| Louie Provenza | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | Pilot episode |
| Created by | James Duff |
| Portrayed by | G. W. Bailey |
| Information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | LAPD Detective Lieutenant |
| Family | Divorced from three women |
Detective Lieutenant Louie Provenza is a fictional character from TNT's television crime drama The Closer. He has been featured on the show in all aired seven seasons, starting in 2005. The character was created by James Duff, and is portrayed by G. W. Bailey. Generally referred to as "Provenza," the character's first name was kept secret until his former partner, George Andrews, was heard to use it for the first time in the penultimate episode of the fifth season. It is still unknown why the character is sensitive about his first name, and whether it is a nickname or his full first name.[1]
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Provenza is a Lieutenant II on the Los Angeles Police Department. A veteran of the Robbery/Homicide unit, he was selected to join the Priority Homicide division. Initially, Provenza had no greater love for Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson than any of the rest of the unit, but he has evolved into a paternal figure among the squad members.
Provenza is a LAPD old-timer who has been on the force for several decades. A seasoned veteran of the Robbery/Homicide unit, he was selected to join the elite Priority Homicide Squad. Provenza reveals that he was married four times (twice to the same woman), and in season five we see his heart pound again for a charming young woman. Lt. Provenza was injured during a shooting incident in the murder room in the second season. He and Deputy Chief Johnson were both on leave following the incident. He and Lt. Andy Flynn have a close, albeit sometimes caustic, friendship. After four divorces, Provenza apparently has several children—he complains about paying a lot of child support. In "Next of Kin Part 1" he also mentions having a grandson. In the episode "Dial M For Provenza", he revealed to Chief Pope that the terms of his first divorce require him to split his pension with his first wife, so he therefore refuses to retire. Pope sympathizes with him, having made a similar arrangement with his own first wife.
An old-school detective, he seems to enjoy sitting back and watching what is going on around him with amusement. He also seems to enjoy watching Brenda during an interrogation. He was instrumental in rallying the squad when Brenda was in trouble with the ethics board. He has recently been left in her debt due to a foul-up he had with Lt. Flynn and was forced by Brenda to pay off the squad for helping keep him and Flynn out of the fire. He was forced into retirement after a shootout incident at the murder room but was later reinstated when Brenda made a deal with the CIA to secretly investigate the murder of an Arab teenager. Lt. Provenza helped Brenda greatly in this investigation.
An old-school detective, Lt. Provenza has seen it all, and he knows how to work a case. He's tough as nails—a self-professed SOB and proud of it. The class clown of the team, Provenza always has a witty one-liner ready. However, Provenza has a soft side buried beneath his hard exterior. He reveals small glimpses of it as he slowly warms up to Dep. Chief Johnson and begins to show her more respect. Their relationship has further improved since the shooting incident in the murder room. He is also very polite to Dep. Chief Johnson's mother which irritates Dep. Chief Johnson's father.
Chauvinistic and politically incorrect, Provenza has been forced to attend sensitivity training for his inappropriate behavior and remarks. He has been portrayed enduring a hard time accepting new or different methods for conducting interrogations and solving cases. He resists practically any type of change and initially resented being bossed around by a younger female Deputy Chief. Above all else, he absolutely hates it when anyone places an item or sits on his desk.[2]
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