [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBK1rMmoANI faux-Albanian]].
77* ButtMonkey: To Paul and Tony.
78** KickTheDog: Even semi-regulars like Jim and the US players like Ryan did it too.
79*** EarnYourHappyEnding: She appeared in the US series.
80* TheCastShowoff: Her singing ability is arguably the best of the English cast members, and was able to keep pace with Wayne [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkII1tGgx0s when she appeared on the first American series]].
81* ShipTease: With Mike [=McShane=]. Watch them sing together.
82* SkinshipGrope: With Caroline Quentin.
83* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Often the token female of the cast, unless Sandi Toksvig or Caroline Quentin were around.
84* ThanksForTheMammary: Josie bites Tony's hand during a game of Helping Hands with Tony providing the hands for Josie. He gets his revenge by openly groping her for the rest of the scene.
85* TrueCompanions: When Josie went to America to film the US version of the show, she stayed with Greg and his wife at their LA home. Say it with me: ''aww.''
86
87!!Paul Merton
88[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/paul_merton_whose_line_uk.jpg]]
89->''"...[[TakeThat slaphead.]]"''
90
91Known 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 (PlayedForLaughs of course).
92----
93''Tropes associated with Paul:''
94* BokeAndTsukkomiRoutine: His routines with Tony tend to fall into this rut. ''Which'' of them gets ''which role'' [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation depends on who you ask,]] though.
95* BreakingTheFourthWall: Paul used this trope like a WEAPON. If he saw an opportunity he'd casually break character for a joke.
96* CloudCuckooLander: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwuT1wQFvl4&feature=related From Volvos to bestiality in 5 seconds flat.]]
97* TheComicallySerious: Paul's appeal stems primarily from acting like this.
98* DeadpanSnarker: Paul was THE person who could stop a routine completely dead with a single comment.
99* OnlySaneMan: Parodied.
100* PerpetualFrowner:
101--> '''Clive''': And next we have Paul Merton, whose radiant, smiling face... we have yet to see.
102* RedOniBlueOni: Blue to Tony Slattery's red.
103* TheStoic: Paul's schtick, although he doesn't take it to the extreme some comics do.
104
105!!Creator/TonySlattery
106[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tony_slattery_whose_line_uk.jpg]]
107->''"Hello, is this Clive Anderson Ties Limited? Yes, I think you should shut down. Bye."''
108
109Known for being the ''other'' legend of the UK run - US fans, imagine Brad's sense of humor, Wayne's energy, and Colin's [[SarcasmMode inhibitions]] in one package.
110----
111''Tropes associated with Tony:''
112* TheAce: Tony was quite good at every game and brought a little extra to every episode that he was featured in.
113* AchillesHeel: Tony is very, very good at laughing. Often at himself.
114* AmbiguouslyGay: Tony's sexuality is a favorite topic amongst fans with too much time on their hands.
115-->'''Clive''': *playing Scenes from a Hat* "Robin Hood selecting his merry men."
116-->'''Tony''': *comes out in the middle of the stage with the other (male) performers, and throws his arms out [[CampGay flamboyantly]]* "I'll have ''all'' of you!"
117* TheCastShowoff: He was pulling dance moves long before Wayne Brady.
118** He was also very good at the Hoedown game, and was often given the very last spot in these games whenever he played. (The [[WordOfGod 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.)
119* CreatorBreakdown: He was fired after a bad episode in season seven. After this, he had a nervous breakdown.
120** 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 ''[[EarnYourHappyEnding complete]]'' downer.
121* EarlyBirdCameo: Eagle-eyed viewers can spot him in the audience in the very first episode.
122* FacePalm: 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.
123* HoistByHisOwnPetard: When Caroline Quentin (below) became one of the first players (the first lady even) ''to get his goat''.
124* IWasQuiteAFashionVictim: It says a lot that the end of his tenure was marked by some of the most unflattering outfits in the show's history.
125* {{Keet}}: Energetic, loud, and smaller than most of his castmates, Tony sure fits the bill.
126* LargeHam: 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.
127* LovableSexManiac: To the extent of whatever passed for MemeticMutation in those days. By Series 2, he was already infamous for this.
128* TheNapoleon: 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.
129** 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"!
130* PrecisionFStrike: 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 ThePointsMeanNothing, but ''damn''.
131* PunctuatedForEmphasis: "Shut. Your. Face."
132* RedOniBlueOni: Red to Paul Merton's blue.
133* RefugeInAudacity: Some of the dirtiest lines on the show are attributed to Tony.
134* RunningGag: Sneaking a VomitDiscretionShot into any session of ''Props''.
135* SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: Occasionally. For example, during one Party Quirks, Greg was playing a "compulsive liar." Tony guessed that he was an "[[SophisticatedAsHell inveterate bullshitter]]."
136* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: 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.
137* TakeThat: Tony's occasional throwing out of the name Patricia, rumored to be an old girlfriend of his. Also note some of his initial guesses.
138-->'''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]''
139-->'''Tony''': [[DeadpanSnarker Are you Margaret Rutherford?]]
140* WhatTheHellHero: 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.
141** Encouraging. ''[[SarcasmMode Thaaaat]]'' is what we call it.
142---> '''Greg:''' "SING, DAMN IT!"
143
144!!Creator/MikeMcShane
145[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mike_mcshane_whose_line_uk.jpg]]
146->''"Here's your keys and HERE'S YOUR LUNCH!!"''
147
148There have been US guests before Mike of course, but Mike stands out for being the most versatile - and well, being the most.
149----
150''Tropes associated with Mike:''
151* AchillesHeel: 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.
152** 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.
153** 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...
154** 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.
155* {{Acrofatic}}: He ''will'' bust out the dance steps if needed.
156* TheBigGuy: For such a big guy, he was surprisingly dextrous and agile.
157* HypocriticalHumor: 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.
158--> "[By] early rock 'n' roll, do you mean at ''this'' point in your hairline or at ''this'' point in your hairline?"
159* IResembleThatRemark: 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."
160* LargeHam: 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.
161* RetroactiveRecognition: Possible, especially for American viewers who didn't discover the show until later. Mike played the role of Friar Tuck in ''Film/RobinHoodPrinceOfThieves'', and for some of the audience, that may be where they saw him first.
162* TrueCompanions: 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.
163** 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.
164
165!!Sandi Toksvig
166[[quoteright:346:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sandi_toksvieg_whose_line_uk.jpg]]
167->''"I've got lots and lots of scarlet fishes. That's nothing to do with the party, that's a [[{{Pun}} red herring]]."'' [[CollectiveGroan (audience groans)]]
168
169The diminutive and strangely gruff-voiced Danish addition to the cast is known for being more than just the second female regular.
170----
171''Tropes associated with Sandi:''
172* AchillesHeel: Any musical games.
173* DeadpanSnarker: Sandi's sharp wit and strong presence on stage meant that she was not one to be trifled with -- not even if you're Clive.
174* HugeGuyTinyGirl: She tends to get paired up with Mike for FT&T styles, also she played one with Ryan. Many people noticed the [[TheNapoleon slight difference]] in height.
175* IconicOutfit: It's been speculated that the jockey outfit was all they had in her size.
176* TheLadette: [[HideYourLesbians There's a reason for that...]]
177* TheNapoleon: Among the shortest contestants in the franchise.
178* PungeonMaster: Her primary strength.
179* SelfDeprecation: Seen in this World's Worst Submarine Captain:
180--> "Well it's not a problem, you just pull down the periscope. You just pull... (''jumps to try to reach it'')
181
182!!Jim Sweeney
183[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jim_sweeney_whose_line_uk.jpg]]
184
185As 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.
186
187----
188''Tropes associated with Jim:''
189* EightiesHair
190* DeadpanSnarker
191* {{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 [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb-nxqa7iaA shooting up on caffeine]].
192--> Jim: "'''W'''ell, I have to go..."
193--> Greg: "'''Y'''es, I know you have to leave now, to see the... ''musical instruments''..."
194--> Jim: (beat) "...'''X'''anadu was a really bad film, wasn't it?!"
195
196!!Steve Steen
197[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/steve_steen_whose_line_uk.jpg]]
198''Tropes associated with Steve Steen:''
199* IconicOutfit (a very distinctive vest-and-shirt combo)
200* ManOfAThousandVoices: A dependable impressionist, if not on Rory Bremner's level.
201* TheNapoleon: Looked even shorter next to Jim.
202
203!!Steve Frost
204[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/stephen_frost_whose_line_uk.jpg]]
205->''"You're goin' 'ome in a BLEEDIN' AMBULANCE!!"''
206
207Huge, balding and gruff of voice, with eyebrows you could lose a man in, Steve may be the most intimidating comedian ever.
208
209----
210''Tropes associated with Steve Frost:''
211* AchillesHeel: Steve was especially bad at the Hoedown game. He had a terrible sense of rhythm and his rhymes made no sense.
212--> '''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. [[RefugeInAudacity His mother came in and caught us kissing.]] [[DiggingYourselfDeeper And... joined in.]]
213** 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.
214*** 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.
215* ArtisticLicenseBiology: During the vasectomy hoedown, Steve described the procedure as: "Gonna cut your balls off, and put 'em in a jar!"
216* AssShove: Steve pretending to pull on a long rubber glove is usually a sign for Clive to [[DropTheCow hit the buzzer.]]
217* TheBigGuy: He's as tall as Ryan, but significantly burlier.
218* BigOlEyebrows: He's gotten a couple of jabs for that.
219* BoisterousBruiser: To the extent that his turn on Weird Newscasters as a [[FootballHooligans "soccer fan"]] started becoming disturbingly realistic.
220--->'''Steve:''' ...ENGLAAAAND! ENGLAAAAND!! ''[[[ImprovisedWeapon takes his seat and starts swinging it around]]]''
221* CoolOldGuy: You really get the feeling that Colin and Ryan were basically his understudies during his tenure.
222* IconicOutfit: It's been speculated that those baggy Hawaiian shirts were all they had in ''his'' size...
223* LargeHam: 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.
224* RefugeInAudacity: He actually lowered his pants for a laugh twice.
225* StockCharacters: Jimmy Saville ("Now then now then now then!")
226* ViolentGlaswegian: Practically oozes this.
227
228!!Rory Bremner
229[[quoteright:324:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rory_bremner_whose_line_uk.jpg]]
230->(as UsefulNotes/JohnMajor) ''"I must say, it makes a difference taking the piss out of myself..."''
231
232Specialising in impressions, Rory enjoyed a semi-regular run on this show before moving on to ''Series/MockTheWeek''.
233
234----
235''Tropes associated with Rory:''
236* TheBusCameBack: 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.
237* CatchPhrase: Ironically, none are actually ''his own''. He's known to have milked Murray Walker's [[PunctuatedForEmphasis "Look! At! That!"]] a few times.
238* ManOfAThousandVoices: Rory's main strength.
239* NerdGlasses: Actually carried a pair for his more specific impressions.
240* SpotlightStealingSquad: 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 [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZAAdkALnZE 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.
241* StockCharacters: Implied to have a dozen, but his British politicians and EagleLand acts come to mind.
242* TakeThat: His impressions of ''co-stars'' can be pretty spot on, check out his takes on [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6p2gvm3t6s Tony]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9get9IVoJzk Clive]].
243
244!!Caroline Quentin
245[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/caroline_quentin_whose_line_uk.jpg]]
246-> Clive: ''"...in this scene, you are a woman in labor, and Tony is the father of th..."''
247-> Caroline: ''"I'll be the judge of ''that''!"''
248
249Despite joining the UK lineup relatively late, Caroline's talent and chemistry with Josie has created some moments to remember.
250
251----
252''Tropes associated with Caroline:''
253* RefugeInAudacity: In American terms, she was the Colin to Josie's Ryan.
254** 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 [[SickAndWrong complete revulsion]].
255* ThanksForTheMammary: 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 [[HoistByHisOwnPetard openly grabbing his crotch]] immediately afterward. Can be seen [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6QkxXtk-YQ here]].
256
257!!Richard Vranch
258[[quoteright:324:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/richard_vranch_whose_line_uk.jpg]]
259
260Colleagues 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.
261
262----
263''Tropes associated with Richard Vranch:''
264* IconicOutfit: How often is he seen ''without'' those earphones of his?
265* OmnidisciplinaryScientist: He slings a guitar alongside that piano, and there's a synthesiser on top and probably some other musical implements behind it.
266** He's also ''literally a scientist''. He has a doctorate in physics from Cambridge University.
267* TheVoiceless: Richard Vranch rarely spoke during all of his years on the show. He did smile and occasionally move his head though.
268** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8TfvH34T9w Don't forget the winking!]]
269* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: 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.
270
271!!One-shot or infrequent performers:
272* Creator/ArdalOHanlon
273* Arthur Smith
274** LeaningOnTheFourthWall
275* Betty Thomas
276* Brad Sherwood
277** TheBusCameBack: Only made 2 appearances in series 4, then returned in series 9 as a semi-regular.
278* Catherine O'Hara - Appeared in a few of the L.A. episodes.
279** YouMightRememberMeFrom[=/=]RetroactiveRecognition: Many viewers were probably first introduced to her as either the wacky stepmother in ''Film/{{Beetlejuice}}'' or the mom in the ''Film/HomeAlone'' movies.
280* Chip Esten - A semi-regular on the U.S. version; only had five appearances in the U.K. version.
281* Chris Langham - former writer for ''Series/TheMuppetShow,'' only taped one episode, and has unfortunately [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Langham#Arrest_and_conviction had his career tarnished]] since.
282* Christopher Smith
283** ThoseTwoGuys with Jim Meskimen
284* Colin Mochrie - A semi-regular starting in series 3, before later becoming a regular.
285* Creator/DawnFrench - Appeared on the radio series.
286* Debi Durst - Appeared once, notable for wearing one of the ugliest outfits of the entire series.
287* Debra Wilson - Appeared in one of the L.A. episodes.
288* Denalda Williams
289* Creator/EddieIzzard
290* Enn Reitel
291* [=George McGrath=]
292* Creator/GeorgeWendt
293** YouMightRememberMeFrom: ''{{Series/Cheers}}!''
294* Graeme Garden
295* Creator/GregProops - A constant semi-regular starting in series 2.
