Andrea Barber from 'Full House,' DJ Jazzy Jeff from 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' are some of the stars who talk about being a sitcom sidekick.
By Drew WeisholtzFrom Ed Norton and Ethel Mertz to Larry Dallas and Screech, sidekicks have been as integral to TV sitcoms as unlocked front doors and the gang always managing to get the same table at their favorite hangout.
“Besides changing my entire life, the entire trajectory of my life, I've really grown to love and appreciate this character in a way I never expected,” Barber, left, with Candace Cameron Bure, says about playing Kimmy. “It was great being the sidekick because I could just roll in, say a few jokes and roll out and I had none of the pressure or stress of leading the show or carrying the show,” Barber said.
“I can laugh at it now. But, yeah, there were times I was just like, I just want to feel pretty and cute. And I never really did as Kimmy Gibbler. But that's OK. That's all part of being a sidekick,” she said. As peculiar as Kimmy may have been, Barber fondly remembers the opportunity to showcase her complexity in an episode where D.J. throws Kimmy a last-minute party after forgetting it was her birthday.
Barber said the sidekick has morphed over the years, to the point where it’s now shifted to a more front-and-center role. Jeff became one of the key elements of the show, the perfect complement to Smith’s fish-out-of-water Philly teen adjusting to life in Southern California. But if Jeff had originally had his way, he never would’ve been part of the series.Jeff says his ability to play a sidekick was simply an extension of his relationship with Smith.
To this day, fans feel a kinship with the relationship Will and Jeff had, which manifested itself in so many ways, perhaps most notably their greeting, which is the part of the show he hears about most from fans. Joseph Marcell and Tatyana Ali took a trip down memory lane with Jeff during "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" reunion on HBO Max in 2020.
“I don't think anybody else could have done it like that," Jeff said about his part. "Because with anyone else they would have been playing a role." Von Oy said one of the keys to the success of the show was that she and Bialik were the ages of the characters they were playing. Von Oy and Bialik were two strong members of the "Blossom" cast, which also featured a very amusing Joey Lawrence.
Von Oy definitely made sure Six was not the same old song and dance when it came to being a sidekick. Ratzenberger, seen here with "Cheers" co-star George Wendt, says he created the character of Cliff, a real know-it-all. "“Those people in real life always made me laugh," he said. “A sidekick is really someone who supports you and enjoys your company and helps you get things done,” he said. “So that's why I say that Norm and Cliff were more sidekicks to Ted.”
“Two days later, I got a call. They say they want to try that character out for seven episodes. And 11 years later, I was still there.”“With ‘Cheers,’ the set welcomed you in. And it encouraged you to relax, and enjoy yourself," Ratzenberger said. “I think Cliff either won the lottery and then wasted it all on showgirls in Vegas, or invented something that was popular for a couple of years, and then made a lot of money and started another business, maybe a restaurant that only sells hot dogs,” he said.
“I get a lot of ‘thank you.’ Because it was a bonding moment for them with their parents, fathers especially. And I get a lot of that. ‘My father was dying. We were watching “Cheers.” It gave him a lot of joy in his last days.’ For some reason, that sticks out of people who are older now, but remembering watching it with their dads,” he said.“It does open other doors for you. And then it's up to you whether it's a walk through that door or not. Yeah, I mean, obviously.
“We were very much interested in mining as much comedy and comic relief as we could,” he said. “So when I came on the show, there was never a thought in my mind like, ‘Oh, I better tone it down. I better dial it back because I might upstage someone. I might step on their toes.’ My thought process was, ‘I'm here to do a job. My job is to pull laughs, if I can. And if I do that, then I have done to the fullest of my ability the very thing that I was hired to do.
Boner, played by Andrew Koenig , on "Growing Pains" was a sidekick known for his lack of intelligence who proved to be an inspiration to Harrison. “Waldo was entrusted with taking Richie trick-or-treating because Eddie wanted to go hang out with some chick,” he said. “And so obviously, foolishness ensues because Waldo didn't do his job exceptionally well.”
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