List of Boston Legal characters
Boston Legal is an American legal drama-comedy (dramedy) created by David E. Kelley, which was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC. The series aired from October 3rd, 2004, to December 8, 2008.
Boston Legal is a spin off of long-running Kelley series The Practice, following the exploits of former The Practice character Alan Shore (James Spader) at the legal firm of Crane, Poole & Schmidt.
The following is a list of characters appearing in the series.
Main characters
- Denny Crane (played by William Shatner, The Practice 2004, Seasons 1–5, 2004–2008) — Founding and Senior Partner of Crane, Poole & Schmidt. Denny considers himself a legend and loves to say his own name to "sign" his verbal utterances. In one of the final episodes of The Practice, he explained that often people don't believe they're in the room with a legend, so he says his own name to let them know it's true. He often refers to a condition he calls "Mad Cow" when his utterances are confusing to others or when he himself becomes confused. While there are instances of Prion diseases in humans, it is much more likely that Denny is suffering the early stages of Alzheimer's or another form of dementia. Denny has no problem sleeping with the wives of judges and clients. He is a conservative who believes gun control is for "communists" and refuses to defend anyone who is accused of extremely heinous acts; in one episode, he shoots a client because of the nature of his crime (raping and murdering a child). Denny is also a womanizer. Though he marries another woman in Season 2, he still pines for Shirley Schmidt.
- Alan Shore (played by James Spader, The Practice 2003–2004, Seasons 1–5, 2004–2008) — A brilliant lawyer with a strong moral core who, nevertheless, is not above obtaining ethical outcomes through unethical means. Illicit computer hacking, blackmail, disguise, and bribery are all tools he uses without hesitation. Alan is, however, unwavering in his defense of the underdog (unless he is representing the other party) and an indefatigable patron of various left-wing causes. He is disappointed and disillusioned with how the country has changed in recent years, and routinely confronts these issues in open court. Wherever he works, he treats his coworkers with levity and refuses to take himself seriously. Alan suffers from night terrors, has a fear of clowns, and in two episodes, suffered from word salad. He has resigned himself to the fact that he will never be made partner at the firm due to his unpredictable behavior and lack of trustworthiness. He is best friends with Denny Crane. Alan is also a womanizer.
- Shirley Schmidt (played by Candice Bergen, Seasons 1–5, 2004–2008) — Founding and Senior Partner of Crane, Poole & Schmidt. Shirley first appeared in the middle of the first season. She attended Wellesley College where she met her share of intelligent Harvard students. She used to have a romantic relationship with Denny, a past she now views with sardonic detachment, often making jokes about it. She is portrayed as extremely desirable in the series: smart, sexy, and sought after by many of the men around her, including her ex-husband Ivan Tiggs and fellow lawyers Denny Crane, Alan Shore and Jeffrey Coho.
- Paul Lewiston (played by Rene Auberjonois, Seasons 1–3, 2004–2006 guest app. Season 4, 2007) — Partner and legal advisor of Crane, Poole & Schmidt. Unlike Denny and Alan, Paul generally does things strictly "by the book". He has had several antagonistic run-ins with Denny and Alan over their apparent lack of respect for the law. His middle-aged daughter, Rachel, is introduced in Season 2 as a meth addict, and Paul has her placed in a rehab center and takes custody of her daughter (and his granddaughter), Fiona.
- Carl Sack (played by John Larroquette, Seasons 4-5, 2007–2008) - A senior partner at Crane, Poole & Schmidt, Carl transferred from the New York office to help Shirley in managing the Boston branch. He is initially unable to come to terms with the carefree conduct of the Boston office and once considers moving back to New York. He is an old flame of Shirley's and proposes to her in "Thanksgiving".
Supporting characters
- Lori Colson (played by Monica Potter, Seasons 1-2, 2004–2005) — A junior partner and former prosecutor at Crane, Poole & Schmidt. Lori found herself inexplicably attracted to Alan during the first season. Late in the first season, she nearly filed a sexual harassment claim against Denny. Lori has since left the firm, either under pressure from or fired by Shirley.
- Tara Wilson (played by Rhona Mitra, Seasons 1-2, 2004–2006) — A paralegal at Young, Frutt & Berlutti, she graduated from law school in time to go with Alan to Crane, Poole & Schmidt. After a long flirtation on both The Practice and the half of the first season of Boston Legal, Tara and Alan finally began a sexual relationship, but the arrival of an old boyfriend led her to break up with Alan and quit the firm.
- Sally Heep (played by Lake Bell, Season 1, 2004, guest appearance Season 3, 2006) — An associate at Crane, Poole & Schmidt. First introduced in The Practice, Sally began a relationship with Alan that crossed over into Boston Legal. However, after he used her to get information from a witness against their client so they could subdue his testimony, she broke up with him. Shortly after Shirley entered the Boston offices, she fired Sally.
- Sara Holt (played by Ryan Michelle Bathe, Season 2, 2005–2006) — Introduced in the second season premiere, Sara is a smart lawyer who isn't above using her own beauty to help her client.
