Richard Kimble
Encyclopedia
Dr. Richard David Kimble is the fictional character
and the protagonist
featured in the television series The Fugitive
. He was portrayed by actor David Janssen
. Dr. Kimble, who was born on March 27, 1927 in Stafford, Indiana, is a doctor falsely convicted of the murder of his wife, Helen Kimble, but who escaped in a train wreck en route to execution. He searches for the one-armed killer, Fred Johnson, while pursued by the relentless police detective Lt. Philip Gerard. This style of show was the prototype for many later American TV series, such as Alias Smith and Jones
, The Incredible Hulk, Run For Your Life
, Renegade
, and the spoof Run, Buddy, Run
.
Dr. Kimble was a pediatrician in Stafford, and had served as a medic in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. "The Savage Street" establishes that Kimble originally wanted to be a baseball player, but was pressured by his father into becoming a doctor. Kimble met his wife, a Registered Nurse, while he was obtaining his Internship. Helen Kimble grew up and lived in Fairgreen, Indiana (her maiden name was Helen Waverly).
The character was also featured in the 1993
film The Fugitive
, based loosely on the original series, starring Harrison Ford
and Tommy Lee Jones
as a United States
marshal
in pursuit of him. In the film version, Kimble was a prominent Chicago vascular surgeon rather than a small-town pediatrician. This change was necessary to support the plot change in which the killing of Kimble's wife was not a senseless murder by a transient during a botched robbery attempt (as in the original series) but rather the result of a fiendish plot by an evil drug company executive.
Yet a third incarnation of Richard Kimble surfaced in an updated remake of the original Fugitive series which aired during the 2000-2001 television season. Kimble in this version was portrayed by actor Timothy Daly
, whose father James had guest starred in two segments of the original series.
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
and the protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
featured in the television series The Fugitive
The Fugitive (TV series)
The Fugitive is an American drama series produced by QM Productions and United Artists Television that aired on ABC from 1963 to 1967. David Janssen stars as Richard Kimble, a doctor from the fictional town of Stafford, Indiana, who is falsely convicted of his wife's murder and given the death...
. He was portrayed by actor David Janssen
David Janssen
David Janssen was an American film and television actor who is best known for his starring role as Dr. Richard Kimble in the television series The Fugitive , the starring role in the 1950s hit detective series Richard Diamond, Private Detective , and as Harry Orwell on Harry O.In 1996 TV Guide...
. Dr. Kimble, who was born on March 27, 1927 in Stafford, Indiana, is a doctor falsely convicted of the murder of his wife, Helen Kimble, but who escaped in a train wreck en route to execution. He searches for the one-armed killer, Fred Johnson, while pursued by the relentless police detective Lt. Philip Gerard. This style of show was the prototype for many later American TV series, such as Alias Smith and Jones
Alias Smith and Jones
Alias Smith and Jones is an American Western series that originally aired on ABC from 1971 to 1973. It stars Pete Duel as Hannibal Heyes and Ben Murphy as Jedediah "Kid" Curry, a pair of Western cousin outlaws trying to reform...
, The Incredible Hulk, Run For Your Life
Run for Your Life (TV series)
Run for Your Life is an American television drama series starring Ben Gazzara as a man with only a short time to live. It ran on NBC from 1965 to 1968. The series was created by Roy Huggins, who had previously explored the "man on the move" concept with The Fugitive.-Synopsis:Gazzara plays lawyer...
, