31 Characters Who Surprised Us With Their Amazing Vocals
Nuhu Danamarya
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Everyone has, at some point, imagined a scenario where he is an amazing singer stepping onto a stage, and wowing thousands of people with his voice.
Since we can't do that, we'll stick to the next best thing -- writing about those people who can sing -- because living vicariously through them is so much more fun.
Also, try not to smash your phone to pieces when you come across characters from canceled shows you're still pissed about, because it is a cruel world we live in, and no one likes us having good things.
Settle down as we count down these 31 characters who you'd never expect can sing anyone back from the edge, and do it with style!
1. Walter Bishop (Fringe)
Yes, John Noble does sing. Walter sings his way into our hearts in an attempt to entertain a young girl in the lab. Sure, he was high on his famous strain of weed -- Brown Betty -- but that doesn't make it any less awesome.
2. Eliza Dooley (Selfie)
In this superb show that was taken from us way too soon, the magnificent Karen Gillan played the part of Eliza Dooley; a narcissistic yasss queen who, in the tenth episode, has her heart broken at an office party by her mentor/love interest. She goes on to get super drunk like any normal person in her shoes would, then summons the courage to get on stage and belt out a heart-wrenching rendition of Sia's Chandelier which left everyone on either side of the TV screen with jaws wide open, and a tear rolling down one chin.
3. Larry Paul (Ally McBeal)
There really isn't much to say about this one other than the fact that there is no greater sight than a suave-looking Robert Downey Jr singing River while playing the piano.
4. Jake Peralta (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)
In hands down the best cold open of this show, detective Peralta leads five guys in a suspect line-up in an impromptu cover of I Want it That Way by The Backstreet Boys. It's all good though because it helps them identify the murderer amongst the guys. In the off chance that this cop thing doesn't work out, Jake can join a choir, and we're sure he'd make a killing -- not literally of course.
5. Joe West (The Flash)
The Arrowverse is swarming with actors who have had a chance to showcase their vocal talents on-screen before with one of the few exceptions being Joe West. Now, this probably didn't come as a shock to people who had prior knowledge of his career on Broadway but to those who were seeing him onstage with a mic for the first time on The Flash, it was one of those moments where your only reaction is "what the hell am I seeing?".
6. Lucy Preston (Timeless)
On Timeless Season 2 Episode 3, Lucy and the guys find themselves in 1941 at a party filled with Hollywood studio execs. Undercover as someone in the showbiz, she finds herself backed into a corner when the host requests she serenades his guest with her supposedly mesmerizing voice. I'm sure a lot of people were already screaming at their TVs for her to make an excuse and get out of there. It turns out Lucy is an undercover siren, and she had everyone in a hypnotic trance before she was done.
7. Archie Andrews (Riverdale)
Archie's musical talent was kind of a big deal in season one -- it was how Miss Grundy got into his pants after all -- but not anymore. These days he's more into committing felonies and standing shirtless while making threats on camera surrounded by his fellow gang members. But when Archie stops being Archie long enough to pick up a guitar and a mic, he actually sounds amazing.
8. Lavinia Peck-Foster (Trial And Error)
She's evil, she's classy, and she knows how to bewitch the people of East Peck with a voice fit for the Opera. In the second season of this mockumentary-styled show, she leads the town in a 16-minute song called Light Of Our Lives in remembrance of Mickey Moose, the town's celebrity moose who had just passed.
9. Batman (The brave And The Bold)
The Music Meister showed up in Gotham to cause the usual mayhem and destruction by singing at a specific frequency that can hypnotize people. What he wasn't counting on was the caped crusader having a set of vocal chords to match his. Music Meister was taken by surprise, and so were we.
10. Karma Ashcroft (Faking It)
Amy and karma were thick as thieves since childhood until that staged kiss brought a lot of Amy's suppressed feelings bubbling to the surface. As a result, cracks began to form between them, and at a point, they stopped talking to each other. Well, that is until Karma brought a guitar and some grade-A pipes to her soulmate's window and wooed Amy all over again.
11. Jessica Day (New Girl)
Whether you knew it or not, you've been listening to Jess singing the New Girl theme song for the whole duration of this show. She also takes every chance she gets to put everything into a song. Annoying as it may sometimes be, we can't deny she has a surprisingly decent tenor.
12. Andy Bernard (The Office)
Andy is well-known for his love of music, along with his banjo and guitar-playing skills. But, before he became synonymous with those things, "Nard Dog" first put himself on everyone's radar when he sang an acapella version of Drift Away in the car with Jim. We really hope he has returned to Cornell and mentored his former acapella group to stardom.
13. Malcolm Merlyn (Arrow)
You've got to admit; Malcolm has come a long way since his days as the dark, mass-murdering reflection of Oliver. All those years of transformation came to a peak when he broke out into song on The Flash's musical episode. Who knew a man so dark could have such an angelic voice?
14. Marnie Michaels (Girls)
We weren't prepared for this woman's exquisite voice, and we certainly weren't prepared for the extreme awkwardness of that scene where she stood in a room full of people and sang her version of Stronger. It doesn't sound like much without context, so this is one of those instances where you have to watch it to understand it.
