Keith Mars
Encyclopedia
Keith Mars is a fictional character on UPN
/The CW television series Veronica Mars
, which debuted during the fall 2004 season on UPN
. He is portrayed by Enrico Colantoni
.
Keith is the father of Veronica Mars
. They have a very close relationship, and he is very protective of her. Keith was formerly the sheriff of the fictional Balboa County, and later operated as a private investigator.
removed him from office. His credibility was hurt even more after Abel Koontz confessed to the crime. Shortly thereafter, his daughter Veronica
became a social outcast for siding with her dad and his wife Lianne left them. However, he refused to leave town and instead became a private investigator under the name Mars Investigations. Veronica does most of her sleuthing through Keith's numerous contacts and resources.
At the end of "Like a Virgin," Abel Koontz implied that Veronica was the biological daughter of Jake Kane. Veronica had a chance to find out who her father was in the next episode, "Drinking the Kool-Aid," but she shredded the paternity test. In "Hot Dogs," Keith sent in his own paternity test, which proved that Veronica is his biological daughter.
Since Veronica's mother, Lianne Mars, left the family, Keith has been in three romantic relationships, one with Veronica's guidance counselor Rebecca James, one with Wallace Fennel
's mother, Alicia Fennel, and one with a client, Harmony Chase. His relationship with Rebecca was short-lived because Veronica was uncomfortable with her father's dating, as she felt he should be looking for Lianne. He dated Alicia for several months, but they broke up in "Blast from the Past" after he confronted her about her lying to Wallace about his biological father, and in the ensuing argument Alicia questioned Keith's parenting skills. Keith began an affair with Harmony Chase after she hired him to find out whether her husband was cheating on her. Though Keith had strong feelings for Harmony, Veronica convinced Keith that it was a huge moral failing to be involved with a married woman, and Keith ended the affair in "Of Vice and Men."
After the revelation at the end of Season 1 that Aaron Echolls murdered Lilly, he ran for Sheriff against incumbent Don Lamb
in Season 2. He lost by a narrow margin after Lamb accused Keith of being indirectly responsible for the bus crash that killed several Neptune High students. Several years earlier Keith had pulled bus driver Ed Doyle for DUI
, but had not charged him. Ed Doyle was the driver of the bus that had crashed and killed several students, and it was then believed that Ed Doyle had intentionally crashed the bus in order to commit suicide. He says after the election that "we'll get 'em in 2010," so barring another recall election, Lamb's position appeared safe for another four years. After Sheriff Lamb's death in "Mars, Bars", he is asked by the County Commissioner to return as acting sheriff. In the final episode, he is up for election for the post he once held, and the series ends without clarity as to whether he won.
music and "noir
flicks". His favorite musicians are The Beatles
, Louis Armstrong
, Miles Davis
, Thelonious Monk
, Aretha Franklin
, The Beach Boys
, The Everly Brothers
, Blue Öyster Cult
and Fleetwood Mac
. His favorite films are The Big Chill
, Slap Shot
, Rear Window
and Blazing Saddles
. He enjoys watching anything on the Food Network
, Austin City Limits
and Charlie Rose
. His favorite book is his own Big Murder, Small Town and his heroes are his daughter and Humphrey Bogart
http://www.myspace.com/vmarskeith. He also is quite fond of sports, especially baseball.
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
/The CW television series Veronica Mars
Veronica Mars
Veronica Mars is an American television series created by Rob Thomas. The series premiered on September 22, 2004, during television network UPN's final two years, and ended on May 22, 2007, after a season on UPN's successor, The CW Television Network. Veronica Mars was produced by Warner Bros...
, which debuted during the fall 2004 season on UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
. He is portrayed by Enrico Colantoni
Enrico Colantoni
Enrico Colantoni is a Canadian actor, probably best known for portraying Elliot DiMauro in the sitcom Just Shoot Me!, Keith Mars on the television series Veronica Mars, and Sergeant Greg Parker on the television series Flashpoint. He has also had supporting roles in such films as The Wrong Guy, ...
