Providence (TV Series) - Characters

Characters

• Dr. Sydney "Syd" Hansen (Melina Kanakaredes) – A high-profile plastic surgeon who returns home for her sister's wedding. Unfortunately, her mother died before the ceremony begins. Syd returns to Los Angeles, only to find her boyfriend cheating on her. Ultimately she decides to move back home to Providence to help her family, and she takes a job at a free clinic that she later ends up running. While struggling with her new specialty of family medicine and helping her family, she also tries to rebuild her love life, without much luck until season 5.
• Joan "Joanie" Hansen (Paula Cale) – Sydney's younger sister and single mother of young Hannah. Her mother's death interrupts her wedding and, after giving birth to Hannah, she decides to not marry Hannah's father, Richie. An optimistic woman, Joanie assists her father in his practice until she discovers that her cooking, while unpalatable for humans, is a delicacy for dogs, and she opens a delicatessen bakery for dogs. Her love life, however, is as complicated as her older sister's. Though mostly loyal to her family, Joanie often feels overshadowed by the accomplishments of Syd, and is known to squabble with Syd frequently. Sensing that her parents, especially her father, tend to favor Syd, Joanie decides to take over as her father's caregiver after he survives a near-fatal gunshot to the head. Joanie often makes Syd feel guilty about having her own life and priorities, but as is later learned, it's mainly due to extreme envy. While Joanie admires her sister, she mostly finds herself resenting her.
• Robert "Robbie" Hansen (Seth Peterson) – Syd's younger brother. A charming bad boy who manages a pub and is addicted to betting. After much trouble, he finally settles down when he marries Tina, a divorced mother of one, Pete, and later has a son with her, Nicholas "Nick" Hansen.
• Lynda Hansen (Concetta Tomei) – Sydney, Joanie, and Robbie's overbearing mother. She dies before her pregnant daughter's wedding service, and afterwards appears only to Syd in dreams, giving her (often unsolicited) advice.
• Dr. Jim Hansen (Mike Farrell) – Sydney, Joanie, and Robbie's father. A warm-hearted veterinarian who runs a clinic in his basement and who occasionally relates better to animals than to people.
• Dr. Helen Reynolds (Leslie Silva) – Syd's friend and head of the free clinic in Season 1. Afterwards, she returns to her hometown, leaving the clinic in Sydney's hands.