296* Griff Rhys Jones
297** SeparatedAtBirthCasting: They made sure to milk his resemblance to John Sessions for all it was worth.
298* Creator/HughLaurie - Appeared on the radio series.
299* Jan Ravens
300* Jane Brucker
301* Creator/JimMeskimen
302** ManOfAThousandVoices
303* Jimmy Mulville - Wound up producing the show rather than performing on camera, which was a better fit for him considering he visibly struggled keeping up with the cast.
304* John Bird - Appeared on the radio series.
305* Jon Glover
306* Creator/JonathanPryce
307* Creator/JulianClary
308* Kate Robbins - Appeared on the radio series.
309* Lee Simpson
310* Creator/LennyHenry - Appeared on the radio series.
311* Mark Cohen
312* Neil Mullarkey
313* Niall Ashdown
314* Nonny Williams - Appeared on the radio series.
315* Patrick Bristow
316** CampGay
317* Paul Rider
318* Creator/PeterCook
319** ClassicallyTrainedExtra
320* Creator/PhilLaMarr - Appeared in a few of the L.A. episodes.
321* Richard Kaplan
322* Ron West - Later became a writer/consultant for the show.
323* Rory [=McGrath=]
324* Russell Fletcher
325* Creator/RyanStiles - A semi-regular starting in series 2, before later becoming a regular.
326* Sam Johnson
327* Creator/StephenFry
328* Creator/WayneBrady - Appeared in a few of the L.A. episodes, and would return as a regular performer for the U.S. series.
329
330[[/folder]]
331----
332
333[[folder: US Side - Original]]
334
335!!Creator/DrewCarey
336[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/drew_carey_whose_line_us1.jpg]]
337->''"Welcome to ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'', where [[ThePointsMeanNothing the points don't matter]], that's right, the points are like the plot of a porn movie, they don't matter!"''
338
339Known for already having [[Series/TheDrewCareyShow 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.
340
341-----
342''Tropes associated with Drew:''
343* AchillesHeel: It's not hard to get Drew to laugh, but it ''is'' hard to make him ''stop''.
344* AdiposeRex: 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.
345--> '''Drew''': I have the power to hire and fire.
346* BigFun: Was often the butt of jokes about his weight but took them in good humor and enjoyed taking part in the games.
347* CatchPhrase:
348** "I'm your host Drew Carey, c'mon down, let's have some fun!"
349** "Welcome to ''Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway'', 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..."
350** "A thousand points to everyone!"
351*** This last one was [[LampshadeHanging 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.
352* CharacterDevelopment: 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.
353* ComedicSociopathy: Drew, as the series progressed, used schadenfreude more and more as a major part of his humor. He ''relished'' in watching the cast squirm.
354** 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.
355%%* DeadpanSnarker
356* EmbarrassingMiddleName: Allison.
357* FreudianExcuse: 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.
358* TheHyena: Drew was often prone to fits of helpless, giggly laughter during particularly absurd or brutal games, often at the hands of Ryan or Colin.
359* IconicOutfit: Not just the suit but the suspenders struggling with his pants.
360%%* IfIHadANickel
361* ItsTheBestWhateverEver: Drew's reaction to the Colin Newsflash.
362* KickTheDog: "A thousand points to everybody ''but Wayne''..."
363* NerdGlasses: Carried over, not from his sitcom or even his standup routine prior, but from his days in the US Marine Corps.
364* NiceGuy: Drew loves to laugh at others misfortune but he overall is a decent and easygoing host.
365* PetTheDog: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Riof3CoMtfY "A thousand points, and my heart goes out to all of you, man..."]]
366* RunningGag: 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.
367* SelfDeprecation: "...the points don't mean anything. Just like my treadmill..."
368
369!!Creator/GregProops
370[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/greg_proops_whose_line_uk.jpg]]
371[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:[=US Side - Original=]]]\
372https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/greg_proops_whose_line_us1.jpg]] [[/labelnote]]
373[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:[=US Side - Revival=]]]\
374https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/greg_proops_whose_line_us2.jpg]] [[/labelnote]]
375->''"Yes, Mister Patronising Barrister, we ''do'' have trampolines in America..."''
376
377One 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 RunningGag (the distinguishing aspect even) of the late UK run.
378-----
379''Tropes associated with Greg:''
380* TheBusCameBack: After rumors that Creator/TheCW didn't want too many of the older players back, he reappeared in the second season of the revival series.
381* DeadpanSnarker: 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.
382* DemotedToExtra: Arguably, this happened during the Creator/{{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.
383* FascinatingEyebrow: The first 15 seconds of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvXXytks29E this]].
384* FishOutOfWater: 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 [[WesternAnimation/NoddysToylandAdventures Noddy]] because he had never heard of the character. [[note]] This was because the show was never exported to the United States [[Series/TheNoddyShop until 1998]].[[/note]] He was on the right track - he guessed "Some colorful British cartoon character?" - but after the answer was revealed he was clearly flummoxed.
385* FourEyesZeroSoul: Heavily invoked, despite the similarity to Drew's NerdGlasses.
386* IconicOutfit: The glasses and the suit, especially the jacket that Wayne borrows at times.
387* LastSecondWordSwap[=/=]SubvertedRhymeEveryOccasion: A specialty of his during the UK run.
388* ManOfAThousandVoices: His most underrated strength, possibly because of a very nasally tone in all of them.
389* SelfDeprecation: Not above this.
390** At the end of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMzkq63fkdo 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:
391--->'''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. \
392'''Clive:''' [[DoubleEntendre It's usually a disappointment with you, Greg.]]
393** Played with while hosting one game of "Party Quirks."
394---> "It's a 'Come as a Greg Proops joke' party. Ocelot! Ocelot! Nehehehehehe--[[TakeThat God, you're bald, Clive.]]"
395* SharpDressedMan: Easily the sharpest dresser on the series.
396* SitcomArchNemesis: To Clive Anderson.
397* SmugSnake
398* StockCharacters: Known for his nigh-perfect Creator/WoodyAllen. 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.
399* TotallyRadical: 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...
400** It's self-mockery AND accurate. If you've seen his solo act, most of his jokes revolve around how dumb stereotypical Californians sound.
401* {{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 KarmicTrickster, especially with Clive.
402* ViewersAreMorons: 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.
403* WaxingLyrical: Once managed to squeeze John Lee Hooker lyrics into a [[https://youtu.be/zpjXYvJZr2s?t=7m55s Hats suggestion.]]
404
405!!Creator/RyanStiles
406[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ryan_stiles_whose_line_uk.jpg]]
407[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:[=US Side - Original=]]]\
408https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ryan_stiles_whose_line_us1.jpg]] [[/labelnote]]
409[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:[=US Side - Revival=]]]\
410https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ryan_stiles_whose_line_us2.jpg]] [[/labelnote]]
411->''"That's right, I'LL respect YOU in the MOOORNIIING!!"''
412
413From 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.
414-----
415''Tropes associated with Ryan:''
416* TheAce: From general quick wit and RefugeInAudacity to some [[HiddenDepths some actual singing ability]], it's easy to see why Ryan's the main man of the show.