.
Keith is the father of Veronica Mars
Veronica Mars (character)
Veronica Mars is a fictional character in UPN/The CW the television series, Veronica Mars, which aired on the UPN and CW networks from 2004 to 2007. She is portrayed by Kristen Bell.- Background and details of plot :...
. They have a very close relationship, and he is very protective of her. Keith was formerly the sheriff of the fictional Balboa County, and later operated as a private investigator.
Background
After going after popular billionaire Jake Kane for the murder of Jakes daughter Lilly, an emergency recall electionRecall election
A recall election is a procedure by which voters can remove an elected official from office through a direct vote before his or her term has ended...
removed him from office. His credibility was hurt even more after Abel Koontz confessed to the crime. Shortly thereafter, his daughter Veronica
Veronica Mars (character)
Veronica Mars is a fictional character in UPN/The CW the television series, Veronica Mars, which aired on the UPN and CW networks from 2004 to 2007. She is portrayed by Kristen Bell.- Background and details of plot :...
became a social outcast for siding with her dad and his wife Lianne left them. However, he refused to leave town and instead became a private investigator under the name Mars Investigations. Veronica does most of her sleuthing through Keith's numerous contacts and resources.
At the end of "Like a Virgin," Abel Koontz implied that Veronica was the biological daughter of Jake Kane. Veronica had a chance to find out who her father was in the next episode, "Drinking the Kool-Aid," but she shredded the paternity test. In "Hot Dogs," Keith sent in his own paternity test, which proved that Veronica is his biological daughter.
Since Veronica's mother, Lianne Mars, left the family, Keith has been in three romantic relationships, one with Veronica's guidance counselor Rebecca James, one with Wallace Fennel
Wallace Fennel
Wallace Fennel is a fictional character on UPN/The CW television series Veronica Mars, which debuted during the fall 2004 season on UPN. He is portrayed by Percy Daggs III.- Background :...
's mother, Alicia Fennel, and one with a client, Harmony Chase. His relationship with Rebecca was short-lived because Veronica was uncomfortable with her father's dating, as she felt he should be looking for Lianne. He dated Alicia for several months, but they broke up in "Blast from the Past" after he confronted her about her lying to Wallace about his biological father, and in the ensuing argument Alicia questioned Keith's parenting skills. Keith began an affair with Harmony Chase after she hired him to find out whether her husband was cheating on her. Though Keith had strong feelings for Harmony, Veronica convinced Keith that it was a huge moral failing to be involved with a married woman, and Keith ended the affair in "Of Vice and Men."
After the revelation at the end of Season 1 that Aaron Echolls murdered Lilly, he ran for Sheriff against incumbent Don Lamb
Don Lamb
Sheriff of Balboa County Don Lamb is a fictional character played by Michael Muhney on the UPN/The CW television series Veronica Mars, which debuted during the fall 2004 season on UPN....
in Season 2. He lost by a narrow margin after Lamb accused Keith of being indirectly responsible for the bus crash that killed several Neptune High students. Several years earlier Keith had pulled bus driver Ed Doyle for DUI
Driving under the influence
Driving under the influence is the act of driving a motor vehicle with blood levels of alcohol in excess of a legal limit...
, but had not charged him. Ed Doyle was the driver of the bus that had crashed and killed several students, and it was then believed that Ed Doyle had intentionally crashed the bus in order to commit suicide. He says after the election that "we'll get 'em in 2010," so barring another recall election, Lamb's position appeared safe for another four years. After Sheriff Lamb's death in "Mars, Bars", he is asked by the County Commissioner to return as acting sheriff. In the final episode, he is up for election for the post he once held, and the series ends without clarity as to whether he won.
