Melvin Udall

Living... alone, in an upscale New York apartment. Melvin doesn't like his neighbors, considering them a bunch of morons and hippies. The only one he has grown to like is his gay neighbor, Simon.

Profession... author. Melvin's is a best-selling novelist, but ironically for someone who writes romance novels, he's never been in love himself.

Interests... eating where Carol, a waitress, works. The tables are usually dirty, and the place is filled with questionable types. Everyone there except Carol hates him – most days they tell him to never come back.

Relationship Status... single. Carol's the only woman he's had much interest in recently. She might only be a waitress, but Melvin thinks the world of her. As he puts it, "she's the greatest woman on earth...I think most people miss that about her, and I watch them, wondering how they can watch her bring their food, and clear their tables and never get that they just met the greatest woman alive."

Challenge... beating his obsessive-compulsive disorder. Melvin’s doctor says that medicine helps fifty or sixty percent of cases, but he has been against taking the pill for a long time. However, Melvin's been changing since he met Carol, and mostly for the better – perhaps she can help him with this, too.

Personality... misanthropic. He's the kind of guy who never learned to be nice. But Carol and Simon have been good for him, and Melvin's slowly starting to mellow.