List of characters in Problem Child.
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Junior
Played by: Michael Oliver (1, 2), Justin Chapman (3)
The main protagonist of the film series except for the first movie.
- Bad People Abuse Animals: Angry about his new stepgrandfather Big Ben bad-mouthing him just for being an adopted kid, Junior grabs Flo's cat roughly by the neck and throws her at Big Ben, causing a Staircase Tumble. The cat survived without a scratch, while Big Ben is whisked away in an ambulance.
- Berserk Button: Getting an Adoption Diss, which gets a lot of people a spot on his Enemies List.
- Commonality Connection: He and Trixie start to bond over a mutual dislike of Mr. Peabody and defending their parents during a big food fight.
- Didn't Think This Through: It doesn't go through his mind that if he kept causing trouble under Ben and Flo's custody, he'd be thrown back into that overcrowded orphanage run by sadistic nuns who love punishing him and serve inadequate food.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Junior doesn't understand why Ben seems to love him so.Junior: What is this guy? Nice or something?
- Fatal Flaw: Wrath. While it is understandable why he lashes out at people, it makes everyone hate him and drives others to abandon him.
- Karmic Trickster: He brings suffering to those who make him suffer.
- Kids Are Cruel: He loves using violence to get back at those he feels has wronged him.
- Kids Driving Cars: And he can't see over the steering wheel - so chaos ensues.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He may be a bratty and obnoxious little shit but despite that he does care for his father (i.e. Ben Healy) and Trixie after he befriends her in the second movie. He can be nice if push comes to shove and that's only if he's treated well-enough.
- Shipper with an Agenda: With Ben poised to marry LaWanda, Junior pushes Annie as an alternative. In this case, Annie's actually nice and Ben had already expressed interest in her.
- Sticky Fingers: He likes stealing things, especially money.
- Took a Level in Kindness: In the sequel, but only towards his adoptive father Ben as gratitude for keeping him out of the foster system. He also befriends Trixie after finding out that he and her have alot in common (i.e. having single parents and having a big hatred for Lawanda and Peabody.)
- Would Harm a Senior: Throws Big Ben down a Staircase Tumble for the Adoption Diss. In the sequel, he tricks Big Ben into getting stuck on the branch of a tree.
- Would Hit a Girl: Was more than delighted to give Trixie a good bashing to the head for all the harmful pranks she played on him. And before that he electrocuted one of Ben's potential dates because of Junior's refusal to ever have a mother.
Ben Healy Jr.
Played by: John Ritter (1, 2), William Katt (3)
Junior's adoptive father and the first movie's protagonist.
- Beware the Nice Ones: On occasion. In the first movie, he came very close to smothering Junior and sabotaged Big Ben's political career. In the second movie, he finally told Junior he lost his trust.
- Break the Haughty: He breaks down Junior into tears when he declares he'll take back Junior to the Catholic orphanage as he starts to think Junior hates him - only changing his mind after Peabody tells him Junior's already been returned 30 times.
- Clueless Chick-Magnet: In the second movie, he doesn't truly appreciate how all the single women in town have eyes on him and thinks they're just being polite to the new guy in town.
- Commonality Connection: In the second movie, he was immediately interested in Annie, but it's learning she has a problem child of her own that really makes him think of the possibilities.
- Extreme Doormat: Due to being a pushover dad.
- Grew a Spine: He eventually stands up to his father, his wife, and Junior as well.
- Henpecked Husband: The first movie has him endure a lot of abuse at the hands of his wife Flo, at least until he grows a spine (see above).
- Improbable Aiming Skills: To hit the tires of a speeding car, while being on top of another (while Junior drives it, no less).
- The Klutz: As to be expected with a character played by John Ritter, though sometimes he suffers just for trying to keep up with Junior. One reason he's interested in Annie is because she is a registered nurse and knows how to treat injuries.
- Morality Chain: Becomes this for Junior, being the only one that can get him to behave five minutes and sincerely promise to do better. On the other hand, this can sometimes be a problem, as some of Junior's biggest stunts are in direct response to people mistreating Ben.
- Nice Guy: The only one so in a movie universe that takes place in a World of Jerkass.
- Only Sane Man: He might be an extreme pushover, but he's the only adult who actually tries to help Junior, even knowing about his violent tendencies. If it weren't for his patience and kind heart then Junior most likely would have gotten worse.
