List of What I Like About You characters

=The Tyler Sisters=

Holly Ann Tyler

The character of Holly Tyler is portrayed by Amanda Bynes. Holly is an unpredictable, somewhat in-your-face teenage girl who is adorable, high-spirited, and spunky. She unwittingly and unintentionally caused chaos but became a little more mature as the series progressed. In the first season Holly says that she does whatever pops into her head, and she was like a monkey. When her father accepts a job in Japan, Holly adamantly wants to stay in the United States, so her father agrees to let her live with her older sister Valerie. She manages to turn Valerie's neat and orderly life upside down and inside out from the moment she first moves in her sister's apartment. Holly tries to prove herself a perfect roommate and Valerie is always there for her to help her or teach her a lesson. Holly dated Henry Gibson for nearly a year but her feelings for Vince complicated matters and the two broke up.

The Holly/Vince/Henry love triangle came to a head when both boys kissed Holly before she went on her summer internship to Paris, she had to pick one of the two. After she came back from Paris, Holly had a new boyfriend, Ben, whom she met while he performed in a pub in Britain and brought home with her. The two were together for six months but she blew things when she told Ben "I love you, Vince" by accident. Looking for answers, Holly visits Henry at Princeton, and learns from Henry that she looks for other guys when one relationship doesn't work out (in both Henry's and Ben's cases, it was Vince). She and Vince finally became a couple in season four, only to break up because Vince's co-worker at a real estate agency, Robyn, wanted him (see below). Holly and Vince eventually became a couple again in the series finale.

Valerie Kelly "Val" Tyler-Meladeo

The character of Valerie Tyler (commonly referred to as Val) was portrayed by Jennie Garth. Valerie is a taskmaster who plans everything to the last detail. Initially, she worked for a public relations firm called Harper & Diggs. Her first boyfriend during the series was Jeff, whom she dated for a year until he revealed that he didn't want to get married. After their breakup, Val had started developing feelings for her boss Vic. Nothing happened between the two but she did end up having mixed feelings about her new boss Peter. Before a relationship could develop between the two, Peter left for France and disappeared with no explanation. Around that time, she quit Harper & Diggs to start her own public relations firm with co-worker/friend Lauren.

She later reunited with Rick played by Edward Kerr, her old high school boyfriend who was engaged to Julie, who had nothing in common with Rick. The day of their wedding, Rick bailed from the ceremony realizing he had feelings for Val. They got engaged only to not go through with the wedding after finding Rick had commitment fears. She bought a bakery after finding out her PR business fell apart thanks to Lauren. After a drunken night, she found out she was married to Vic. They eventually got married for real after finding out their first wedding wasn't valid. Her best friend is Lauren. Her middle and last name Kelly Tyler is similar to Kelly Taylor, which was the character that Garth portrayed in "Beverly Hills, 90210".

Other Main Characters

Gary Johann Thorpe

The character of Gary Thorpe was portrayed by Wesley Jonathan. Gary is Holly's best friend during the series and eventually became best friends with Vince during the later seasons. Also in the first couple of seasons, Gary was somewhat of a plain-clothes nerd, even having unusual conspiracy theories such as thinking the pyramids were spaceships and that Stonehenge was one rock with lots of mirrors. As the series progressed, Gary went from a slightly geeky to a more cooler self. He moved in with Vince sometime between the second and third seasons. His first job was in a copying store where he got Holly a job.

His first serious girlfriend was Jill, the assistant to a millionaire businessman. The two dated for a year, only for Jill to leave for Paris. It was later revealed she lied about going to Paris just to break up with him. During the course of the series, Gary had mixed feelings about Tina, hating her sometimes and being attracted to her other times. This culminated in a kiss between the two which shocked them both. The two became a couple in the series finale.

Vince

The character of Vince was portrayed by Nick Zano during seasons two through four. Vince is the older friend-turned-love interest-turned-boyfriend of Holly. Vince was a bike messenger who became friends with Holly between the end of the first and the beginning of the second season. One time, when Vince and Holly went out for coffee as he was attempting to fix a barbecue with Holly assisting him, Vince attempted to get a splinter out of Holly's finger and in order to make her feel comfortable while taking it out, he tells a fake story about a scar that was left on his knee when he got shot while delivering a package claiming the bullet from the gun fired went in through his neck and came out his knee (the scar actually happened when he was cooking a grilled cheese sandwich naked). While telling the story, he managed to take out the splinter without incident. That night, Holly and Vince fell asleep on the loft terrace which caused Holly to develop feelings for Vince she didn't want because she was dating Henry at the time.