- Garrett Wells (played by Justin Mentell, Season 2, 2005–2006) — Also introduced in the second season premiere, Garrett is a brash young attorney who is obviously attracted to Denise. He does go over her head with some clients but aids her by blackmailing her ex-husband's attorney/pastor to get him to back down from his demands for money.
- Jeffrey Coho (played by Craig Bierko, Season 3, 2006) — An intense, grandiose criminal defense attorney from the New York branch of Crane, Poole & Schmidt who joins the Boston firm in Season 3, accompanied by Claire Simms. Jeffrey is as comfortable with making enemies as he is making friends. After finding out Denise's baby is not his, Jeffrey leaves the firm in episode 15 of season 3 wearing his Buzz Lightyear costume.
- Brad Chase (played by Mark Valley, Seasons 1-3, 2004–2006, guest app. Season 4, 2007) — The man who the others turn to when they need something done, relying on his Marine Corps background to intimidate others. Brad helped Denise Bauer rescue a kidnapped child by extracting information from a priest, accidentally chopping off the priest's fingers in the process. Later, he went undercover to discover if Paul Lewiston's daughter was still using meth. Brad hated Alan initially, but later became slightly more tolerant of him. He was made a partner in Season 2. Season 3 he starts up a relationship with Denise Bauer, and after her pregnancy he leaves the firm to become a district attorney.
- Denise Bauer (played by Julie Bowen, Seasons 2-3, 2005–2006, guest app. Season 5, 2008) — An aggressive young attorney introduced at the start of Season 2, Denise is thrown when her husband files for divorce and insists that she pay him so he can live while setting up his career as a mediocre golf pro. Her distractions over the divorce cause her trouble with some cases. In episode 14 of the third season, Denise discovers she is pregnant, and as of the seventeenth episode she had decided to have the baby.
- Claire Simms (played by Constance Zimmer, Season 3, 2006) — A smart, sexy lawyer who, along with Jeffrey Coho, joins the firm in the second episode of Season 3. She has done undercover work in the Scott Little case and a penchant for flirting with witnesses. She joined the main character list in the eighth episode of Season 3.
- Marlene Stanger (played by Parker Posey, Seasons 2-3, 2005–2006) — A stone-cold, ruthless attorney. Known at her old firm as "The Squid" (apparently the only animal that can kill a shark), Marlene is not above using underhanded tactics to win cases, and specializes in undermining her associates. She finds herself very unnerved by Alan, and eventually had a bout of sex in his office. Her hostile relationship with Denise led to the ruining of Denise's chances for partner. At the end of Season 2, Marlene was made partner but in the third season premiere, she transferred to the New York office.
- Clarence Bell (play by Gary Anthony Williams, Seasons 3-4, 2006–2007) - Also known as Clarice, Clevant and "Oprah." In his default persona, Clarence is hopelessly shy and introverted. To deal with this drawback, he role plays as other people who embody the characteristics he cannot. He originally sued his place of employment for gender discrimination.
- Jerry Espenson (played by Christian Clemenson, Seasons 2-5, 2005–2008) - An attorney diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, although his quirks seem to be a misrepresentation of the syndrome. These quirks include 'purring' whenever he feels anxious and upset, constantly exclaiming "Bingo!" as an affirmative, hopping when excited, as well as awkwardly walking with his hands on his lap, which earned him the moniker "Hands Espenson" among the other C.P.&S. attorneys. Since his diagnosis, he has received therapy which has increased his confidence in dealing with people. Before his disorder was diagnosed, he was arrested for holding a knife to Shirley's throat after being denied partnership in the firm for the third time. Shirley dropped the charges against him after Alan promised to get Jerry the mental therapy he needed, and he eventually made partner in the final season.
- Katie Lloyd (played by Tara Summers, Seasons 4-5, 2007–2008).
Recurring characters
- Bethany "The Badger" Horowitz (played by Meredith Eaton-Gilden) — A feisty dwarf attorney, and romantic interest of Denny Crane. Bethany is also the daughter of an old girlfriend of Denny's.
- Judge Robert Sanders (played by Shelley Berman) — A serious and crotchety old judge suffering from senility.
- Catherine Piper (played by Betty White) — Alan's former assistant, first introduced in The Practice. A church-going woman who enjoyed being privy to the goings-on at Crane, Poole & Schmidt, Catherine took to the matricidal Bernard Ferrion in an attempt to introduce him to God. Convinced Ferrion would kill again, she later murdered him. With Alan's representation, Catherine was acquitted of the crime, but was subsequently fired by Shirley. However, Catherine returned and was hired as a food delivery person at Crane, Poole & Schmidt.
- Edwin Poole (played by Larry Miller) — The third Senior Partner at Crane, Poole & Schmidt. Edwin arrived at a partners meeting pantsless and was sent to a psychiatric hospital in the first few minutes of the pilot. He later escaped, much to Denny's concern, and he successfully participated in one case before deciding to go back. He returned again for one episode in Season 2 after being released, focusing his efforts on finding someone to sue. Edwin returned to the hospital on Shirley's advice.
