13 strong female characters on television who have inspired us to achieve our dreams
Strong female characters on our television screens inspire us and show us that, no matter your upbringing, career path or the cards the universe has dealt you, females have an undeniable strength to pull through and make the best of their situation and then some.
Sometimes these characters echo our own lives and can be a little too close to home, whether it be young single mother Alex (played by the incredibly talented Margaret Qualley) navigating life after escaping domestic violence with her daughter in Netflix's Maid or mother-of-three Rebecca Pearson who navigates motherhood through grief, love and life's biggest milestones and challenges in This Is Us. Honestly, these women are incredible. Other strong female characters in television give us that extra push to achieve our wildest dreams. I mean, if Beth Harmon in The Queen's Gambit can do it, so can we. And if JJ from Criminal Minds has taught us anything, it's that no one messes with us (or we'll kick your butt).
“It's like having a superpower”
Other times, we don't necessarily have to relate to what we see on screen, as the best female characters on television are purely great escapism. Just think of Wednesday Addams, Schitt's Creek icon Moira Rose and Eleven from Stranger Things. All these women are strong, intelligent, confident in their abilities, and utterly different from each other. But what brings them all together is their emotional power, toughness and resilience.
So, if you want some inspo, or are just looking for an incredible new character to be obsessed with, here are our top thirteen strong female characters on our television screens.
RICARDO HUBBS/NETFLIXAlex from Maid, 2021
Played by: Margaret Qualley
Character: We rooted for her, and our hearts broke for Alex as she navigated escaping domestic violence, all with a young child and having a severe lack of parental support and guidance. It seemed as if the world was out to get her as she moved from shelter to shelter, stayed at supposed friends' houses who took advantage of her, relied on irregular government assistance, and even had her toxic ex frequently return to turn her life upside down once again. But working as a maid scrubbing the floors of her town's wealthiest residents, Alex persevered through her desire to provide the best life for her daughter while also ensuring to realise her dreams as a writer.
Best line: "They don't know what it took to get here. Three hundred and thirty-eight toilets cleaned, seven types of government assistance, nine separate moves, one night on the ferry station floor and the entire third year of my daughter's life."
© 2022 Netflix, Inc.Wednesday Addams from Wednesday, 2022
Played by: Jenna Ortega
Character: Strong women don't have to be sunshine and roses all the time. Just think about Wednesday Addams, who, despite her dead-pan expressions and love for everything dark, still went out of her way to get to the bottom of a killing spree to save the students at Nevermore Academy, all with the help of her emerging psychic ability.
Best line: "I find social media to be a soul-sucking void of meaningless affirmation."
Moira Rose from Schitt's Creek, 2015-2020
Played by: Catherine O'Hara
Character: As one of the most flamboyant, impeccably dressed and hilarious characters on our list, Moira Rose deserves a massive mention as one of the strongest women in television. While her witty one-liners always hinted at her not enjoying the company of her grown children, we all knew throughout the sitcom's six seasons that her love for them was truly unbreakable. I mean, who else could help navigate their children's hardship when leaving their wealthy city lifestyles behind and starting over in a tiny little town called Schitt's Creek? Only Moira!
Best line: "I'm afraid you and I have arrived at an awkward moment in our parent-child relationship. It seems that there are some nude photographs of me on the internet, and I would like you to search for them."
Courtesy of NetflixEleven from Stranger Things, 2016-ongoing
Played by: Millie Bobby Brown
Character: Imagine being a teenager, and amongst your usual angst, having the burden of saving yourself, your friends and the city of Hawkins with your telekinesis powers from the horror of the Upside Down and terrifying villainous creatures such as Vecna. Yes, that requires some strength right there.
Best line: "Friends don't lie."
Nicole WilderOlivia Pope from Scandal, 2012-2018
Played by: Kerry Washington
Character: Olivia Pope is truly brilliant, intelligent and successful, and for that reason alone, we adore her. But she is also a political pro who can solve any career-ruining problems with her Washington, D.C.-based firm, Olivia Pope & Associates (OPA). Any person who focuses on solving a problem is a star in our eyes!
Best line: "If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. But you have to try because if you try, if you leap and you try, and it doesn't work out, it's not on you."