- Papa Wolf: Once he decided to rescue Junior from the Bow-tie Killer, he went and stole his neighbor's van to do so, and later they chased him around town.
- Took a Level in Badass: Gradually, he stops letting the people in his life walk all over him and he stops putting up with Junior's shenanigans.
- Would Hurt a Child: He was close to smothering Junior with a pillow for driving his car (with him riding on top) and causing major collateral damage and causing him financial ruin. Albeit he did hesitate and was unsure of should he really do so.
Recurring
Igor Peabody
Played by: Gilbert Gottfried
A frequent antagonist in Junior's life, first being an adoption agent who had to deal with him.
- Child Hater: Gradually becomes one, which is ironic as all his jobs require him to work closely with children from nun orphanage master to school principal. He screams at Junior and Trixie they deserve to be locked in cages for throwing food at him, and get worked up and hurls food at Ben himself for defending them.
- Comical Overreacting: As much as he dislikes Junior's troublemaking skills, had he not made such a cacophonous ruckus at the pizza restaurant where he was on a date just by seeing Junior being there as well, he could've averted a food fight where he was the primary target.
- Department of Redundancy Department: He repeatedly says the same thing with little to no tweaks.
- Depraved Dentist: In the third film, he's become an inept and cruel dentist who revels in putting bad braces on children.
- Dirty Coward: His only goal is to just get rid of Junior completely, absolutely hoping to find a sucker naive enough to take him in. In the first movie, he kept riling up Ben and Flo to adopt a "sweet little angel", and very nearly gets Junior boomeranged back at him (for the 31st time) until Ben makes up his mind to keep him anyways and change his behavior by loving him harder when he acts bad. In the second movie, he becomes the new school principal, but is horrified to find Junior has enrolled there (not by Junior's own desire, but because Ben made him) and he automatically moves up Junior from third to sixth grade to send him off to middle school in only one year.
- Flanderization: He starts out as a somewhat shady social worker who wavers between getting rid of Junior to offering him empathy. In the sequels, he becomes a full-blown Child Hater.
- Large Ham: He is very fond of screaming to get his point across. Naturally, he's played by Gilbert Gottfried.
- New Job as the Plot Demands: He tries getting a new job all the time, which ironically keeps getting him crossing paths with Junior.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: Becomes a bigger jerk after each film. Initially, as an adoption agent, he just wants to get rid of Junior from the orphanage because of his reckless behavior and later, as a principal, send him off to the sixth grade so that he doesn't have to deal with him for long. By the third film, however, he becomes a full-blown sadist as a dentist, happily putting insanely large and painful braces on children (and even using false x-rays as a poor excuse to do so) just for kicks.
Ben "Big Ben" Healy Sr.
Played by: Jack Warden
Ben Healy's greedy and demanding father.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: In the first movie.
- Entitled Bastard: He genuinely expects both Ben and Junior to let him stay in their house after he loses all of his money in the second movie despite antagonizing them in the first movie.
- Gold Digger: Reduced to becoming one in the sequel chasing a wealthy woman because his finances in the first movie were destroyed. At the end of the sequel, he marries Lawanda in order to become rich again.
- Greed: To the point that he claims he'd side with the Japanese over the US any day so long as it means bigger profit, despite having a patriotic flag-waving image in his campaign.
- Hypocrite: Continuously calls Junior the devil despite being an unlikable Jerkass to everyone 24/7. He also calls everyone stupid for being patriotic despite being portrayed as a patriotic person who supports America for the first half of the movie.
- Jerkass: He has no good or redeeming traits. While the films constantly switches its Big Bad, Big Ben maintains his role as the secondary antagonist in each film.
- Laughably Evil: He's definitely a rotten human being, but he can bring a few laughs.
- Lazy Bum: Has become one in the sequel, losing interest in finding employment instead becoming a couch potato who watches TV all day and keeps riding on Ben's potential marriage to Lawanda (who is wealthy) to get back on his feet.
- Lower-Class Lout: In the sequel, combined with The Thing That Would Not Leave.
- Pet the Dog: He genuinely adores his dog, Nippy.
- The Thing That Would Not Leave: Forces Ben and Junior to take care of him because he went broke, the bank took his home and his credit rating plummeted thanks to his huge debts.