417* BerserkButton: You can pick on Ryan, you can pick your nose, [[GagNose but don't pick on Ryan's nose.]]
418** 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.
419--->'''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, [[DrivenToSuicide I'll slit my fucking wrist!]]
420* TheBigGuy: At 6'6", he's the tallest performer.
421* ButtMonkey: Meta-example - from being fed with the weirdest suggestions in the cards to being fed with ''pretty much anything'' by Colin in Helping Hands.
422--> "I'm just leaving a little time here so everyone can read the [[InfoDump novel]] that is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMSGuKzrcMc my suggestion]]..."
423** 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.
424* TheCastShowoff: 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).
425* CovertPervert: It's been noted out that he's ''by far'' more familiar with certain subjects than he'll own up to.
426--> ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl9P7JxstBU After Greg guessed that Ryan was a "70s Porn Star Dude"]])
427--> '''Drew''': That's close enough... (lets Greg see the answer)
428--> '''Greg''': (reads) "[[PizzaBoySpecialDelivery "A Series Of Delivery Guys In Porn Films"?]]"
429--> '''Ryan''': I had to just, think about what that'd be like cos I've never... ahem...
430--> '''Colin''': ...[[SarcasmMode AAAAHAHAHAHA!]]...
431** Xaviera Hollander, his frequent pick for X in 90 Second Alphabet, is a former prostitute.
432* DeadpanSnarker: 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 OffTheRails or has a particularly noticeable plot hole.
433* DirtyOldMan: 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.
434* GagNose: Famously called "a big stick with a big nose" by Colin. Ryan clearly found it ActuallyPrettyFunny.
435* GagPenis: From imaginary ones to actual ones thanks to some of the ''Props''.
436* GameBreakingInjury:
437** Ryan's bad back has come up once or twice, even resulting in the only [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-HD-8GPFpk 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).
438** 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.
439* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Colin. Which is amazing, considering the number of times they've [[HoYay kissed each other]].
440* HiddenDepths: He really can sing if he puts his mind to it, just take a listen [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVgqKHN2Hq4 here.]]
441** 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 [[https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6uk2ce here]]).
442* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Any time Ryan's attempts to strongarm the current act in a direction of his own choosing is [[HilarityEnsues thwarted by Colin]].
443** 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.
444* IconicOutfit: His shoes.
445** The shoes, the cowboy shirts, the ties.
446* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Downplayed with the "jerk" part. Ryan is a pretty normal and well-meaning person but on top of being a DeadpanSnarker, he may have the most irreverent and unsympathetic sense of humor out of the main cast.
447* LargeHam: Ryan's such a whirlwind of physical comedy that he can completely steal an entire scene without even saying a word.
448* LikesOlderWomen: That episode with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBa5qyYTbKw Florence Henderson...]]
449* MadeOfIron: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67iNkmENs9k Takes a neon light to the head and keeps on going.]]
450* MultipleChoicePast: 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.
451** Oddly, Ryan is identified as Canadian far more in the UK episodes than he is in the US episodes.
452* MurderTheHypotenuse: He'll jokingly threaten to do this to the spouse or boyfriend of any attractive female audience member.
453* OneHeadTaller: Given his height, every time he's involved with a woman ends up this way.
454* PungeonMaster: One of his specialties.
455* RefugeInAudacity: Many of the show's racier gags (and, by extension, outtakes) seemed to occur during Ryan's final Hoedown line. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwvXWomCohA&t=1m40s Just one of many examples.]]
456* RuleOfFunny: To the extent that the nickname "Anything-for-a-Laugh" has been used [[strike:in-universe]] on the show.
457** Subverted when taking a mouthful of Altoid mints comes back to bite him in the worst way.
458--->'''Drew''': They ''are'' curiously strong when you pop them all in your mouth at once.
459* RunningJoke: Ryan would tend to make as many references to [[ThoseWackyNazis Nazis]] or impressions of UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler as he could get away with, especially in the Helping Hands game.
460** He was upset when "Creator/BillCosby and [[UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler Hitler]] are roommates" was suggested for a game in the American version and ExecutiveMeddling stopped the game before it even started.
461*** Of course, he managed to get an ''amazing'' bit of revenge [[TheManIsStickingItToTheMan against]] the ExecutiveMeddling during the show's hoedown.
462---->'''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)''
463* StockCharacters: Music/ElvisPresley, Carol Channing, Creator/JohnWayne, animals of all kinds.
464* SuicideAsComedy: He's mimed hanging himself several times.
465* ThoseTwoGuys: 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).
466* TooKinkyToTorture: 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.
467* {{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 {{Facepalm}}s 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.''
468* VitriolicBestBuds: With Drew Carey. More and more with Colin as the years go by.
469* WhatTheHellIsThatAccent: Accents are not his strongest point... [[LampshadeHanging and he knows it, too.]]
470-->'''Ryan:''' Lemme just say that this Spanish Colonel has ''some'' Italian in him..."
471
472!!Creator/ColinMochrie
473[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/colin_mochrie_whose_line_uk.jpg]]
474[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:[=US Side - Original=]]]\
475https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/colin_mochrie_whose_line_us1.jpg]] [[/labelnote]]
476[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:[=US Side - Revival=]]]\
477https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/colin_mochrie_whose_line_us2.jpg]] [[/labelnote]]
478->''"[[IronicNurseryTune Monkey monkey chew the butter / See my buttocks, they've better,]]\
479batter, patoota / patoota monkey monkey!\
480Look! There's a gerbil! / I'm going up and down!\
481''Series/SixtyMinutes'', where are you? / Here's an expose for you! \
482* gibberish*"''
483
484A 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.
485-----
486''Tropes associated with Colin:''
487* TheAce: 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.
488** Taken to a slightly further level in the revival series, where he reveals a surprising strength, picking up ''wrestlers'' with boggling ease.
489* AchillesHeel: Any music-based game - except possibly the [[GameBreaker Irish Drinking Song]].
490** Colin has admitted the Hoedown is the only game in which he feels real fear while playing.
491** Colin often freezes in "If You Know What I Mean", but he has his moments, like "I'll help you fluff your ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}, if you know what I mean.".
492** 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 ''Series/HogansHeroes''. It's dead on.
493--->'''Colin''': (steps up onto the stage, speaking in his normal voice) "[[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments Do you have anything for]] Creator/CraigTNelson?
494* BerserkButton: Played for laughs whenever Colin needs to be "held back" by Ryan after one too many bald jokes.
495* BewareTheNiceOnes: See TheWoobie below - when he finally decides that it's time for a comeback, expect comedy gold.
496* ButtMonkey: "Hey, make fun of the bald guy! I'll be your Lightning Rod of Hate[[AC:(tm)]]!"
497* CourteousCanadian: 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.
498* 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.
499* ChivalrousPervert: "I'm gonna stick my nose in there!..."
500* CloudCuckooLander: He often [[BreathlessNonSequitur blurts out weird stuff randomly]]. Especially in the games "Irish Drinking Song" and "Three Headed Broadway Star".
501* TheComicallySerious: The man has an amazing talent for bringing down the house without making a facial expression.
502* CoolOldGuy: The (lack of) hair makes it hard to tell that he's merely ''2 years'' older than Ryan.