15. Sheldon Cooper (The Big Bang Theory)
Our favorite nerds have a bonafide choir singer hiding amongst them, and his name is Sheldon. His singing became a common occurrence later on, but quite a lot of people were surprised when he first sang on the show.
16. Fallon and Steven Carrington (Dynasty)
Blake's father was a piece of work, but as a result of his coming to his son's house, we had the privilege of seeing Steven and Fallon perform a duet. This wasn't shocking to folks who have followed the actress from her days on Nickelodeon's Victorious, but not everyone is as hip, or cool.
17. Derek Jones (Star)
Star is a musical series, so perhaps no one should've been surprised when Alex's boyfriend showed what a fine vocalist he is in his own right. That imaginary sequence where Alex finds himself able to walk again is cruel on so many levels, but we would go through that again just to hear him sing "You Might Be" with Alex again.
18. Gordon Grimes (The Orville)
This one is a blink-and-you-miss-it situation. Pay close attention to shots of Gordon on the bridge, and you'll find a couple of moments where he sings. He does so quite beautifully too.
19. Buffy (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)
Buffy (The show) has definitely aged well. Almost two decades later and that musical episode is still considered the gold standard for any musical episode. Early on in the sixth season, a demon comes to town and compels everyone to confess their deepest secrets in song. Seeing Buffy at the beginning of the episode crooning about how dull her life has become set the tone for an episode that has since gone down in history as one of the best.
20. Anne Flatch (Trial And Error)
While we're still pissed they didn't find a way to have John Lithgow break out his pipes for a song or two in the first season of this show, we were more than compensated for that when Anne was asked to take the stand in the murder trial of Larry Henderson. What happened next was pure gold, as she was asked to sing a portion of "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston. A few seconds was all it took to move us and a couple of jurors to tears, and the whole courtroom to erupt in applause and whistles.
21. Callie Torres (Grey's anatomy)
After suffering brain trauma in a car accident, an unconscious Callie ejects her soul -- Doctor Strange style -- and stands by her own bedside and watches as her colleagues do all they can to save both her and her unborn baby. Things take a turn for the musical soon after as she bursts into song, and so do the other doctors.
22. Eliot (The Magicians)
Eliot is a king, and he is fabulous. With war approaching, Margo casts a spell that makes everyone sing his heart out as a means of exorcising the tension and inspiring their army to fight. Everything about Eliot's singing is made even better by their choice of song on that day -- One Day More from Les Miserables.
23. Charles Rutherford (It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia)
Charlie has got issues -- He's psychopathic with an almost dissociative personality. He routinely abuses substances and says the most inappropriate things. However, he's also an amazing vocalist, which is not something you'd associate with Charlie Day's cartoonishly high-pitched voice.
24. Shawn and Gus (Psych)
These two friends and business partners have a flair for the dramatic -- not that Gus will ever admit it. Shawn's efforts to preserve the ruse of him being a legitimate psychic lasted as long as it did only because of him. It's only fitting that a couple of guys who are basically into show business will possess a voice to entrance their audience. That doesn't mean it didn't surprise lots of people when that musical episode aired.
25. Fez (That 70s Show)
Are they ever going to tell us this guy's real name, or where he's from? Creepy Fez didn't disappoint when he starred in the school musical show. And who remembers the time he whistled "Don't Worry Be Happy" to perfection? those were the times.
26. Xena (Xena: Warrior Princess)
Any friendship will be strained by the knowledge of your best friend's demon daughter killing your son, and that is exactly what happened between Xena and Gabrielle. The road to reconciliation was a rough one, but it culminated in the two of them being transported to another realm where they had to sing their way back into each other's good graces before they could escape. Seeing Xena sing is a memory we will cherish forever.
27. Astrid Farnsworth (Fringe)
In one of Fringe's best standalone episodes, we're treated to the sight of Astrid (in an alternate noir world) singing her way through a job interview. Don't we all wish we could do that? It was a refreshingly unexpected break from the science jargon we heard all the time.
28. Betty Cooper (Riverdale)
Picture this: you're at a bar with a bunch of gang members celebrating the retirement of your boyfriend's dad, and your mom is there too. What do you do? Obviously, there is no single answer to that question, but if you're Betty you get into some sexy lingerie and strip dance on a pole to the tune "Mad World" in front of everybody. While we will forever try to erase that scene from our collective memories, we can still appreciate the surprising delicateness of Betty's voice.
29. Troy Barnes (Community)
As a Jehovah's witness, Troy made it clear he wasn't supposed to celebrate Christmas. He's later convinced to "infiltrate" Christian holidays and take them down from the inside. Cue music number and the phenom that will come to be known as Childish Gambino sings and raps to everyone's amazement.
30. Regina Mills (Once Upon A Time)
It only took them six seasons of non-stop drama, but they finally did make a musical episode. This is shocking only because this is literally a show of fairytale characters from top to bottom. A lot of the characters did their best, but none matched the sinister grace with which The Evil Queen sang "Love Doesn't Stand a Chance."
31. Kelly Grayson (The Orville)
Of all the shows out there, none is in dire need of a musical episode like The Orville. If you think this show lacks the personnel to pull it off without the help of autotune then think again. The memory of Kelly bringing her A-game to karaoke night has stuck with us. If only they can show us Bortus singing next time.