Vince eventually found out and sparks began flying between the two. When Holly announced that Henry had moved on with another girl after their breakup, Holly gave Vince the all-clear to go into a relationship, only to find out Vince slept with a female friend of his. He began trying to win Holly's heart after his mistake and joined Holly when she left for a summer internship in Paris. When Vince found out that Holly had started dating musician Ben, he became jealous of him and repeatedly uttered that Holly should break up with Ben. When Holly and Ben broke up, Vince got another chance to get together with Holly until she found out that he and Holly's other friend Tina slept together the night before Val's wedding to Rick. Holly and Vince attempted to reestablish some sort of relationship. After Holly attempts to win back Vince by stowing away in his car to Florida, he took along his ex Rikki. After she confessed her feelings to him, Vince and Holly became a couple. Their relationship lasted for most of the fourth season until his boss and company president's daughter, Robyn at his new job as a real estate agent began a plot to steal Vince away from Holly. Not believing Holly's story, they broke up but when Vince found out that Holly's suspicions were true, he attempted to win Holly back but changed his mind and decided to take a job in Chicago, only to change his mind again and surprise Holly at Val's wedding becoming a couple once more.

Lauren

The character of Lauren was portrayed by Leslie Grossman during seasons 2-4, recurring from season 1. Lauren is Val's friend and co-worker who led quite an unusual life. She joined the New York office of Harper & Diggs after moving from Chicago. She started off as a rival of Valerie's for a promotion, attempting to schmooze Vic any way she could. When Val convinced Holly to come up with a plot to keep Lauren from getting the promotion, she finds out that Lauren had once gotten arrested for knocking over a laundromat after being convinced by her boyfriend at the time. Later on, it was revealed that Lauren was a size 16 in the fourth grade and was teased by classmates for being "big-boned and jelly-like." Lauren has had so-so luck with relationships. She dated and got engaged to a doctor but their engagement was broken off when he caught Lauren rolling in a pile of cash which belonged to Holly.

She later had a relationship with Val's ex-fianceé Rick (who was married to his ex Julie) which started off as an online affair. Nevertheless, they were shocked when they found out they were corresponding with each other romantically online. While making love to Rick, he had a heart attack which after the incident occurred, Lauren confessed her affair with Rick to Val. She eventually became romantically involved with Marcus, a friend of Vic's who is a firefighter as well.

Tina Haven

The character of Tina Haven was portrayed by Allison Munn. Tina, much like Lauren, has a bit of trouble with relationships. Tina has a reputation for sleeping with guys but stresses she's "not a slut." She and Holly met when Val was trying to attract Tina's mother Judith, a child psychologist and author, as a client for her PR firm. She figured it would be a good idea for Holly and Tina to meet. During their meeting, Tina was caught by Judith with a bag with a pregnancy test (the test turned out negative). Holly stuck up for Tina claiming the test was hers. The two became best friends with a few bumps along the way.

Tina had a crush on her boss at a veterinarian's office where she was an assistant. She then found out that her boss and his separated wife got back together but that didn't stop her from still liking him. The night before Val's wedding to Rick, a heartbroken Tina (after getting involved in a whip cream fight with Vince) kissed and later slept with Vince. They attempted to keep the incident a secret but Tina accidentally blurted out the secret which temporarily damaged her friendship with Holly. They eventually made up and became friends again. Tina managed to find a boyfriend in Officer Rubin, a police officer for the NYPD. During the course of the series, Tina had mixed feelings about Gary, hating him sometimes and being attracted to him other times. This culminated in a kiss between the two which shocked them both. The two got together in the series finale. Tina has also been portrayed to have a talent in singing, as shown in a few episodes like the season finale and jazz night.

Vic Meladeo

The character of Vic Meladeo was portrayed by Dan Cortese during season 4, recurring from season 1. Vic started as the new boss at Harper & Diggs, the public relations firm where Val worked. After Val broke up with Jeff, she developed some unwanted feelings for Vic, which led to the two almost kissing, news Holly accidentally spread around the office. Then, when Val talks to Vic about the kiss, they end up kissing for real, but a relationship never happens.

Three years after leaving Harper & Diggs, Val reunited with Vic in Atlantic City, where after a night of heavy drinking, they got married in a wedding chapel. Val finds out that Vic became a firefighter. Val at first was not keen on the idea of being married to Vic, but her feelings for him softened as the fourth season progressed. They finally kissed on Thanksgiving Day, the day that Val and Rick's wedding fell apart.

After finding out while watching the news that their marriage was invalid because the minister/Elvis impersonator that married them wasn't an ordained minister, Val and Vic decided to get married for real. Initially, they were going to get married at City Hall but eventually decided on a real wedding in a church. After a search for a criminal delays Val and Holly leaving a spa and getting to the church on time, they managed to make it to the church and got married then and there.

Jeff Campbell

The character of Jeff, Val's first boyfriend during the series was portrayed by Simon Rex during season 1. Jeff was the manager of his father's restaurant early on in the series eventually becoming the manager of the restaurant B-91, where Holly, Gary and Henry hung out at near the end of the first season. Jeff and Val were in a relationship for about a year until Jeff revealed his feelings about marriage to Valerie after a date on Valentine's Day, which Val (thanks to Holly) mistakenly thought that Jeff was going to propose to her. The two broke up but that wasn't the last time they would get together.

