Television is filled with memorable characters with many unique characteristics. Our favorite characters stand out from the crowd.
This list of television’s most unshakable optimists showcases some of the most optimistic, positive characters on television. These optimists are known for their bubbly personalities, happy thoughts, and annoying liveliness.
No matter what life throws at these eternally optimistic TV characters, they refuse to lose their positive attitude.
Check out our most unshakeable TV optimists, and then jump to our comments section to tell us your favorite optimistic TV characters.
How we discovered TV’s most unshakable optimist
Characters with unwavering optimism can always find the silver lining in a dark cloud and the bright spot in a bad situation.
Happy, optimistic, and sometimes neurotic optimists often try to spread their positive behavior to others. Happy people love to be around them, grumpy people love to hate them.
But love or hate, optimistic people live life to the fullest and never give up.
They inspire others and us to find the good in any situation and are never down for too long. Check out our picks of TV’s most unshakeable optimists.
Jessie Day – New Girl
Jess Day is an irritatingly bubbly elementary school teacher with an exciting desire for life on New Girl. Her quirky personality, crazy dance moves, and bold and colorful outfits endeared her to her close friends and roommates.
She also proves that people of the opposite sex can have strong, successful platonic relationships.
Day’s ever-optimistic attitude rubs off on her four male roommates and snarky best friends, helping them get through tough times.
Jess maintained a positive attitude no matter what crises she went through – from a cheating boyfriend to losing her job to having to live with her (annoying AF) ex-boyfriend (who eventually became her current) BF.
Luther Hargreaves – The Umbrella Academy
Luther Hargreaves was also affectionately known as “The First” by his adoptive father and family of seven adopted children with supernatural powers.
Number One is half-human, half-ape, thanks to a life-saving serum his father gave him. Despite the massive physical deformity caused by Reginald, Luther remained deeply and unwaveringly loyal to his father, Sir Reginald Hargreaves.
While all the other children left their abusive, morally bankrupt fathers and the Umbrella Academy, Luther was spared the misplaced family responsibilities.
Despite physical deformities, being alone in space, and a dysfunctional family, Luther maintained a happy, positive attitude.
Even when he and the rest of the Umbrella Academy team faced the destruction of all life, Luther remained optimistic and always tried to find the positive.
Betty Suarez – “Ugly Betty”
“Ugly Betty” tells the life of Betty Suarez, a unique “inner beauty” ugly duckling in the world of beauty.
Her nerdy appearance often got her fired and insulted by her coworkers. But she never let it get to her.
She found a way to look beyond the ugliness of people’s characters and see the goodness within them, no matter how despicable their actions.
Betty’s optimism and kindness are a breath of fresh air in a world full of nasty people. Her willingness to ignore being overlooked for appearance rather than being valued for personality makes her optimism unshakable.
Phil Dunphy – “Modern Family”
Phil Dunphy is one of those guys with an irritating, unabashedly positive attitude that’s in stark contrast to his snarky, bitchy wife and arrogant father-in-law.
Dunphy is very aware of her inner feelings and isn’t afraid to expose her emotions – both good and bad.
He’s very upbeat and super excited about everything. His general joy for life and his voice on the chalkboard were great on Modern Family.
His overly enthusiastic personality often annoys everyone in the family, although strangers don’t seem to mind that he’s overly enthusiastic.
Janine Teagues – Abbot Elementary School
Jenny Tiegs (Quinta Brunson) is a second-year elementary school teacher at Abbott Elementary School who is on a mission to improve the lives of her students.
Her courageous and positive spirit is an inspiration to her students and some colleagues. She remains happy and maintains a bright outlook, while other staff members grow weary of the hustle and bustle of the school’s inner workings.
Ms. Tiegs embraces and inspires her students to do their best, even when everyone around them is giving up and clocking out.
Her optimism is contagious and serves as a bright spot in an otherwise boring school system, keeping the show entertaining and engaging for viewers.
Max Goodwin – New Amsterdam
“New Amsterdam” brings viewers a new perspective on a traditional medical series. It has the same complex medical cases, talented doctors, and unforgettable patients.
But what stands out among its relatives is that the show focuses on medical cases in public hospitals, meaning that no insurance does not mean no care.
Max Goodwin is a different kind of doctor. He cared about his patients and hospital staff. When problems arise, he stops at nothing to create solutions.
Even while battling life-threatening cancer and being a single parent, Max remained optimistic about how things were going.
He is the best hospital administrator because he is not concerned with how much medical care a person can afford, but rather with what treatment a patient needs and how to get it.
