Bill Haverchuck

Bill is the quietest of the geeks, a gangly kid with glasses too big for his face who spends his days making prank calls, watching TV alone after school, and eating elaborate sandwiches. He's an easy target for bullies, gentle and a little awkward, but he has a private, absurdist sense of humor that lights up whenever his friends are around.

Martin Starr plays Bill with a deadpan stillness that makes his rare bursts of joy land harder — the show trusts long silent scenes of him alone, and Starr fills them with real interiority instead of pity. He's funny without trying to be, awkward without being pathetic, and the show's tenderest moments belong to him.