- Ungrateful Bastard: He still thinks of his son and grandson as complete losers even when crashing at their house in the second movie.
Murph
Played by: Eric Edwards
An underachieving student at Junior's school in Mortville.
- Book Dumb: Cares more about bullying than learning.
- The Bully: Averted. He tried to bully Junior, but was too slow (and dim-witted) to match against Junior's intellect.
- Butt-Monkey: Becomes one as karma for his bullying ways.
- Manchild: Has been held back in the sixth grade for years if not decades.
First Movie Only
Flo Healy
Played by: Amy Yasbeck
Ben's first wife, later turned ex. She and Ben find out that they can't have children.
- Bullying a Dragon: Martin Beck kidnaps her (Junior was convinced to tag along as a partner) as blackmail against Ben for $100,000 restraining her with rope. Flo then angrily rants on quite loudly at Beck... worsening her hostage situation from merely tied up in the back of the car to the inside of a suitcase in the car's trunk.
- A Deadly Affair: Cheats on Ben with serial killer Martin Beck, who while spared her life, he still kidnapped her and stuffed her inside a suitcase.
- Fostering for Profit: An interesting variant. Unlike her husband, she's only interested in having a child so they can be invited to parties and get social prestige for it.
- Gold Digger: She really only cares about her own social status and riches more so than she cares for Ben and Junior.
- I Have No Son!: Shows zero love for Junior the very first day she adopts him, merely seeing him as a ticket to attending parties where only parents are allowed.
- Introverted Cat Person: She only takes comfort from her pets (a cat and a parrot), and laments her lack of friendship among the neighborhood women who are all mothers while she herself is sterile. Then when Junior comes into her life, she wants nothing to do with him.
- Jerkass: She treats Ben like crap the whole movie. Junior also sees her as this and drew an unflattering pic of her as a big-mouthed screaming brat. Even the Bow-Tie Killer gets sick of her bitchiness and puts her in a suitcase after she gets on his nerves.
- Large Ham: She is very fond of screaming out whatever she says.
- Laser-Guided Karma: At the end, Ben trades her in for Junior to come live with him. And she suffers one really bad car ride stuffed inside a suitcase tossed around between cars.
- Law of Inverse Fertility: Played with. According to the gynecologist, she can't have any children because of some issues with her reproductive system. At first, it's played straight in that she and Ben go to find out what their odds are (which are none, going by what he says) and then it's deconstructed in that her reason for wanting a child are for rather selfish reasons.
- Villains Want Mercy: She is shown to be incredibly vain and selfish only caring about herself, but when she gets kidnapped and stuffed inside a suitcase by Martin Beck, she starts screaming for someone, anyone, to rescue her to no avail.
- What Happened to the Mouse??: Her whereabouts remain unknown after she lands in a pig truck at the end of the first movie. It's implied in the second movie that they divorced prior to Ben and Junior moving away.
- Womanchild: Despite being a grown-up she's shown to be even more childish and immature than Junior considering that she's very whiny and has tantrums whenever she's angry or upset.
- You Can Keep Her!: Ben gets fed up with her self-absorbed bitchy ways and gets ecstatic to find that Beck kidnapped her, and never asks for her back.
Martin Beck a.k.a. The Bow Tie Killer
Played by: Michael Richards
An escaped convict who wants to go on a crime spree and partner up with his pen pal "J.R." (Junior's alias).
- Anti-Role Model: He becomes Junior's role model.
- Big Bad: The main antagonist of the first movie.
- Butt-Monkey: Despite being a serial killer who's not above committing murder in cold blood even he's not immune to Junior's antics.
- The Dreaded: He ruled the prison he was caged in with an iron fist as all the other inmates were terrified to death of invoking his wrath.
- I Have Your Wife: He blackmails Ben for $100,000 in exchange for the return of Junior and Flo. Ben decides to pay full price for Junior only.
- Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: He tries to adopt Junior but only to serve as a partner-in-crime rather than having any genuine affection and care for him.
- Laughably Evil: He may be a cold-blooded serial killer (if a rather bumbling and rather ineffectual one) but even he's not above having funny and hilarious moments from time to time.