Interests
Keith enjoys Italian food, spending time with Veronica, jazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
music and "noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
flicks". His favorite musicians are The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
, Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
, Thelonious Monk
Thelonious Monk
Thelonious Sphere Monk was an American jazz pianist and composer considered "one of the giants of American music". Monk had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including "Epistrophy", "'Round Midnight", "Blue Monk", "Straight, No Chaser"...
, Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
, The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
, The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers are country-influenced rock and roll performers, known for steel-string guitar playing and close harmony singing...
, Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult, often abbreviated BÖC, is an American rock band, most of whose members first came together in Long Island, NY in 1967 as the band Soft White Underbelly...
and Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
. His favorite films are The Big Chill
The Big Chill (film)
The Big Chill is a 1983 American comedy-drama film directed by Lawrence Kasdan, starring Tom Berenger, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, William Hurt, Kevin Kline, Mary Kay Place, Meg Tilly, and JoBeth Williams. It is about a group of baby boomer college friends who reunite briefly after 15 years due to...
, Slap Shot
Slap Shot (film)
Slap Shot is a 1977 film comedy starring Paul Newman and Michael Ontkean directed by George Roy Hill. It depicts a minor league hockey team that resorts to violent play to gain popularity in a declining factory town.- Plot :...
, Rear Window
Rear Window
Rear Window is a 1954 American suspense film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, written by John Michael Hayes and based on Cornell Woolrich's 1942 short story "It Had to Be Murder"...
and Blazing Saddles
Blazing Saddles
Blazing Saddles is a 1974 satirical Western comedy film directed by Mel Brooks. Starring Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder, the film was written by Brooks, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor, Norman Steinberg, and Al Uger, and was based on Bergman's story and draft. The movie was nominated for three...
. He enjoys watching anything on the Food Network
Food Network
Food Network is a television specialty channel that airs both one-time and recurring programs about food and cooking. Scripps Networks Interactive owns 70 percent of the network, with Tribune Company controlling the remaining 30 percent....
, Austin City Limits
Austin City Limits
Austin City Limits is an American public television music program recorded live in Austin, Texas by Public Broadcasting Service Public television member station KLRU, and broadcast on many PBS stations around the United States...
and Charlie Rose
Charlie Rose
Charles Peete "Charlie" Rose, Jr. is an American television talk show host and journalist. Since 1991 he has hosted Charlie Rose, an interview show distributed nationally by PBS since 1993...
. His favorite book is his own Big Murder, Small Town and his heroes are his daughter and Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey DeForest Bogart was an American actor. He is widely regarded as a cultural icon.The American Film Institute ranked Bogart as the greatest male star in the history of American cinema....
http://www.myspace.com/vmarskeith. He also is quite fond of sports, especially baseball.
Appearances
Keith has appeared in every Veronica Mars episode to date, and is the only character aside from Veronica to do so.Notable skills
As a private investigator and former sheriff Keith possesses certain sleuth skills which include:- Surveillance
- Photography
- Tailing cars
- Trained in handgun usage
- Tracking/Bounty Hunting
- Performing thorough background checks
Quotes
- "You know what, this is important. You remember this: I used to be cool."
- "Sorry, sweetheart. You can't buy love. Bored wives of the wealthy, however, can."
- "Did you watch House of WaxHouse of Wax (2005 film)House of Wax is a 2005 horror film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra. It shares the name of a 1953 horror film, which was a remake of the 1933 film Mystery of the Wax Museum. It was released in theaters on May 6, 2005 to negative reviews, but a financial success...
again? You know that Hilton girlParis HiltonParis Whitney Hilton is an American businesswoman, heiress, and socialite. She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton . Hilton is known for her controversial participation in a sex tape in 2003, and appearance on the television series The Simple Life alongside fellow socialite and childhood...
gives you nightmares."
- "And Veronica, when you go after Jake Kane, you take Backup."
- "Honey, it's fine. Chicks dig scars."
- "Part of me is proud...and let's just leave it at that."
- "Who's your daddy?"