503* DarkHumor: His twisted sense of humor caused Drew to call him a “dark little man.”
504* DeadpanSnarker: Tons of this, usually to keep Ryan on his toes.
505* {{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.
506* DoubleStandard: Everyone takes potshots at Colin for being bald and/or Canadian, but one time when he made fun of Ryan's nose, [[DudeNotFunny the audience reacted negatively]], making him say "[[LampshadeHanging Notice how all the melon jokes, the bald jokes? I make one nose joke, it's OHHH!]]"
507** And in the revived series, the first time a bald joke is made, there are two other performers with ''less hair than him''. [[LampshadeHanging He immediately points this out.]]
508* EnemyToAllLivingThings: Colin's earlier performances usually involved miming the killing of small animals - and ''people''.
509* HeterosexualLifePartners: He and Ryan practically make this trope. [[HoYay They also kiss numerous times on the show.]]
510* IWasQuiteAFashionVictim: 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.
511--> "I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you over your shirt."
512* LargeHam: In his own ardorable way.
513* MeaningfulName: Someone who's done equal amounts of time on the [[DeadpanSnarker giving]] and [[ButtMonkey receiving]] end, named ''Mochrie''.[[note]][[DontExplainTheJoke Pronounced similar to "mockery".]][[/note]] Think about it. He even punned on it in one late UK Hoedown about himself.
514* NiceGuy: He's swears the least out of the lot, even in deleted outtakes, making the animal abuse jokes that much more random.
515--> "You big... [[GoshDarnitToHeck poo-head!]]"
516** Subverted in the revival, with his "[[PrecisionFStrike Bitch Coin]]" quip.
517* OverlyPreparedGag: One of Colin's specialties. Considering that any 'preparing' [[CrazyPrepared starts from the moment he sits down...]]
518* PetTheDog: "Canada - the UPSIDE!"
519* PungeonMaster: 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.
520* RefugeInAudacity: 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.
521** That does not even compare to the Party Quirks game where his quirk was "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OeQdSJ6stY&t=1m20s Suspects that people are not the sex they claim to be and is trying to find out for sure]]." Any and every time RefugeInAudacity and ''Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway'' are mentioned together, this scene is the go-to reference.
522* ThinksOfSomethingSmartSaysSomethingStupid: 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 [[CantBelieveISaidThat cringe at what he just said]].
523* ThoseTwoGuys: 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).
524
525!!Brad Sherwood
526[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/brad_sherwood_whose_line_uk.jpg]]
527[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:[=US Side - Original=]]]\
528https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/brad_sherwood_whose_line_us1.jpg]] [[/labelnote]]
529[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:[=US Side - Revival=]]]\
530https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/brad_sherwood_whose_line_us2.jpg]] [[/labelnote]]
531->''"This just in, Wayne's got a fig old futt."''
532
533Joining 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.
534----
535''Tropes associated with Brad:''
536* TheAce: At Questions Only and Song Titles. In one round of the latter, he was practically unstoppable until the very end.
537* TheBigGuy: At 6'4", he's the second-tallest performer in the American edition.
538* TheBusCameBack: Just like Greg above.
539* LargeHam: Slightly behind the regulars, but when he gets the chance to ham it up, he ''will.''
540* LovableSexManiac: "Did you see the jugs of that girl in row 4?"
541* MadeOfIron:
542** Brad's deliberate pratfalls have a disturbingly loud thump, though falling on his front while wearing a Lapel mic can have that effect.
543** 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.''
544* MrFanservice: Quite a few female fans have made comments on his good looks.
545* PungeonMaster: Not quite to Colin's extent, but he's known to throw in some ''serious'' groaners here and there.
546* RefugeInAudacity: The game If You Know What I Mean is a specialty of his.
547-->"I hope my husband licks Bush tonight..."
548** Unintentional in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erOKGQfZmKA this clip's]] ''Hoedown'', when he was called out for mentioning "pu-pu platter".
549** From an Olympic-themed If You Know What I Mean, "There's nothing better than a 200 lb [[spoiler: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..."
550* StockCharacters: Music/BruceSpringsteen, Fred Schneider from Music/TheB52s.
551* ToiletHumor: His style of humor is more juvenile and immature than the rest of the crew. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpUynDU_VnM&t=1m25s "Goodbye, beautiful. FLUSH."]]
552
553!!Creator/WayneBrady
554[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wayne_brady_whose_line_uk.jpg]]
555[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:[=US Side - Original=]]]\
556https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wayne_brady_whose_line_us1.jpg]] [[/labelnote]] [[note]] This picture is from UK Season 10. [[/note]]
557[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:[=US Side - Revival=]]]\
558https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wayne_brady_whose_line_us2.jpg]] [[/labelnote]]
559-> Ryan: ''"Hey Wayne, can I borrow your butt for the weekend?"''\
560Wayne: ''"Sorry my brutha, you gots to get your own."''
561
562Becoming 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.
563-----
564''Tropes associated with Wayne:''
565* TheAce: As noted below, Wayne is THE go-to guy for song and dance numbers.
566* ActingForTwo: Often gets quirks requiring him to play multiple characters, like "Michael Jackson and James Brown in a celebrity deathmatch".
567* AchillesHeel: Wayne is known for cracking up the most often.
568** He has a real one in that he "has a tickly butt".
569* AdrenalineMakeover: By the revival series, he's gained a ton of muscle tone and even bicep tattoos.
570* BewareTheNiceOnes: Parodied. He's known to slip briefly into psychotic personas for a gag, but otherwise ''almost never'' snarks or teases.
571** Played straight with his uncanny-but-still-rather-scathing 'inbred-hillbilly' DeepSouth impressions, and by proxy, his ''merciless'' rips on UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush.
572* BreakoutCharacter: 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.
573* ButtMonkey: Happens literally after his big secret[[labelnote:*]]He's ticklish.[[/labelnote]] came out... [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRqEnWjSdIM (See here.)]]
574** Exaggerated in the revival series, from getting kicked out of frame by [[Series/TheWalkingDead Maggie]] to getting shoved halfway across the stage [[ItMakesSenseInContext by a Mongolian sumo wrestler.]]
575* TheCastShowoff: 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.
576** How often has the second or third game of each episode been a Wayne showcase?
577* TheCharmer: Probably the most charming performer in the cast.
578* ComedicUnderwearExposure: 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 LargeHam 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.
579* CrosscastRole: Not as much as Colin... apparently [[StylisticSuck it's not as funny if done well enough.]]
580* EverythingIsRacist: Invoked ([[PlayedForLaughs for laughs]]) a few times when a role he has for a game has [[{{Stereotype}} stereotypical]] connotations. For example, he asks why ''he'' has to do the African Chant.[[labelnote:Answer]]Because [[DreadfulMusician Colin]] would screw it up.[[/labelnote]]
581* FairCop: 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.
582-->'''Drew''': "In your DREAMS Wayne!"
583* HeroicBSOD: Two mild ones. One comes after he [[HoYay gets a little too close]] to Richard Simmons. The other is the result of [[TinyGuyHugeGirl the Jane Tricker incident.]]
584* IconicOutfit: Tight tees, flared pants... [[spoiler:and [[UnderwearOfPower The G-String]].]]
