The Fugitive (film)/Characters

This list contains characters from both The Fugitive and U.S. Marshals.

The Kimbles

Dr. Richard Kimble

Appears in: The Fugitive

Portrayed by: Harrison Ford

A respected vascular surgeon who is framed for the murder of his wife and sent to prison on death row. When the the prison bus he is on crashes, Kimble escapes and runs to Chicago to clear his name.

• Clear My Name: Kimble’s motivation is to clear his name for his wife’s death.
• Happily Married: With Helen.
• Nice Guy: Kimble goes out of his way to save people, even when it doesn’t benefit him. In fact, he almost get caught when he corrects a young boy’s diagnosis.
• Non-Action Guy: Kimble is not experienced with combat, and instead uses his intellect.

Helen Kimble

Appears in: The Fugitive

Portrayed by: Sela Ward

Richard’s wife.

• Happily Married: With Richard.
• Nice Girl
• Posthumous Character
• Small Role, Big Impact: Her death at the hands of Sykes and subsequent 911 call accidentally frames Richard for her murder when the call is misinterpreted.

Chicago Hospital and Devlin MacGregor

Dr. Ann Eastman

Appears in: The Fugitive

Portrayed by: Julianne Moore

Dr. Charles Nichols

Appears in: The Fugitive

Portrayed by: Jerome Krabbe

A doctor at the Chicago hospital, and Kimble’s closest ally.

• Brutally Honest: Nichols tells Gerard that Kimble did come to him, he has no ide where he is, and he will never catch Kimble.
• Nice Guy: Always polite and civil. Later turns out to be Faux Affably Evil.
• Undying Loyalty: To Kimble. Averted. He was the one behind Helen’s death.

Frederick Sykes

Appears in: The Fugitive

Portrayed by: Andreas Katsulas

An ex-CPD officer who is employed as a security officer for Devlin MacGregor, and the man who murdered Kimble’s wife.

• Jerkass
• Obviously Evil
• Perpetual Frowner

Dr. Alec Lentze

Appears in: The Fugitive

Portrayed by: David Darlow

The head of the pharmaceutical company Devlin MacGregor.

• Bus Crash: Killed sometime before Kimble breaks free in a car accident.
• Disc One Final Boss: Appears to be the Big Bad, but Kimble soon discovers he was mysteriously killed.

Law Enforcement

U.S. Marshal Sam Gerard

Appears in: The Fugitive and U.S. Marshals

Portrayed by: Tommy Lee Jones

An intelligent, cynical U.S. Marshal who specializes in pursuing fugitives.

• Deadpan Snarker
• Papa Wolf: He views his team as his kids. Hurt any of them, and you are dead. As Copeland and Royce learned the hard way.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: “Don’t tell anyone, okay?”

Deputy U.S. Marshal Cosmo Renfro

Appears in: The Fugitive and U.S. Marshals

Portrayed by Joe Pantoliano

Gerard’s second in command.

• Butt Monkey: In U.S. Marshals.
• Deadpan Snarker
• Demoted to Extra: In The Fugitive Renfro is given the most screentime out of the Marshals, barring Gerard. In U.S. Marshals Newman is given this honor.
• Flanderization: In The Fugitive Renfro is a source of comic relief, but through snarky comments rather than any idiocy. In U.S. Marshals Renfro is now a loudmouthed bore who says whatever is on his mind, no matter how crass.
• Plucky Comic Relief
• Hidden Depths: Renfro’s "The Reason You Suck" Speech to Gerard in U.S. Marshals shows some signs of this.

Deputy U.S. Marshal Noah Newman

Appears in: The Fugitive and U.S. Marshals

Portrayed by: Tom Wood

The rookie on Gerard’s team.

• Ascended Extra: In U.S. Marshals Newman gets the most screentime out of Gerard’s team, barring Gerard himself of course.
• Butt Monkey: In The Fugitive Newman is held hostage by Copeland and given much flak about his ponytail, among other things.
• Character Development: In U.S. Marshals Noah has become a much more proactive, capable officer. Newman also is much more serious about his job.
• New Meat
• Nice Guy: Newman is hardworking and ultimately follows Gerard’s orders and trusts his judgement.
• Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome: In U.S. Marshals Newman is shot and killed by Royce.

Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert Biggs

Appears in: The Fugitive and U.S. Marshals

Portrayed by: Daniel Roebuck

• Big Eater
• The Generic Guy

Deputy U.S. Marshal Erin Poole

Appears in: The Fugitive

Portrayed by: L. Scott Richardson

• Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Does not appear in U.S. Marshals.

Deputy U.S. Marshal Savannah Cooper

Appears in: U.S. Marshals

Portrayed by: LaTanya Richardson

• Suspiciously Similar Substitute: To Poole.

Mark Sheridan

Appears in: U.S. Marshals

Portrayed by: Wesley Snipes

A DSS Agent who was sent on the run after killing two DSS Agents in self-defense during an ambush.

DSS Special Agent John Royce

Appears in: U.S. Marshals

Portrayed by: Robert Downey, Jr.

A DSS Agent who partners with Gerard to hunt down Sheridan.

• Deadpan Snarker: Always ready with a sarcastic comment.
• Evil All Along: Royce was the second mole.
• Faux Affably Evil
• Foil: To Gerard.
• The Mole

DSS Special Agent Frank Barrows

Appears in: U.S. Marshals

Portrated by: Rick Snyder

A DSS Agent and Director Lamb’s right hand man.

• Boom! Headshot!: Shot in the head by Chen.
• The Quiet One: Almost always calm and collected.
  • Not So Stoic: When Sheridan takes him captive, Barrows collapses into a whimpering mess.
• The Mole]]: Along with Royce.

Others

Copeland

Appears in: The Fugitive

Portrayed by: Eddie Bo Smith

A prisoner who escaped the bus alongside Kimble.

• Asshole Victim: Takes Newman hostage so he can escape. Unfortunately for him, Gerard doesn’t bargain.
• Scary Black Man