Sheldon (from Four Part Harmony)

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Sheldon (82)

Project: Film (Four Part Harmony)

Known as: No nicknames

Real name: Sheldon

Group affiliation: None

Physical description: Sheldon is in his mid-sixties and handsome. His hair is short, gray, and receding and he wears round wire-rimmed glasses.

Personality: Sheldon is calm and laconic. He’s the rock that can be counted on when chaos hits.

History: Sheldon is an accountant who met Angie at work. She was impressed by his accuracy, worth ethic, and principles (he very matter-of-factly refused to fudge numbers when asked to by another executive). She also loved that he was not at all intimidated by her and admired that she was generally unable to get a rise out of him. Plus, she thought he was the most unobtrusively handsome man she had ever seen and fell for him.

They became partners in love and business. They were happily married, and Sheldon did the accounting for Angie’s nonprofit. Angie was the leader and driving force, while Sheldon injected some realistic limitations while always supporting his wife.

When Angie gets called to Harmony’s funeral, she goes without Sheldon. After her anxiety starts to build around what Harmony has in store for Angie after Sara Jane’s instructions make it clear that Harmony has plans to change their lives, Angie makes a phone call to someone for reassurance but tells the person they don’t need to come. The next day she comes back to her hotel room and finds Sheldon there reading a book. She issues a monolog that opens with berating him for coming, moves to how Harmony is such a disruptive force, changes to her worry for Sara Jane, evolves to her own anxieties around what Harmony might due to her, and ends with her laying down next to Sheldon and laying her head on his shoulder. He won’t say a word, but this scene will establish he is her rock and she is glad he came.

Role in the narrative: Supporting character. Given Angie presents such a strong front to others, I might need a character she can be vulnerable around for the viewer to get at her inner anxieties.

Abilities: Sheldon is a kick-butt accountant and level-headed dude.

Inspirations: Here’s a more obscure one – Along Came Polly. Ben Stiller’s character’s father seems like a solid dude who doesn’t say anything until the end.