ESTELLE - thirty-five going on forty-five. Sophisticaled, beautiful, well dressed, well spoken, well heeled. A consummate actress, on stage and off - in fact, she's never off. Feelings shown would seldom be her real ones - if she has any real ones.
MARTY - forty-five. Working on almost as many ulcers. A pathological achiever. A successful businessman, but you would never know it by his attitude toward himself or others. Terribly hard-nosed and to the point, but not obnoxious in any way. The kind of roll-up-the-white-sleeves, get-down-to-business, pushy manner that passes for nice in New York.
TED - thirty-five to forty. The polar opposite of Marty. Terribly insecure, self-decrecatory, and almost an emotional parasite. Alcoholic, or so close to it he might as well be. A burden to himself and his friends, and yet there is still something - something way down that makes him likeable. A fine sense of humor has survived, and there's still a bit of sparkle left in the eyes - just abit, and not always.
MARGE - thirty-five to forty-five. A two fisted New York businesswoman with a mouth like a sailor. Very aggresive, very quick - scares off men, animals, and trucks when she wants to. The kind of person who freely finishes your sentences for you. All this, but with a proverbial heart of gold. She has preserved her calm, warm side as well - but uses it sparingly, to say the least.