The best characters from Christopher Guest mockumentaries

The story of lower-level athletic mascots competing for the World Mascot Association championship's Gold Fluffy Award hit Netflix in 2016. Owen (Tom Bennett) is a third-generation English football mascot Sid the Hedgehog. After losing a testicle during a skateboard accident, Owen is determined to make his father, Owen Jolly Sr. (Jim Piddock, who co-wrote the movie with Guest), proud and resorts to a potentially dangerous routine to make that happen.

Christopher Moynihan has been an underrated staple of Guest's mockumentaries. One of his most noteworthy and extensive performances came as a well-meaning but somewhat misguided real estate appraiser who moonlights as "Jack the Plumber," mascot of Beaumont College in Modesto, Calif. Jack's performance at the World Mascot Association championship event is perhaps the highlight of the film.

For Your Consideration follows the making of the promising period piece Home for Purim (later changed to Home for Thanksgiving). Whitney Taylor Brown (Jennifer Coolidge) is a producer of the film. Her money, in part, came from her family's business, Brown Diaper Service. She also dislikes being filmed from behind and is very picky and opinionated about the film's movie posters.  

Christopher Guest made a movie about folk music that was highly entertaining. It helped that his cast of mockumentary regulars was there to help. The fun began when folk music producer/manager icon Irving Steinbloom died, and his family decided to stage a tribute concert with his most popular acts. One of those groups was The New Main Street Singer, with Terry Bohner (John Michael Higgins) at the forefront. The happy-go-lucky Bohner endured "musical abuse" as a child from his parents, who made him listen to The Main Street Singers. Along with his former adult-film star wife Laurie (Jane Lynch), Terry co-founded the Witches in Nature's Colors (WINC) religious order.

In celebration of Blaine, Mo.'s 150th anniversary, the town is making a stage play about its history at the local high school. The cast consisted of town citizens, notably Ron (Fred Willard) and Sheila (Catherine O'Hara) Albertson. The couple thought they were the class of the cast; in reality, they were mediocre at best. However, following the performance, the Albertsons tried their luck in Hollywood and landed work as extras. 

Among all the memorable characters from Guest's classic Best in Show, Pepper (played by Guest) is the most reserved. He's also quite the renaissance man. In addition to showing his prized bloodhound Hubert at the famed Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show, Harlan runs a bait and tackle fishing store, is an expert on the subject of nuts, and dabbles in the age-old art of ventriloquism, which has actually become somewhat a passion for the mild-mannered Southern gentleman. 

Another special moment from John Michael Higgins. As the publicist for Home for Purim (then Home for Thanksgiving), Corey Taft is steadfast in propping up those in the film for some Oscar love. He's also a nuisance, does not have much knowledge of the internet, and used to work on The Jerry Jeckle Show. 

Harry Shearer is superb as Victor Allan Miller, who has enjoyed some modest success as a stage actor but is best known for playing a wiener in a famous hot dog commercial. However, after four decades in the business, Victor might finally be rewarded for his efforts while earning Academy Award buzz as the male lead in Home for Purim (eventually changed to Home for Thanksgiving). It's easy to root for someone like Miller.

Larry Miller's time in Best in Show is brief, but it also happens to be one of the lasting moments of the movie. Max is an old friend and lover of Cookie Fleck, who still seems to have a thing for her. He's a hostage negotiator in the greater Akron, Ohio, area, and by all accounts, not a very good one. 

The female lead in Home for Purim (then known as Home for Thanksgiving). Like Victor Allen Miller, Marilyn (Catherine O'Hara) is a veteran actor whose claim to fame was playing a blind prostıtute, looking to be appreciated by her Hollywood colleagues. Longing for that acceptance, Hack buys into the Oscar buzz her role as a dying family matriarch has generated. She might be a bit self-absorbed and doesn't listen to those talking to her, but Marilyn just wants to be loved.

The late Fred Willard left his mark as a stand-out regular in Guest's films. His Mike LaFontaine is a former actor turned manager of The New Main Street Singers. Mike is far from politically correct and likes to spew his once somewhat recognized acting catchphrase, "Hey, wha' happened?"

One of Irving Steinbloom's most popular acts was The Folksmen. In reality, it's a folk version of Spinal Tap, considering the actors that made up the legendary fictional heavy metal band — Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer — transformed into Alan Barrows, Jerry Palter, and Mark Shubb, respectively, for A Mighty Wind. The reunion of the band, known for its hit "Old Joe's Place," is one of the film's highlights and a coming-out party for Shubb.

Meg Swan (Parker Posey) might be the most annoying character in Guest's mockumentary universe. Coupled with obsessive-compulsive, lactose-intolerant husband Hamilton (Michael Hitchcock), they're a match made in yuppie, neurotic comedy heaven. The Swans are not likable. They love Starbucks, J.Crew, and blame their dog, Beatrice, for any marital issues. 

Arguably the most popular and beloved act under the direction of Irving Steinbloom, Mitch (Eugene Levy) and Mickey (Catherine O'Hara) were the darlings of the folk scene back in the day. Though their off-stage relationship could be volatile at times, their music was special — most notably, their hit "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow," which was known for their actual kiss at the end of the song. In real life, the song was nominated for an Academy Award.

The trainer and handler of standard poodle Rhapsody in White, the two-time best-in-show champion at the Mayflower. Cummings (brilliantly portrayed by Jane Lynch) is a stern taskmaster. She's driven, cocky, and expects nothing less from Rhapsody, a.k.a. "Butch," and those around her. Rather surprising, however, is her relationship with the dog's owner, Sherri Ann Cabot (Jennifer Coolidge). Together, they give the event an intriguing subplot.

The unsung hero of Blaine's 150th-anniversary celebration stage play was local dentist Allan Pearl (Eugene Levy). Sure, he might be a little nerdy and socially awkward, but Dr. Pearl's theatrical talent comes out of nowhere to make the pedestrian performance more entertaining. It also lit a fire under Allan to see if he could make a living out of entertaining people in public. Of course, his singing still needs a little work. 

More greatness from Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara. The pair star as a middle-class Florida couple who show their underdog Norwich terrier, Winky. The Flecks are rather opposites. Cookie (O'Hara) handles Winky and has gone through plenty of guys before settling down with Gerry, a lovable, friendly nerdy type who isn't fond of his wife's promiscuous past and happens to literally have two left feet.

We've highlighted the work of John Michael Higgins already on this list, but his turn as the flamboyantly confident Shih Tzu owner and Mayflower contestant Scott Donlan, along with partner Stefan Vanderhoof (Michael McKean), offered many lasting images. Whether his randy banter, his over-the-top fashion sense, or unforgettable prancing on the show floor, Scott is something to behold.

Christopher Guest didn't limit his brilliance to directing. Broadway-obsessed Corky was tabbed to direct Blaine's 150th-anniversary play, and he treated it as if a Tony Award was on the line. Actually, the casually flamboyant and overly dramatic Mr. St. Clair hoped the play would be such a hit that invited guest and Broadway producer Mort Guffman would bring it to New York. Corky's over-the-top nature is also on display with a cameo in Mascots. 

As we've seen, Fred Willard managed to stand out in just about all of Guest's mockumentaries. However, there's arguably none greater than his take as the television host of the Mayflower Kennel Dog Show. Joined by analyst and purebred-dog expert Trevor Beckwith (Jim Piddock), Laughlin is comically crass (having fun with the word Shih Tzu) and inquisitive (asking contestants to bribe the judges). He likes to brag about his physical strength and wonders why the hounds don't follow the Sherlock Holmes dress style. Simply put, Buck Laughlin is a fictitious national treasure.