There are always the players who stand in the wings, helping their little bird soar and fly into their own happily ever after. But they too have complex lives of their own and personalities that sparkle in every scene they’re in. This is a series devoted to our darling scene stealers — the MVPs who are the true unsung heroes of our stories.

Our first entry in this pantheon is Walter (Cameron Rhodes), the butler/tutor/valet/fairy godfather to Prince Thomas of Lavania (Mena Massoud) in The Royal Treatment. At first, Walter seems a wee bit proper in aiding the prince in his upcoming arranged marriage. But soon enough, we see protocol start to fade away, and he becomes the father figure Prince Thomas always wanted and needed to push him to be his best self.

But just how does Walter steal the show? Let’s break it down: 

1. He sets the whole love story in motion.

Walter was minding his business, straying just a tad away from the schedule in order to squeeze in a haircut for the prince’s unruly locks. But instead of calling the most coveted salon in New York City, Le Belle,  his request for Siri to dial “Belle best hair salon in New York” mistakenly leads him to Izzy’s (Laura Marano’s) landline. A man who fumbles with Siri and technology? He’s after our own hearts. But the technical error secures an appointment for Izzy to come and cut the prince’s hair, leading to the meet-cute of the story’s main love interests.

2. He plays matchmaker and has his prince’s best interests at heart.

As soon as he senses his young charge is actually enjoying being in the company of native New Yorker Izzy, Walter swoops into matchmaking action. He drops the hint that Izzy and her pals from Bellissime salon should do the hair and makeup for the royal wedding when the fourth hair and makeup designer suddenly drops out at the last minute. Verbatim, he says that she’s “difficult to book though” and “very popular.” Not necessarily true, but hey, this is a man on a mission with his prince’s contentment front of mind.

3. He is an excellent wingman.

When Izzy arrives in Lavania with her pals, Walter serves as the greeting committee at the castle and shows everyone to their rooms. He pulls Izzy aside, smiling to himself, as he shows her to her private room that is a gift from Prince Thomas. He talks up his charge, telling Izzy that she received her own room because “I believe he’s trying to make amends” for coming off so obnoxious at first. He supports his boy and builds him up even when he’s not around, and for that, he earns his wingman wings.

4. He nails the fist bump — and double fist bump.

Izzy charmingly teaches Walter how to do a fist bump, which she says is for everyday greetings. But she is quick to inform him that double fist bumps are reserved for special occasions. Who doesn’t love teaching the stuffy yet adorable man in their life the latest handshakes and lingo? And when [spoiler] Izzy and Prince Thomas get their happily ever after in the end, Walter dutifully sends up his double-fist-bump salute to cheer them on. What a fast learner.

5. He makes sure everyone gets home safe.

If you’re the designated mom or dad of your friend group, you know that you’re always reminding your friends to tell you they got home alright. Well, Walter is the in-person “will tail you in a Town Car or make sure you have someone with you to ensure your safety” version in The Royal Treatment. When Izzy decides that she wants to go out and explore the nightlife scene in Lavania, he insists that someone accompany her so she doesn’t go out in the dark by herself. And who does he suggest? Well...

6. He wants his charge to have fun.

Prince Thomas, duh. Walter has a real sense of intuition. He knows his boy, and he can gauge how much his young charge yearns to be around Izzy. She challenges him, providing him with substantial conversation rather than the sycophantic chatter he endures at the palace on the daily (constant agreement is vastly overrated). So? Walter feeds two birds with one biscuit: helping his prince have a rollicking good time and ensuring Miss Isabella’s safety. A win-win.

7. Walter knows how to party.

After falling in love with the children who live in the village “across the tracks” in Lavania and taking Prince Thomas’ (and Gandhi’s) advice to be the change she wants to see in the world, Izzy decides to cook a homemade pasta meal for the neighborhood kids. She enlists her best friends and their housekeeper to whip up a storm, all while drinking and dancing around the kitchen. They conga their way right into Walter, who is standing at the door. But instead of being a party pooper, Walter does his own little jig, takes a swig from the bottle and joins right in on the fun. We love a staffer who can mean business when it comes to duties but also party like there’s no tomorrow.

8. He’s loyal to his royal.

Then again, Walter can read a situation like a book. When he compliments Lauren (Phoenix Connolly), Prince Thomas’ bride-to-be, on her wedding dress, she can barely manage a smile. He knows something is up with this whole arranged-marriage thing, but he is still in shock when he looks out the window and sees the prince getting chummy with Izzy in the garden. He knows that Prince Thomas and Izzy have a connection and tries to shield his compromising position from Lauren’s nosy mom, but to not much avail in the end. We wouldn’t say he’s an enabler, but he is, ultimately, covering for his boy, trying to help him follow his heart and figure out what he really wants out of his life. And that’s ride-or-die behavior.

9. He learns from his mistakes and passes the knowledge on.

An important lesson Walter learns is that honesty is the best policy. And if your prince wants an honest confirmation of how ugly his shirt is, you tell him! Instead of just being reverential for royalty’s sake and saying it is “excellent,” Walter has eyes and knows that look is rough. Walter also comes to realize that duty shouldn’t always come first, giving Prince Thomas some much-needed real talk to shake the burdens his parents have placed on him, because...

10. He knows true love for himself.

Walter has regrets about the road he chose to walk in life. He is grateful to have risen to such an esteemed position and to have left his small village for a glorious opportunity to start tutoring the prince since he was a naughty three-year-old. But as a result, Walter had to leave his dear love Richard behind, and it pains him to this day. He does not want Prince Thomas to make the same mistake, so Walter advises him not to get married to Lauren. No one else would have had the courage to give it this straight to Thomas, which makes Walter the brightest gem of our story.

11. He teaches the prince to break free from his parents’ shackles.

The only reason Prince Thomas was marrying Lauren, whom he barely knew, was because his father and stepmother were penniless and Lauren’s family was loaded. It’s the 21st century, and how fair is it for his parents to lay all that pressure on him? Well, Walter is not having it and says that they are grown adults who got themselves into this financial mess. The prince’s life isn’t the price to pay to solve their problems, and they can fix it without sacrificing their son. Hear, hear!

12. He knows real love when he sees it. 

Once Walter knocks some sense into Prince Thomas, the royal can’t help but doubt whether Izzy loves him in return. After all, she’d been fired after their relationship was exaggerated in the tabloids and had left after he’d begged her to stay. But Walter is a romantic and assures him that he knows real love when he sees it. Like Westley says in The Princess Bride, “This is true love. Do you think this happens every day?” It certainly does not. So when Prince Thomas goes to New York to sweep Izzy off her feet and win her back, who’s there tailing him in a limo? His ultimate support system: our MVP, Walter.

13. Plain and simple: He’s the cute, cheery cherub of an uncle you always wanted in your life, OK?

To sum it up, folks, Walter is the adorable man you want on your team. He lifts you up and grows to become a better version of himself along the way. While he’s not necessarily the main character of The Royal Treatment, he sure does save the day and go on a hero’s journey in his own right. Let’s put it this way: Would we have gotten our happy ending without him? Yeah, I don’t think so.