585* {{Keet}}: The man can move, [[MotorMouth and talk in some cases]].
586* LargeHam: 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.
587-->'''Colin:''' Got some cheese to go with the ham?
588* MyGreatestSecondChance: Wayne revealed [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QPiXi8L98U on Aisha Tyler's podcast]] that he initially auditioned for the UK Whose Line sometime during the early to mid 90s.
589* NiceGuy: By many accounts, he's a sweetheart to fans and has a great camaraderie with the other regulars.
590* OlderThanTheyLook: By the 2013 revival, the years show on Wayne the least compared to Ryan and Colin.
591* OnceAnEpisode: 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.
592* RenaissanceMan: Apart from what's already mentioned here, he's also a television host, Broadway star (in ''Film/KinkyBoots''), and a father.
593** He also, in the guise of The Fox, was the winner of the second season of ''Series/TheMaskedSinger'' - beating out famous musicians like Music/{{Daughtry}} (who took second place) and ''Patti [=LaBelle=].''
594* ScreamsLikeALittleGirl: He really does.
595* SesameStreetCred: "[[LampshadeHanging Aren't you supposed to be good at making things up in a moment?]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edA7vOfdcZg Good luck!]]"
596** SecretHandshake
597* SeriesMascot: When the American version peaked on ABC, Drew was often alongside Wayne; this made it easier to advertise ''Series/TheDrewCareyShow'' simultaneously.
598* SitcomArchNemesis: 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.
599* StockCharacters: SassyBlackWoman, UncleTomfoolery, Creator/BillCosby, Creator/SammyDavisJr, Music/MichaelJackson, [[AsLongAsItSoundsForeign accented Mexican bandito]], hick/hillbilly.
600* StylisticSuck: Certain acts require him to sing ''badly'', which is done very convincingly and 100 times funnier as a result.
601* ThoseTwoGuys: 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.
602** 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.
603* TokenBlack: He appeared to be this at first, but proven in time to be a full-fledged [[TheAce Ace]]. Also joked about it with good humor.
604-->'''Wayne''': Why do ''I'' have to lead the African chant?
605* VerbalTic: 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.
606* ViewersAreMorons: Has happened to him a few times:
607-->'''Wayne:''' (''during "Scenes From a Hat"'') Yea! [[Theatre/TwoGentlemenOfVerona The two revenuers from Verona]] approacheth! (''dead silence'') Read a book, people!
608
609!!Creator/KarenMaruyama
610[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/karen_maruyama_whose_line_uk.jpg]]
611[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:[=US Side - Original=]]]\
612https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/karen_maruyama_whose_line_us1.jpg]] [[/labelnote]]
613->''"I would take you to sporting goods store, and buy some ping-pong balls and keep you up aaaall niiight!"''
614
615The 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).
616-----
617''Tropes associated with Karen:''
618* IconicOutfit: She wears that same outfit--either with or without suspenders--in ''every single episode she's in''.
619** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wObuXAmbd2Q This clip]] shows at least three different shirts, but they're ''all green''.
620*** She got better after her run on ''Whose Line'' by going on an episode of ''[[http://www.tvrage.com/shows/id-3915/episodes/607424 How Do I Look?]]''
621* NWordPrivileges: Her routines - even if her acts don't specify it.
622* StockCharacters: MrsRobinson.
623* TokenMinority: Asian.
624
625!!Denny Siegel
626[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/denny_siegel_whose_line_us1.jpg]]
627->''"[[JewishMother Pork rinds?! I'm having a heart attack...]]"''
628
629In simple terms, Denny is an all-rounded performer and very much one of the guys.
630-----
631''Tropes associated with Denny:''
632* BewareTheNiceOnes: Denny was very good at giving snarky, cutting remarks with a big smile on her face.
633* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Not just in character, either; note some of her answers during guessing-type games.
634* PutOnABus: Phased out of the series in favor of Kathy Greenwood, though it's never been confirmed as to why.
635* TheSmurfettePrinciple: The first female regular in the US run.
636* TokenMinority: [[ANiceJewishIndex Jewish]].
637
638!!Kathy Greenwood
639[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kathy_greenwood_whose_line_us1.jpg]]
640->''"I do not dance for the likes of you, get your stinking hands off meeEEEEEEEE..."''
641
642Debuting 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.
643-----
644''Tropes associated with Kathy:''
645* AchillesHeel: Drew occasionally teased Kathy about her struggles in guessing games -- she was a perfectly good StraightMan, 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.
646* AsLongAsItSoundsForeign: Faking European accents is her most underrated strength - and a bit of an AchillesHeel in itself as it bled into her attempts at anything different.
647-->'''Kathy:''' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJboVplcjQM I do not dance for the likes of yoou.]]
648''[Drew and Wayne burst out laughing, and even Ryan needs a moment to recover]''\
649'''Ryan:''' You're from Canada, aren't you?\
650'''Kathy:''' ''[looking defeated]'' Chè, and me mother is from Swëëden.
651* BewareTheQuietOnes:
652** 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.''
653** One that a lot of people remember is the Song Styles game where Wayne sings about goats in the style of ''Theatre/WestSideStory,'' 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 RunningGag, making for one of the rare episodes where Kathy's the center of attention.
654* BrattyTeenageDaughter: Plays one in one version of Weird Newscasters, pretending to be on the phone the entire time and performing random contortions.
655-->'''Kathy:''' ''[as though suddenly spotting the audience]'' Hey... people are looking at me...
656* CuteButCacophonic: Her turn as "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHDrO3f_XaY whiny girlfriend of gangster boss Colin]]" in Weird Newscasters.
657-->'''Colin:''' This just in: [[BrownNote all dogs in a five-mile area go deaf.]]
658* OlderThanTheyLook: She's younger than Drew, Greg, Ryan and Colin, but older than ''Brad, Chip and Wayne''.
659* StraightMan: Often was one in scenes when it wasn't Colin, which is probably why she was unfairly criticized as not being very funny.
660* TheVoiceless: 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").
661
662!![[Creator/CharlesEsten Chip Esten]]
663[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chip_esten_whose_line_uk.jpg]]
664[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:[=US Side - Original=]]]\
665https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chip_esten_whose_line_us1.jpg]] [[/labelnote]]
666[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:[=US Side - Revival=]]]\
667https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chip_esten_whose_line_us2.jpg]] [[/labelnote]]
668->''"...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..."''
669
670After 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.
671----
672''Tropes associated with Chip:''
673* TheAce: At Hoedown. Chip always made a game that was hated by almost every other performer on the show look like a breeze.
674* BlackComedy: 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 BlackComedy jokes once in a while, such as the Scenes From a Hat suggestion about unlikely lounge songs:
675--> '''Chip''': "Cannibalism, cannibalism..."
676* TheBusCameBack: Makes his long-awaited revival series debut (as a SpecialGuest) in season 5, and by 2019, he's finally in a chair again.
677* IWasQuiteAFashionVictim: [[EightiesHair UK hair]].
678* {{Keet}}: Especially notable as he's gone toe-to-toe with Wayne on occasion.
679* LargeHam: In his UK debut, Clive brought up Chip's stage musical experience, and it ''really'' shows.
