I have watched every episode of Trailer Park Boys multiple times, many of the show’s best inside jokes live rent-free in my brain, and some of my favorite memories of my college days revolve around the crass and raunchy mockumentary show about the residents of Sunnyvale Trailer Park. I’ve spent countless hours getting to know Ricky, Julian, Bubbles, Mr. Lahey, and the rest of the Sunnyvale mainstays over the years, so much so they’ve become like those family members you get excited to see at family reunions but avoid when buying pepperoni and smokes at the local grocery store.
Even though putting together a ranking of my favorite Trailer Park Boys characters is like ranking my own children, sometimes you just have to do what’s hard in life and say to yourself: “That’s the way she goes.” Here are the best Trailer Park Boys characters, ranked.
10. Sam "Caveman" Losco
Sam “Caveman” Losco (Sam Tarasco), a former veterinarian, fell down the slippery (and greasy) slope of life after having the misfortune of running into Ricky, Julian, and Bubbles in Trailer Park Boys Season 2. After that, Sam became a semi-permanent presence in Sunnyvale Trailer Park where he did everything he could to make life hell for the main characters.
Don’t let Sam’s placing on this list lead you to believe he’s not a great character, because he’s great. It’s just that everyone that comes next either had more to do on the show or gave us some of the best Trailer Park Boys moments.
9. Ray
Raymond “Ray” Flower (Barrie Dunn), Ricky's father figure and a scheming out-of-work trucker, was one of the the best supporting characters on the show, as well as one of the greasiest residents of Sunnyvale Trailer Park. (Piss jugs, friends of the road, and “the way she goes,” anyone?)
Ray is a character that could have been better off being featured more, and he could have had a better spot if that was the case. However, he does get bonus points for coming up with an insurance fraud scheme surrounding his faked death.
8. "Philadelphia" Phil Collins
Philadelphia “Phil” Collins (Richard Collins) only appeared in around a dozen or so episodes of the comedy, but he quickly became one of the most iconic, and ridiculous, supporting characters in Sunnyvale Trailer Park.
While it is true that Ray and Sam appeared more often than the Mustard Tiger, the character is deserving of a spot closer to the middle of the list, even if it’s because his oddball and oddly aggressive sons were the fries to his dirty burger.
7. Tyrone
Tyrone (Tyrone Parsons), or T for short, the longtime best friend of J-Roc, and occasional accomplice of Julian (more on both later), was a mainstay of the series and at the center of some of its funniest moments.
Though his screen time was brief in the early days, Tyrone quickly became one of the most visible supporting characters and one not afraid to call J-Roc out for not being from the streets or using “know wha’ I’m sayin’?” too many times.
6. J-Roc
J-Roc (Jonathan Torrens), Sunnyvale’s resident white rapper has long been a character that has made me laugh as much as he’s made me cringe. From his overuse of his signature phrase to putting down Jim Lahey for looking like “Kojak with a wig on,” to tearing down Randy for wearing white pants after Labor Day, he was full of zingers.
The middle of the pack is the perfect place for Jamie, I mean J-Roc, but don’t take that as a bad thing because he’s the best white rapper in the whole trailer park.
5. Randy
Randy (Patrick Roach), with his distinctive gut, love of cheeseburgers, and on-again, off-again relationship with Jim Lahey, is undoubtedly one of the highlights of Trailer Park Boys. Randy’s not an annoying character who ruined a great show, but instead one who actually made it better, in a strange way.
Whether it was letting the title of Assistant Trailer Park Supervisor get to his head, trying constantly to get Ricky, Julian, and Bubbles sent back to jail, manipulating Mr. Lahey, or eating 15 cheeseburgers in a single sitting, Randy did it all.
4. Julian
Possibly the drunkest character on the show, but also the only one who can handle the liquor, Julian (John Paul Tremblay) was never seen without his customary rum and coke in hand. Whether he was planning his next scheme, trying to start a “legitimate business,” or hiring the camera crew behind Trailer Park Boys, Julian always had it together.
He didn’t have the over-the-top characteristics or massive falls from grace we saw from the top three characters, but there’s no denying that Julian is in the upper tier of Sunnvale’s residents.
3. Ricky
This is going to be controversial, but at number three is Ricky (Rob Wells). I know, Ricky is pretty much the mascot for the Trailer Park Boys property, but he’s not the best character. The most unhinged, memorable, and quotable character, sure, but the silver and gold medalists have him beat any day.
Now, this isn’t to say Ricky wasn’t a great character, because he was. Whether he was growing massive potfields that attracted mountain lions, finding new ways to go to war with Jim Lahey, or actually enjoying time spent in jail, he was great.
2. Bubbles
Our runner-up is Bubbles (Mike Smith), the undeniable heart and soul of this series. His love of kitties is unmatched and his ability to fix shopping carts is also untouchable, but more importantly, Bubbles was always the most sincere character.
Bubbles was also front and center for some of the best moments, like the “Green Bastard,” “Steve French,” and the return of Conky, his ventriloquist dummy who would take over and tear into Randy and Julian. With humor and heart, Bubbles was simply a joy.
1. Mr. Lahey
Were you expecting to find anyone besides Mr. Lahey (the late John Dunsworth) in the top spot? Seriously, this is a character that I quote pretty much every day with iconic lines like “You can’t fool the FBme,” “I am the liquor,” or anything that has the word “shit” in front of it.
One of my favorite things about each season of Trailer Park Boys was Mr. Lahey’s eventual fall off the wagon and fall from grace after letting the stress of running Sunnyvale become too much. Jim was the best, and there’s no other way.
Hopefully, you agree with my ranking of the best Trailer Park Boys characters. But “worst-case Ontario,” this gets you to go back and watch all the old episodes of the show, which are currently streaming for anyone with a Netflix subscription.
