Lester Burnham

Living... in an overly decorated house in the suburbs with his teenage daughter Janie and his wife Carolyn. Thanks to Carolyn, they also have a perfectly manicured garden with beautiful American Beauty roses. She prefers to spend time with her roses instead of him.

Profession... former magazine writer. He had his same position for 14 years, but he couldn't take it anymore. So he quit and took a spot with the least possible amount of responsibility – a job flipping burgers.

Interests... lifting weights, smoking pot, and listening to Led Zeppelin. He also likes driving around in his 1970 Pontiac Firebird. It's the car he always wanted. How cool is he?

Relationship Status... married. He and his wife Carolyn used to be happy. But now their relationship is just for show. As Lester says, it's "a commercial for how normal we are, when we're anything but." With his marriage falling apart, he can’t help but have a wandering eye – especially when Janie brings her gorgeous high school friends home.  

Challenge... an extreme midlife crisis. As he says, "I feel like I've been in a coma for the past 20 years. And I'm just now waking up. My wife and daughter think I'm this gigantic loser, and they're right; I have lost something. But it's never too late to get it back."

Personality... angry, insecure, and confused. Actually, those are the words that he uses to describe his teenage daughter, but they apply to Lester too. At least, they did until recently. But maybe this rebirth that he insists he’s undergoing is for real.