- Psychopathic Manchild: He threw childish tantrums in prison ("HEY WARDEN, CATCH!!" - him throwing a heavy dumbbell at the warden). He also acts giddy when he sees a snack cake called Smiley Pies then complains he's had to wait 15 years for one.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Smiley Pies.
- We Can Rule Together: Tries pulling this on Junior to remain his partner and not go running back to Ben. Junior still chooses the latter option.
- Would Hurt a Child: He gets really mad about the fact his pen pal "J.R." is really a seven-year-old, especially since Junior exaggerated about being an ex-con in those letters.Martin Beck: (picking up Junior) I drove... a thousand miles... to hang out with a seven-year-old?!!
Junior: I'm gonna be eight in two weeks!
Martin Beck: (while holding Junior) Don't. Count on it..
Lucy Henderson
Played by: Colby Kline
A girl who lives opposite of the Healys (and now Junior).
- Adoption Diss: Uses this to mock Junior, and for being (slightly) older than she is, as she takes pride in (previously) being the oldest kid in the neighborhood.
- Crying at Your Birthday Party: To the tune of Lesley Gore's "It's My Party".
- Laser-Guided Karma: Being that it's her birthday isn't really an excuse for her to exclude Junior from her birthday party's magic show. Thus, it comes back to bite her in the ass as Junior sabotages her party and she is reduced to a crying wreck.
- Spoiled Brat: Her parents apparently spoil her rotten even when it's not her birthday.
Roy
Played by: Peter Jurasik
The Healy's neighbor and Ben's buddy, known for being rather brash and self-confident.
- Foil: To Ben, as he has a large family and a loving wife, while Ben is unable to have kids of his own and is stuck with neurotic and arrogant Flo.
- Jerkass: While not obvious, he tries to belittle Ben in a very subtle manner, such as reserving him a camping spot near the toilets and giving him a "Dad" cap while wearing the "Super Dad" cap.
- Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: The Manly Man to Ben's Sensitive Guy.
Second Movie Only
Annie Young
Played by: Amy Yasbeck
The nurse in Junior's new school, and Trixie's mother.
- Birds of a Feather: She and Ben quickly bond over having to take care of troublesome children.
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Although she seems to get with Ben at the end, she sadly isn't mentioned in the third movie.
- Doppelgänger Replacement Love Interest: She's played by Amy Yasbeck who played Ben's wife, Flo in the first movie.
- Nice Girl: The only (other than Ben) completely kind and nice person around.
- Parents as People: She does love her daughter and tries her best to keep her in control, if to limited success.
- School Nurse: She's the nurse at Junior's new school.
Trixie Young
Played by: Ivyann Schwann
An even bigger problem child than Junior.
- Always Someone Better: She is even more of an Evil Genius than Junior and that's saying a lot.
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Although the end implies they become a blended family, she and her mother aren't mentioned in the third movie.
- Diabolical Mastermind: Just like Junior. Only smarter, deadlier and faster at fleeing the scene to avoid any repercussions. When Junior followed her to the bathroom to get some payback, Trixie proves to have prepared for what if Junior cornered her which came in handy even after he tricked Trixie into come out of hiding.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Why does she take to give Junior hell whenever they run into each other? Because he popped her balloon and laughed at her when he arrived to town.
- Evil Counterpart: In contrast to Junior who only antagonizes those who mess with him or his dad (i.e. Ben Healy) Trixie is shown to be rather indiscriminate when it comes to antagonizing and messing with anyone who crosses her path.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Like Junior she may be a bratty and obnoxious shit who shows no remorse in antagonizing and pranking those who pissed them off but despite that they have a heart of gold underneath their brattiness and obnoxiousness.
- Pint-Sized Powerhouse: She manages to hogtie a bunch of 6th graders who are bigger than she is with duct tape so as to take over the puppet show.
- Took a Level in Kindness: She at first antagonized Junior, but she befriends him after finding out that they have the same interests (i.e. having single parents and hating Peabody). She worked to save him from getting deported to Iraq by his potential Wicked Stepmother and ultimately becomes his first ever friend he can always rely on.
LaWanda Dumore
Played by: Laraine Newman
The richest woman in Mortville, who intends to make Ben her husband but despises Junior.
- Babysitter from Hell: She threatens Junior with a kitchen knife when Ben isn't around.