- Frank Ginsberg (played by Currie Graham) - An assistant district attorney with political ambitions. He wants to get elected district attorney, and has tried to further this goal by promoting himself to the public with cases of questionable merit. Some instances of his misguided intentions include prosecuting a sexual surrogate and her patient for prostitution, trying to imprison a homeless person who cannibalized a dead body when death by starvation became imminent, and attempting to put Denny behind bars for illegally handing medical waste. On each occasion, Ginsberg's plans to use his cases as sensational self-promotion were ruined (typically by Alan Shore) when his targets were acquitted.
- Bernard Ferrion (played by Leslie Jordan) — A small man who first met Alan when he whacked his mother over the head with a frying pan. She proceeded to die from that blow, but Alan got Bernard off because the police had no evidence on him. Later, Bernard intentionally whacked a neighbor over the head with a frying pan to keep her from contacting the police regarding the incident with his mother. Alan refused to represent him, claiming him "evil", and instead turned him over to Tara Wilson, who proceeded to keep him out of prison, again due to lack of evidence. Catherine Piper met Bernard shortly after and tried to introduce him to God, but could not reach him. Convinced he would kill again, Catherine struck Bernard down with a frying pan, killing him.
- Daniel Post (played by Michael J. Fox) — Denise's love interest with terminal lung cancer. Daniel is a hugely wealthy businessman who initially goes to Denise for help winning a case against a man who is suing him for using his influence to get a test drug that might save his life. Their relationship develops until he restarts his radiation therapy and then goes off to Europe, presumably to die. Daniel returns in the season finale, alive, and proposes to Denise. In the third season, he died during a lung transplant, however, and his remains were lost on the black market. Denise was able to recover his head in Salem, Massachusetts.
- Chelina Hall (played by Kerry Washington) — Prior to coming to work for Crane, Poole & Schmidt in Boston, Chelina worked on behalf of death row inmates for the Texas Innocence Project by petitioning the Texas High Court to reconsider execution sentence. She lost her temper during her final appearance before the court, calling the chief judge "a disgusting, fat pig." Later, when one of her previous cases comes up for appeal, Chelina fears this incident may have prejudiced the judge against her and convinces Alan to argue the case in her stead. She was originally intended to appear in several episodes near the end of the first season, but when these episodes were retooled to appear at the beginning of the second season, her burgeoning romance with Alan was apparently cut short. Alan reencounters Chelina in the second season episode "Race Ipsa", (actually a holdover from season one) and in a comment that broke the fourth wall, Alan says that she has left the show "to be in movies" (which she did in real life), also making reference to the change in the show's airing time.
- Donny Crane (played by Freddie Prinze, Jr.) — A young lawyer who was believed to be Denny's illegitimate son, the product of an affair with an anonymous woman. Denny, however, did not see him for fifteen years. Denny later confessed to Alan that when Donny's mother slapped him with a paternity suit, he settled, and Donny's mother later admitted that he wasn't the father. Many jokes were made about the closeness of Donny and Denny's names. When Donny found out that Denny was not his biological father, he was crushed, and his relationship with Denny became very strained; however, Denny still considers him his son and has referred to him as such on occasion. Just like Denny, Donny uses his own name as an exclamation at inappropriate times.
- Ivan Tiggs (played by Tom Selleck) — Shirley Schmidt's ex-husband and a womanizer. After announcing his engagement to his sixth wife, Missy, he attempted to rekindle his former relationship with Shirley, saying he would dump Missy if Shirley would take him back. When Shirley refused, he married Missy and later lied about leaving her to reunite with Shirley. The ploy worked, and he and Shirley were briefly reunited. When Shirley learned of his deception, she drafted a "post-nuptial agreement" that would relinquish virtually all of Ivan's possessions to Missy if he were ever caught cheating on her. He attempted to legally void the agreement (with Alan Shore as his representation), but eventually handed everything over to Missy if Shirley would give him another chance. Shirley refused, saying "I can't love you anymore," and Ivan was last seen alone and penniless.
- Missy Tiggs (played by Meredith Patterson) — The eccentric, obnoxious, Broadway musical-loving, singing, snort-laughing, and very young sixth ex-wife of Ivan Tiggs.
- Judge Clark Brown (played by Henry Gibson) — A 70 year-old judge who still lives with his mother, Judge Brown likes to humiliate criminals he convicts in addition to normal punishment. Although Judge Brown claims to be a "conscientious fact finder", both Alan and Denny are able to appeal to his insecurities to gain favorable rulings. Initially thought to be a virgin, Brown admitted to having relationships with men in the season 3 episode "Selling Sickness". He also often utters strong adjectives like "shocking!" or "disgusting!" during witness testemonies, and often describes things as "Outrageous!"
- Melvin Palmer (played by Christopher Rich) - A Texan lawyer and Alan's nemesis. He is extremely (but falsely) friendly and charming, and uses this as a strategy in nearly all his cases. Only once does he drop his facade, revealing him to be a cold, amoral and manipulative lawyer. Alan immediately despises him, and he occupies the role of an antagonist until near the end of the show, where he defends Denny and Alan from adultery charges. This leads to Melvin and Denny becoming good friends, which irritates Alan further.
See also