HBOMare Sheehan from Mare of Eastttown, 2021
Played by: Kate Winslet
Character: A lot of times, our strengths lie in our flaws, and small-town Pennsylvania detective Mare Sheehan is the epitome of resilience as she tries to hold her life together following the tragic suicide of her teenage son, all while trying to solve a murder and a missing persons case plaguing their tight-knit town.
Best line: “Doing something great is overrated. Because then people expect that from you all the time. What they don’t realise is you’re just as screwed up as they are.”
PHIL BRAY/NETFLIXBeth Harmon from The Queen's Gambit, 2020
Played by: Anya Taylor-Joy
Character: Having a rough start in life does not deter you from earning tremendous success later on. Just ask Beth Harmon, who didn't take the multiple no's directed her lightly and effortlessly went on to take over the male-dominated chess world. What an icon!
Best line: "It's much easier to play chess without the burden of an Adam's apple."
DisneyJJ from Criminal Minds, 2005-ongoing
Played by: A. J. Cook.
Character: Fans of the long-running series Criminal Minds have watched Jennifer "JJ" Jareau grow up from her role as a former liaison with police and media officials to an official profiler with the BAU while also getting married and becoming a mother. Always dedicated to her mainly male-dominated job, JJ has had some powerful, action-packed moments when it comes to putting away the bad guys, and in particular, she doesn't mess around when it comes to her young sons being in danger. Season seven saw her in one of the most bada*** fight scenes with a female unsub after finding out she has been at her house with her little boy Henry. On many other occasions, she's had to separate her emotions as a mother for the greater good of the public.
Best line: "I wish psychopathic killers would be a little more respectful of our weekends too."
© 2022 Netflix, Inc.Georgia from Ginny and Georgia, 2021-ongoing
Played by: Brianne Howey
Character: Okay, she might not make the best decisions in life (i.e., murder, fraud, excessive lying), but it's super clear to us that everything she does, she does it for her teenage daughter and as a single mother, who didn't get the best start in life, she doesn't want her to go through all the hardships she went through in life. So, we can only commend her efforts.
Best line: "Love is a lot of things, Maxine. Safe isn't one of them."
Sophie GiraudJune Osborne from The Handmaid's Tale, 2017-ongoing
Played by: Elisabeth Moss
Character: Forced to endure emotional and physical abuse as a Handmaid in the new totalitarian society of Gilead, June takes it upon herself to protect and guide her fellow women in need despite being brutally separated from her husband and daughter. We got the most empowering, tear-jerking chills when she organised "Angels Flight", a plane carrying 86 children and Martha's to cross into the safety of Canada, and if that isn't the definition of being a true hero, we don't know what is.
Best line: "You will never be free of me. You will never be free of me until both my children are safe."
Craig BlankenhornMabel from Only Murders in the Building, 2021-ongoing
Played by: Selena Gomez
Character: Being the prime suspect in a hugely publicised murder investigation isn't for the faint-hearted, and we have adored how Mabel has handled her less-than-normal life with thick skin and sarcastic wit while residing at the Arconia building in New York. But every woman needs a great support system during tumultuous times, and we love that she has found that in her partners in crime, Charles and Oliver.
Best line: "Women who knock rarely make history."
NBCRebecca Pearson from This Is Us, 2016-2022
Played by: Mandy Moore
Character: During the six-season run of This Is Us, Rebecca Pearson became the ultimate television mother. Warm, compassionate, funny, cool, understanding and loyal. But she was also fiercely strong in the face of adversity, ensuring to handle her grief, shock and unplanned redirection in life following the sudden passing of her husband, Jack, in the most gracious of manners while looking after three exceptional children. We laughed and made our way through multiple boxes of tissues as Rebecca grew up through the ages before taking her final breath in her bed after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. What an exemplary woman!
Best line: "It's so strange, isn't it? How, just like that, a complete stranger can become such a big part of your story. It's actually kind of terrifying, you know? How a single cross with one person you've never met can change everything."
Mitch HaasethAnnalise Keating from How To Get Away With Murder, 2014-2020
Played by: Viola Davis
Character: Okay, question to all those who attended law school. Did your law professor teach you how to literally get away with murder? Okay, maybe not, but hot-shot lawyer Annalise Keating was strength personified as she taught her students how to use the same cunning skills she picked up in the courtroom to apply them in the field for themselves.
Best line: "Whatever you say to the police can and will be misconstrued to support the prosecution. So when in doubt, shut your mouth."
