Felix Unger (or Ungar) was one of the principal characters in Neil Simon's play The Odd Couple. Felix was portrayed in the play by Art Carney, in the film by Jack Lemmon, and in the television series by Tony Randall.
Character overview
Felix is a divorced, middle-aged man who shares a Manhattan apartment with his friend Oscar Madison. He is a compulsive neat freak, who can always be counted on to constantly clean the apartment, as well as a hypochondriac who always has a stash of vitamins and medications nearby. Felix was originally an unseen character in Simon's first play, Come Blow Your Horn. In the play and film, Felix is employed as a television news writer; on the TV series, he works as a commercial photographer. He has two children (named Leonard and Edna on the TV series) and maintains genial relations with his ex-wife (named Frances in the play and film, and Gloria on the series). In 1982-1983, ABC aired The New Odd Couple, a remake of the television series with African-American actors in the two leading roles. Felix was portrayed by Ron Glass. In 1985, a Broadway revival changed the lead characters to women. Felix's female counterpart, Florence Unger, was portrayed by Sally Struthers. In 1993, Tony Randall reprised his role as Felix in the TV-movie The Odd Couple: Together Again with TV series co-star Jack Klugman. In the film, Felix tries to help Oscar as he recovers from throat cancer. He also becomes overly involved in Edna's upcoming wedding, much to her and Gloria's dismay. A 2005 Broadway revival of the play featured Matthew Broderick as Felix.
Spelling
The play and the film both spell his name "Ungar", while the television series spells it "Unger".