680* MrFanservice: His dance moves garnered appreciative whistles from the audience on more than one occasion.
681* NoDoubtTheYearsHaveChangedMe: 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.
682* OlderThanTheyLook: In his season 5 appearance, the years show on him way less than Colin and Ryan (but roughly as much as [[HeterosexualLifePartners Jeff]]). By 2019 he's got a full beard that edges him a little closer, though.
683* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Particularly in the UK version. Watch the US end credits: sometimes he's credited as ''Charles'' Esten.
684* {{Pun}}: When he punned his name, and this Hoedown:
685--> My wife caught me with a prostitute\
686She came into the room and she began to shoot\
687And then she went and yelled all around the town\
688I know there's more prostitutes; I guess that's one hoe down.
689* PutOnABus: 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 ''Series/{{Nashville}}'' ''long'' before there would be a revival series.
690* {{Retraux}}: His chiseled good looks invoke '60s screen idols, and has been lampshaded once.
691* SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: 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.
692* StockCharacters: [[WesternAnimation/YogiBear Snagglepuss]], and [[DeepSouth hillbillies]].
693
694!!Jeff Davis
695[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jeff_davis_whose_line_us1.jpg]]
696[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:[=US Side - Revival=]]]\
697https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jeff_davis_whose_line_us2.jpg]] [[/labelnote]]
698->''[[Film/{{Titanic 1997}} "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..."]]''
699
700The 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'', ''Series/DrewCareysImprovaganza,'' 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.
701-----
702''Tropes associated with Jeff:''
703* DeadpanSnarker: A little of snark on the show here and there, but you should see his Twitter, where he gleefully [[{{Troll}} trolls]] ''Series/TeenWolf'' fans.[[note]]His name is the same as the show's producer.[[/note]]
704* FullNameUltimatum: Jeff gets this for grossing Aisha out during World's Worst when he contorts his fingers.
705--> '''Aisha''': Jeff. Bryan. Davis.
706* GratuitousSpanish: One Foreign Film Dub game had Spanish as the scene's language. Turns out Jeff is fluent in Spanish, so he easily took over the game.
707* LargeHam: Has his moments.
708-->"Antonio! '''''[[BigNo NOOOOOOOOOO!]]'''''"
709* IconicOutfit: The shinyish suit.
710* MysteriousMiddleInitial: Back in ''Series/DrewCareysImprovaganza'' we heard Jeff being introduced as "Jefferson B. Davis". In the revival series we learn that it's Bryan.
711* OlderThanTheyLook: [[https://media.ents24network.com/image/000/235/826/9ef57d084349b95b2425b16f42c28d3f77b9f0a4.png This is a recent picture of him.]] Does he ''look'' 44?
712* PrettyBoy: Jeff has always been quite handsome, both in the original series and in the revival.
713* {{Retraux}}: The suit, that hair - he'd fit right in with Music/TheBeatles, really. {{Lampshaded}} when Drew mentioned his resemblance to Music/PaulMcCartney.
714* StockCharacters: Creator/ChristopherWalken. Also Keanu Reeves and Johnny Cash.
715* TwinkleSmile: Jeff's big, toothy grin has always been beloved by fangirls.
716
717!!Laura Hall
718[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/laura_hall_whose_line_uk.jpg]]
719[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:[=US Side - Original=]]]\
720https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/laura_hall_whose_line_us1.jpg]] [[/labelnote]]
721[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:[=US Side - Revival=]]]\
722https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/laura_hall_whose_line_us2.jpg]] [[/labelnote]]
723-> "...Um, it's hard to explain..."
724
725The 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.
726
727----
728''Tropes associated with Laura Hall:''
729* NotSoStoic: She's never failed to deliver whatever music is required, but noticeably messed up at least once - her piano play went OffTheRails thanks to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSDW6Tjpp2U one Irish Drinking Song]].
730** [[http://youtu.be/X3uAismSOxk This one too]].
731*** 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.
732* PregnantBadass: 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.
733* TheQuietOne: Has only two lines for the entire run, and only after [[ThrowItIn the keyboard crashed]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWyXZRYUU50 this one time.]]
734* ThoseTwoGirls: With Linda.
735
736!!Linda Taylor
737[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/linda_taylor_whose_line_us1.jpg]]
738[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:[=US Side - Revival=]]]\
739https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/linda_taylor_whose_line_us2.jpg]] [[/labelnote]]
740
741To 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.)
742----
743''Tropes associated with Linda:''
744* ADayInTheLimelight: Provides the guitar work in a game of Dubbing with Jack Osbourne.
745* ThoseTwoGirls: With Laura.
746* TheVoiceless: She never really speaks in any episode.
747
748!!One-shot or infrequent performers:
749* Anne King - Musician in ten episodes. Usually played the trumpet.
750* Anna Wanselius - Musician in six episodes.
751* Candy Girard - Musician in one episode.
752* Cece Worrall - Musician in 45 episodes. Usually played the sax.
753* Ian Gomez - Appeared in season 1 and season 8 (actually an episode made out of season 1 footage).
754* Patrick Bristow - Was part of the pilot, which initially didn't air. His appearance eventually was split into two season 8 episodes.
755* Josie Lawrence - The regular on the UK version only got two episodes in the U.S. version, both made from the same taping.
756* Creator/KathyGriffin - 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.
757* Kathy Kinney - Appeared during season 1, no doubt due to her role on ''Series/TheDrewCareyShow''. Later appeared much more frequently on ''Series/DrewCareysImprovAGanza'', and was also a performer on the pay-per-view special ''Improv All Stars''.
758* Creator/RobinWilliams - Sadly, only got featured on one episode.
759* Creator/StephenColbert - 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 SpecialGuest, but merely filled the rotating fourth seat for a day, as this was filmed around the time Colbert was starting out on ''Series/TheDailyShowWithJonStewart'' 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 ''Series/TheColbertReport''.
760* Creator/WhoopiGoldberg - Appeared a couple times, once in season 4 and again in the season 5 premiere.
761
762[[/folder]]
763
764[[folder: US Side - Revival]]
765
766!!Creator/AishaTyler
767[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aisha_tyler_whose_line_us2.jpg]]
768-> "And just like [[TakeThat the bookshelves in the Kardashian home]], [[ThePointsMeanNothing the points do not matter."]]
769
770The host of ''Whose Line'' after its 2013 {{revival}}.
771----
772''Tropes associated with Aisha:''
773* BerserkButton: PlayedForLaughs 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 '[[PrecisionFStrike bitch]] coins', leading to Aisha ''getting out of her chair [[TheCoatsAreOff and tossing her jacket.]]''
774** During a Scenes from a Hat segment ("Things you don't want to hear from your partner during sex"), Colin leans over from his... position, and yells "GO SEAHAWKS!". [[SeriousBusiness Aisha was NOT pleased]], on account of being a native of UsefulNotes/SanFrancisco and a [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague diehard fan of the 49ers]].
775* CatchPhrase: At the end of the intro when she stands in the audience introducing herself before heading down to the desk [[OnceAnEpisode (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."
776* TheCoatsAreOff: In episode 10x12, after a playful spat with Colin post-Helping Hands, she tells Colin she'll give him points "in Bitcoin; [[TakeThat 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.)
