10 of the Most Interesting Irish Gentlemen in the Last 10 Years

What defines a gentleman? More specifically, what defines an Irish gentleman?

At once well-versed in the introspective tradition of artistic bravery and an innate responsibility to political urgency, this individual is quite special indeed but without the knack for cockiness that might deter others from recognizing the potential of such traits. He is open to his fellow man, yes; but more importantly, he knows when to look inward for a very different but all too important type of connection. Thanks to our dear friend TV, these extraordinary gentlemen can be found with just the push of a button. They’re among the elite at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, nestled under the stars of a 30th century existence, or even alongside a swatch of Georgia natives battling brain-hungry zombies.

If our current golden age of television has taught us anything, it’s that TV remains the best medium through which to introduce and explore beautifully contradictory characters without sacrificing story. Though doomsday soothsayers were convinced that the internet would completely destroy the medium, TV survived its own dismantling by working with, not against, the internet—bringing us an increasingly stacked roster of downright legendary characters, including a veritable assortment of truly complex Irish gentlemen.

Sure; Jack Donaghy inspired a fair bit of vitriol whilst roaming the halls of 30 Rockefeller Plaza in his finest pressed suits, but he ultimately became one of The TGS Show With Tracy Jordan’s most fervent supporters. His relationship with Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) was loaded with potentially friendship-ruining personality differences, but the two titans of vastly disparate worlds wisely used that comedic friction to their advantage. Donaghy, though certainly a calm and confident presence in the business world, was occasionally prone to moments of great whimsy and undeniable creativity—such as that time he briefly joined the show’s writing staff to properly put his Six Sigma knowledge to good use. These complexities, and Donaghy’s willingness to embrace them, make this former vice president of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming an Irish gentleman worth emulating. After all, embracing one’s contradictions is often the first step toward becoming a true gentleman.

Though Sean Murphy is but an imaginary friend to young Martin Moone, his creatively charged guidance provides the push necessary for entering the throes of teenage angst well-prepared. Murphy gives Martin’s imagination a proper voice, never outright diminishing, or otherwise ruining, the young and noble hopes of his companion. However, Murphy’s dedication to the guidance of Martin thankfully doesn’t deter him from pursuing the finer things in life: art teachers. When Miss Tivnan catches the eye of Martin, a bewildered Sean can’t help but initiate a playful but brief rift between the two. All work and no play is, quite simply, no way to live. Though it doesn’t necessarily take an Irish gentleman to teach the very real lessons of that sentiment, it certainly takes one of Murphy’s stature to make the lesson entertaining enough to actually heed.

Will McAvoy’s journey from hardened news veteran to outspoken trailblazer, captured in the distinctly Aaron Sorkin-esque The Newsroom, is aided in large part by his lifelong obsession with the chasing down and then exposing the truth. After all, it is this eternal search for truth which spawned both his breakup and ultimate reconciliation with former flame MacKenzie McHale. McAvoy is repeatedly scorned by pesky gossip columnists, a sector of the news market he vehemently denounces time and time again. McAvoy creatively avoids becoming a part of the very machinery he wishes to expose by remaining dedicated to his greatest cause of all: the truth. When called out by MacKenzie for his “Irish stoicism”during an argument, McAvoy simply attributes it to general sexiness. Confidence, poise, and an adherence to the truth? Somebody get this guy a spinoff.

Saul Goodman, who possesses the rare double distinction of starring in two blockbuster AMC series, under multiple aliases, is perhaps one of the most complex and uncrackable characters on television. The heart of Better Call Saul, his blockbuster Breaking Bad spinoff series, rests in Goodman’s simultaneous existence as James McGill, a.k.a. Slippin’Jimmy. Through a series of ill-advised Jimmy scams, America’s new favorite antihero learns not only how to survive against seemingly insurmountable odds, but also how to thrive in the face of familial doubt. Saul Goodman is another example of embracing contradiction in an effort to become one’s best (and, ultimately, most interesting) self.

A true villain shares many overlapping qualities with a true gentleman—particularly an adherence to a dress code a bit more sophisticated than the reads-Four-Pins-less-than-once wardrobes of the common bad guy. Moriarty avoids cliche by maintaining a certain likability, even when he’s on the brink of killing our beloved Sherlock while hurling clever jabs and disses from the enviable comfort of his consistently calm demeanor. Though he may never accomplish any actual good with his advanced skills of gentlemanly villainism, Moriarty’s sense of intellectual poise is quite possibly unmatched by everyone except Sherlock.Is this guy a hero worth emulating? Nah. But he is a villain from which gentlemen in training can take notes.

Currently on a presumed indefinite hiatus, while the real Stephen Colbert single-handedly reinvents late-night television from the Late Show throne, the satirical figure at the heart of The Colbert Report still strikes joy in the heart of his self-described Colbert Nation. The always brilliant, occasionally ridiculous, and never boring Colbert maligned an entire political ideology for nearly 10 years straight, without breaking character. However, his greatest accomplishment (in addition to alerting the nation on the growing threat of bears) is most certainly his ability to somehow inject actual emotion into near-absurdist comedy without softening his edge. His interviews often bordered on comedically abrasive, but that abrasiveness only held a mirror to Colbert’s audience and their own growing frustrations. If his series finale is to be believed, Colbert is likely kicking back with Santa Claus right now, which actually makes perfect sense.

30th century transplant Philip J. Fry, our lone animated entry, just might be the bravest. A noted master of video games and passable pizza-delivery tactics, Fry’s gentlemanly tendencies stem mostly from his awesome ability to simply accept his new friends for exactly who they are. Though his mostly unrequited love for Leela does eventually land him a pre-wormhole kiss (take that, upside down Spider-Man!), his typical inability to express his deepest emotional desires only adds to Fry’s status as the nicest guy in space. Loyal? Check. Interesting? Double check. Creative? Triple check. Though his slightly diminutive style of dress could benefit from a quick Moriarty lesson or two, Fry is the everyday gentleman TV has always loved.

Kevin Malone may not be the most dapper of office dwellers, but he’s certainly the most rewardingly approachable. Nestled in a corner of Michael Scott’s great American laugh factory of a work environment, Malone was rarely the center of the action on The Office. Instead, he popped up for memorable moments of undeniable innovation, such as the time he got Jim’s credit card frozen while he and Pam were on their honeymoon, or the unforgettable moment he invented tissue-box shoes. On the low, Kevin Malone is actually a genius.

Having reached peak Murph thanks to this summer’s Entourage movie, Eric still stands as one of the’00s’greatest televised success stories. From his days as a scrappy upstart manager, with practically zero knowledge of the industry, he quickly encapsulated his circle of friends, leading to his eventual Murphy Lavin Group victory. Despite it all, “E.”never abandons the core of what drove him to Hollywood in the first place: His friendship with Vincent Chase. After all, loyalty, when wisely invested, is a hallmark feature in becoming a truly compelling gentleman.

First of all, R.I.P. Hershel Greene. Second of all, Hershel Greene is mostly certainly The Walking Dead’s most difficult acquired taste. Initially standoffish with Rick Grimes and company, Greene eventually evolves from staunch traditionalist seeking a place to permanently hide out from zombies (while also locking up a lot of them in his barn), to an invaluable hero and leader in his own right. Wise without crossing into pretentiousness, and kind without appearing weak, Hershel Greene was Rick’s sorely missed secret weapon: generational expertise. His unfortunate death at the hands of The Governor initiated a quake among Dead fans that’s still being rightly felt to this day. Here’s to you, Hershel.