One night, after Val explained to Holly why it is important to wait until she's emotionally ready to have sex and that "sex is not a game", Val and Jeff slept together, which Holly saw as being hypocritical of what Val told her. It was afterwards that Val decided it would be best that they not see each other anymore until they could "do it without doing it."

Henry Gibson

The character of Henry Gibson was portrayed by Michael McMillian during season 2, recurring in season 1. Henry was Holly's first boyfriend and first love. Holly and Val met Henry in a men's bathroom at B-91 during a girls' night out where Val, playing wingman for Holly to attract a guy Holly liked named Hunter, is kissed by Hunter. Distraught, Holly tries to escape Val in the men's bathroom only for Val to follow her in there. There, Henry almost uses the bathroom in front of them during Holly and Val's conversation. Val attempts to mend Holly's broken heart by having her meet Henry. Henry convinced Holly to go on a date with him on Valentine's Day with Gary and his girlfriend Jill. During the date, Henry managed to impress Holly with his hypothesis of what he would do if he proposed marriage to her (he said he would like to propose to Holly at a dump, so when she felt sad, he could remind her of the event to cheer her up). The two became a couple.

Henry began feeling jealous of Holly's friend Vince, which Holly explained that he shouldn't be jealous of which caused her to blurt out (and eventually take back) an "I love you." Henry broke up with Holly when he found out that she had feelings for Vince. He eventually moved on with a girl named Kate. They broke up when Kate questioned Henry about his feelings for Holly after they overhear Holly and Valerie fighting which Val brings up her feelings for both Henry and Vince. Henry kissed Holly twice before her summer trip to Paris. He waited the summer for Holly, hoping he could win her back only to find out she moved on from both Henry and Vince with Ben, a musician from Britain. He eventually left for Princeton and dated a girl ironically named Holly.

Ben Sheffield

The character of Ben Sheffield was portrayed by David de Lautour during season 3. Ben Sheffield was Holly's British boyfriend for most of the third season. Ben and Holly met when he was performing his music in a pub in England where Holly traveled during her summer in Paris where she was supposed to be a tour guide. Sparks flew and soon after, Ben joined Holly on a flight to New York. Despite their relationship, they never had sex as mentioned in a couple of episodes.

When Henry and Vince saw Holly kissing Ben at the airport, they were nevertheless shocked. Ben and Holly broke up after only six months together after Holly accidentally says "I love you too, Vince" instead of "I love you too, Ben." After the breakup, he wrote a song about their breakup called "Holly Tyler Sucks" which Holly wasn't fond of. The two remained friends despite their breakup. Ben disappeared without a trace after the third season and was never mentioned again.

Peter

The character of Peter was portrayed by Stephen Dunham during the first half of season 2. Peter took over as Val's boss at Harper & Diggs, and Val had some mixed feelings about him. After being pushed by Holly, Val went on a date with Peter, only to find out that he had an affair with his friend's wife which sealed Val's decision to not embark on a relationship with Peter. As the first half of season two progressed, Val started falling for Peter a bit. He disappeared with the only explanation being he was going on a business trip to Europe, never being mentioned again.

Recurring Characters

Arranged by the number of episodes in which they appeared:
*Edward Kerr as Rick (seasons 2-4)- Val's boyfriend/fiance until he reveals that he's commitment phobic the day of their wedding.
*Anicka Haywood as Jill (seasons 1-2)- Gary's girlfriend until she lies about going to Paris to break up with him.
*Sara Erikson as Robyn Marquette (season 4)- The woman that Vince works for in the fourth season. Holly breaks up with Vince because she thinks that Robyn is after Vince and Vince doesn't believe her. He eventually figures out that Holly is right and they get together in the series finale.
*Danneel Harris as Kate (season 2)
*Luke Perry as Todd (season 3)- A plumber who went to Val's high school and they had a one-night stand. They have a very brief relationship in the third season. When Val gets drunk, she thinks that she married Todd at first, until she figures out she actually married Vic.
*Scott N. Stevens as Dave (season 3)
*Ken Marino as Brad (season 3)
*Minka Kelly as Ricki (seasons 3-4)
*Tamyra Gray as Danielle Johnson/Dulay - A dance major at NYU who is friends with Tina and starts dating Gary. After performing Tina Turner's 'Pround Mary,' Holly decides to become a talent manager with Danille as her first client. However, she is signed by a major label instead.
*Barry Bostwick as Jack Tyler (season 4; in "Pilot" Mr. Tyler was played by Peter Scolari)- Holly and Val's father who moves to Japan, leaving Holly in the care of Val. In the fourth season, he comes back and tells the girls that he's gay. He tells Val that she and Vic are in love and that she should go after him.
*Scott Weinger as Rubin (season 4)- Very briefly Tina's boyfriend until she gets together with Gary.
*Mark Weiler as Marcus (season 4)- Vic's fire station buddy.
*Jason Priestley as Charlie (season 4)- A stalker who goes out with Val when Val is trying to make Vic jealous. Charlie proposes on the first day they meet and Val eventually gets rid of Charlie when she tells him that she and Vic are married.