777* CoolBigSis: 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.
778* ExpositoryHairstyleChange: 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).
779* GuestStarPartyMember: As the revival went on, Aisha got up from her desk more and more to make occasional contributions to Scenes from a Hat. [[note]] Most often seen in Scenes From a Hat, a few World's Worst games, and at least one game of Props. [[/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!
780* IconicOutfit: Always has a jacket of some sort on. This one's actually lampshaded in one "Weird Newscasters" when Wayne gets the suggestion [[TemptingFate "a day in the life of Aisha".]]
781* NiceGirl: She can be sassy but is a larger-than-life, kind, and friendly person.
782* OlderThanTheyLook: 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.
783* OneOfTheBoys: Part of her appeal. Where Clive was the OldMaster not easy to impress (much less outwit), and Drew's NiceGuy 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.
784* SassyBlackWoman: Usually in an attempt to ground the unpredictable ''Whose Line'' staff.
785* SitcomArchNemesis: 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.
786* StatuesqueStunner: ''She's six feet tall!'' '''And still needs heels!'''
787* TeenyWeenie: Common subject matter for her lines.
788* TwoferTokenMinority: A Black woman.
789* VitriolicBestBuds: With both Colin and Wayne. They snark at each other but they are clearly good friends.
790
791!! Jonathan Mangum
792[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jonathan_mangum_whose_line_us2.jpg]]
793-> "Welcome everyone, to the TeenyWeenie club..."
794
795Jon'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'', ''Series/DrewCareysImprovaganza,'' and ''Series/TrustUsWithYourLife''), thanks primarily to his work with Wayne Brady on Wayne's short-lived sketch show and over on the set of ''Series/LetsMakeADeal''. Wayne is clearly something of a BigBrotherMentor to Jon, and it shows here as his place in the 2013 revival is very much earned.
796----
797''Tropes associated with Jonathan:''
798* AmusingInjuries: 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.
799* EarlyBirdCameo: Can be spotted in the audience for one of the season 2 US episodes (the one where they did Greatest Hits - "Songs of Golf").
800* {{Keet}}: Jonathan can always be counted on to give extra energy to any given scene.
801* MyGreatestSecondChance: He auditioned for the initial US version on ABC, but was turned down by the producers.
802* NiceGuy: He may be even less sweary than Colin.
803* PrettyFlyForAWhiteGuy: Thanks again to Wayne Brady's influence.
804* RememberTheNewGuy: 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.
805* UncoolUndies: Like his buddy Wayne, Jonathan is willing to [[ComedicUnderwearExposure drop his pants]] to get a cheap laugh. ''Un''like Wayne and his shiny briefs, Jonathan's only got the tighty-whities.
806
807!! Heather Anne Campbell
808[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/heather_anne_campbell_whose_line_us2.jpg]]
809-> "[[TheDitz Uhh, hi... I'm Lucy, and this is my first time talking...]]"
810
811Having already appeared before in ''Series/DrewCareysImprovaganza'', Heather Anne's performance back then practically ensured her a place here.
812----
813''Tropes associated with Heather:''
814* {{Chickification}}: She grew her hair out and found a floral top this time.
815* CuteButCacophonic: 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.
816-->'''Ryan:''' ''[between fits of laughter]'' ...that was ''terrifying!''
817* OneOfTheGuys: Especially notable is her chemistry with Ryan, considering how he's practically binary-bonded with Colin by now. [[GagNose Maybe it's the noses...]]
818* ScreamingWoman: [=#DentalFears=] anyone? She pulls this again in ''Hollywood Director'' where Colin said "do it like you're easily frightened."
819
820!! Creator/GaryAnthonyWilliams
821[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gary_anthony_williams_whose_line_us2.jpg]]
822-> "They probably kill ''real zombies'' [[Series/TheWalkingDead on that show!]]"
823
824Having already appeared in ''Series/EverybodyHatesChris'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks'', 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.
825----
826''Tropes associated with Gary:''
827* {{Acrofatic}}: For a portly guy, he can ''dance''.
828* BigFun: Gary's ''joie de vivre'' towards performing fits the show like a glove. Nor has that changed even after he lost a lot of weight.
829* CrosscastRole: Every now and then, and sometimes deliberately played with.
830--> (feminine but deepened voice) [[CrossesTheLineTwice "I may smell suspiciously like your mother."]]
831* ManOfAThousandVoices: Downplayed, as there's some overlap with Wayne's repertoire.
832* SelfDeprecation: When he was a bigger size, known for digging at his own weight or playing up the fat-slob mannerisms on occasion.
833* UncleTomfoolery: With some rare overlap with the TropeNamer, as Gary hails from [[DeepSouth Georgia.]]
834
835!!Creator/KeeganMichaelKey
836[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/keegan_michael_key_whose_line_us2.jpg]]
837-> "So, how big are your hips? ({{Beat}}) Oh jeez that was- wha- I creeped ''myself'' out..." (excuses himself)
838
839Already known for [[Series/KeyAndPeele his own weekly show]], Keegan-Michael slipped into the improv format easier than you'd believe.
840----
841''Tropes associated with Keegan-Michael:''
842* CrosscastRole: Certainly capable of these, going by his work on ''Key and Peele'', but downplayed here. There's a CastingGag of sorts when he plays the Big Bad Wolf impersonating Little Red Riding Hood's grandmother.
843* {{Keet}}: Has a massive amount of energy even for his age - he can sometimes be seen [[FunnyBackgroundEvent dancing in his seat during Wayne's musical numbers.]] Anyone who follows ''Key and Peele'' could tell you that, though.
844* LargeHam: It's easy to forget that everything in ''Key and Peele'' is scripted, considering he's running on the same level of horsepower here.
845* ManOfAThousandVoices: The "do as many impressions as you can" thing seems intended to pit him against Wayne and Ryan in this aspect. He even ''[[KillSteal steals an impression Wayne was already known for!]]''
846* NWordPrivileges: Moreso than Gary or Nyima. There's that Red Riding Hood skit mentioned above, where Wayne as [[BigDamnHeroes the woodsman]] deliberately starts playing it in {{Blaxploitation}} style (actually setting up a gag where he thought he was a 'hoodsman'), but Keegan managed to quip early on "he's from the [[{{Pun}} Black Forest!]]"
847
848!! Nyima Funk
849[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nyima_funk_whose_line_us2.jpg]]
850-> "Oh my god, you have a ''Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway [[ShamelessSelfPromotion tramp stamp]]?!''"
851
852Another Second City alumnus much like some of the ''Whose Line'' veterans. As for improv credentials, Nyima participated in the SpiritualAdaptation ''Nick Cannon presents Wild 'n' Out'' as a regular in 2005.
853----
854''Tropes associated with Nyima:''
855* AffirmativeActionGirl: She's far more active and forward than both Aisha or Heather Anne, so this trope is applied twofold.
856* OneOfTheGuys: Ready to play along with the filthy jokes or take them one step further if need be.
857* PaintedOnPants: In her second season appearance.
858* SassyBlackWoman
859* TrrrillingRrrs: Music/EarthaKitt would be proud.
860* TwoferTokenMinority
861

Top