- Big Bad: Of the second movie.
- Child Hater: Declares this loudly so as Junior and Trixie sabotage her wedding to marry Ben.
- Entitled to Have You: Decides this upon Ben, to the point she'll do away with Junior completely (even if it means killing him) just to marry Ben.
- Evil Counterpart: In contrast to Annie (who happens to be a Friend to All Children) Lawanda hates children and isn't above sending them to Baghdad, Iraq in order to improve on their behavior. She also married Ben for his looks rather for his personality.
- Has a Type: Apparently, people who look just like Ben are extremely attractive to her.
- Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: She tries to marry Ben in order to send Junior to Baghdad rather than genuine affection and love for both of them.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Gets crushed by the Love-Rock and covered in wedding cake by both Junior and Trixie when they showed up to ruin her wedding.
- May–December Romance: Marries Big Ben at the end despite him being at least 40 years older than her.
- Psychopathic Womanchild: She isn't any more mature than 9-year old Junior, and uses cruel, sadistic tactics to try and get rid of Junior like threatening him with a knife or sending him away to Iraq.
- Serial Spouse: She's had six husbands (all of whom hilariously are portrayed by John Ritter, Ben's actor), and wants to make Ben her seventh.
- Villainous Breakdown: When Trixie shows up to ruin her wedding, she completely loses it.
Rhoda
Played by: Kristina Simonds
Junior's first babysitter who acts like a pig.
- Animal Motifs: Pigs.
- Babysitter from Hell: While she acted nice at first, she forced Junior to let her watch what she wanted to watch on TV while stealing his and Ben's food, then she ignored Junior to just have sex with her boyfriend in Ben's bed.
- Jerkass: Despite being paid good money from Ben to babysit Junior, she revealed herself to be rude and bossy immediately.
- Ms. Fanservice: She slips into a sexy black corset and all the men in the neighborhood watch the projection Junior put out.
- Oblivious to Her Own Description: She's watching a documentary about pigs with explicit narration yet has no idea how much she's acting like a pig herself scarfing down a bunch of snacks and snorting while doing so.
- Villainous Glutton: She's a rude young woman who eats like a pig and even makes pig-like snorting sounds as she does.
Third Movie Only
Tiffany
Played by: Jennifer Ogletree
Junior's crush who is also being courted by three other boys.
- Fille Fatale: She's often seeing using her charms to get what she wants from boys.
- Spoiled Brat: In the end, she turns out to be extremely demanding and haughty, far from Junior's idealized image of her.
Sarah Gray
Played by: Carolyn Lowery
A school therapist who advises Junior to engage in activities with his peers, she's also an object of affection of both Ben and Eugene Phlim.
- Suspiciously Similar Substitute: To Annie.
Duke Phlim
Played by: Brock Pierce
The leader of the local boy scouts' group who is one of Junior's rivals for Tiffany's affections.
- Final Boss: He's the final hurdle in Junior's way in his attempts to receive Tiffany's attention.
- Jerk Jock: A boy scout variation, but he's physically fit and ultra-competetive while also treating Junior like garbage.
Eugene Phlim
Played by: Sherman Howard
The local scoutmaster and Duke's father who sees Ben as a threat towards his attempts to get back with his ex-girlfriend Sarah.
- Competition Freak: He likes to settle disputes in contests of strength, being obsessed with proving himself better than anyone else.
- Jerk Jock: Much like his son, he's much fitter than his rival and also very abusive which leads to tense confrontations with Ben and Sarah.
Blade
Played by: Jake Richardson
The captain of the hockey team and yet another boy who vies for Tiffany's affection which makes him a target of Junior's.
- Asshole Victim: Blade gets his comeuppance at the end for all the abuse he put Junior through, even if he gets hospitalized in the process..
- Disc-One Final Boss: He's the first of the rivals to be taken out by Junior.
- Jerk Jock: A much clearer example than Duke, as he's a hockey player who likes to rough other boys up in and out of the ice rink.
Corky McCullum
Played by: Blake Ewing
A famous child actor who is also interested in Tiffany.
- Disproportionate Retribution: While Corky is competing with Junior for Tiffany's attention, he doesn't actually abuse Junior, but still gets seriously injured as a result of a revenge scheme.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: He's clearly a parody of Macaulay Culkin.
