“And the award for Best Supporting Actor goes to ….” We need our leading man and lady, but where would Scarlett O’Hara be without Mammy? (Hattie McDaniel won the Oscar that year). Without Mammy to lay down the law, Scarlett would have nothing to rebel against, so how would we get to know her feisty side? Luke Skywalker needs Han Solo for contrast and conflict. Romance is a genre built on characters. Boy meets girl (usually) and the story revolves around their relationship, but we need family, friends, enemies, and even strangers for them to play off if we want to get to know their true personalities. There’s a reason superheroes have sidekicks. The best friend who encourages the heroine to take a chance is a staple, but sometimes the friend instead urges caution and the heroine must convince her or even defy her. Either way, we get conflict and contrast, a sounding board. Perhaps our heroine must stand up to a controlling mother, or make up for a distant one, and that shape