Glenn Sturges – Supermarket
Glenn is the assistant manager of a large supermarket. He is a high-pitched, pious, Christian, and optimistic personality.
Between his religious beliefs and his naive, willful nature, Glenn often found himself at odds with his assistant manager when he expressed Christian views at work.
Despite the stress of raising eleven children with his wife, Glenn maintained a happy and positive attitude.
Erin Hannon – Office
The Office is filled with memorable characters, from the often out-of-touch manager Michael Scott (Jim Carell) to the bubbly receptionist Erin (Ellie Kemper).
Erin takes over from Pam Beesly, replacing the snarky older receptionist with her happy, goofy, and often child-like demeanor.
Pam despises her job and many of the people she works with, while Erin adores her coworkers, including Michael and Dwight’s unusually obnoxious antics.
Erin often gets involved in office pranks and indulges in the fun she has at work. While other employees were fed up with the work environment and were often snarky and miserable at work, Erin thrived on her positivity.
Ray Palmer – Legends of Tomorrow
Brandon Routh plays the mischievous, overly motivated Ray Palmer in Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow.
Palmer is brilliant and cheerful, making everyone around him want to do the right thing and become a better person, including the villains who fall in love with him.
Even as he and his band of good guys travel through time to stop supervillains from committing heinous acts, he’s found a way to look on the bright side.
No matter what timeline he’s in or what situation he’s dealing with, Ray finds the silver lining and inspires those around him to not give up.
Ella Lopez – Lucifer
When watching a show about the devil, you don’t expect humor, honor, justice, or confidence. But then again, you wouldn’t expect to see the Devil being a good guy.
Lucifer is a series that plays brilliantly with over-the-top tropes. We don’t just like the devil. We love him, as do all but criminals.
Among them is devoutly religious forensic scientist Ella Lopez. Ella views spirituality differently than others, including how she views the devil Lucifer Morningstar, who calls himself Lucifer Morningstar.
Ella’s sweet demeanor and bubbly personality make her a welcome breath of fresh air amid death and evil.
The “Lucifer” series explores themes such as religion, crime, justice (revenge), and romance in a relaxed, comedic and interesting way. The bright spots in the darkness mostly come from Miss Lopez, that ray of sunshine.
Elsbeth Tassioni – Elsbeth
Elsbeth (Kelly Preston) isn’t just about her unconventional wardrobe, her obsession with too many bags, and everything else you would expect from a New York tourist destination.
She’s also a brilliant lawyer, using her keen senses to help the Chicago Police Department solve its casting problems alongside her partner and best friend, Officer Kaya Blank (Cara Patterson).
But Tascioni wasn’t out to solve the crime. She is sent to Chicago as a spy to determine whether Police Captain CW Wagner (Wendell Pierce) is a corrupt cop on the loose.
Even when faced with criminals, gruesome crime scenes, or heinous illegal activities, Elsbeth maintains a positive attitude. It’s admirable – if a little creepy – how she confronts killers and con men in such a casual, upbeat way.
Kimmy Schmidt – Indestructible Kimmy Schmidt
The premise of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (played by Ellie Kemper) turns a horror story about living with a cult into a comedy as she starts over in New York after escaping her kidnappers.
As she attempts to move on with her post-cult life, she faces dozens of trials and tribulations. Jimmy must overcome his lack of exposure to the outside world and dive headfirst into everything life has to offer.
From normal day-to-day activities like looking for a job or going out, to more advanced life adventures like love triangles and going to court.
As Kimmy embraces living independently and exploring the world, everything confuses and surprises her.
Throughout it all, she maintained a stunning optimism and overcame severe trauma in inspiring ways without letting them affect her future.
Leslie Knope – Parks and Recreation
Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) is the deputy director of the Pawnee Parks and Recreation Department in Indiana and a dedicated public servant.
Her goal is to become the first female president, and as part of her civic duty, she serves on several action committees in the town.
Despite having a lot to do and having huge political ambitions, Leslie remained upbeat and optimistic about everything in life.
She has a deep loyalty to those she considers her friends and fellow townspeople, and she has a strong desire to always do the right thing.
What do you think of TV’s most unshakable optimist?
While there are many different tropes for TV characters, the optimist is the one we remember most easily. Happy, lively people tend to catch our eye, whether it’s because their optimism is contagious or their cheerfulness is off-putting.
Are you a television viewer who prefers cheerful, upbeat characters, or are you more of a grumpy and disdainful person?
Leave your thoughts in the comments and weigh in on your favorite unshakable TV optimist. Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date with everything TV Fanatic delivered to your inbox, and follow us on social media for more cool TV content.
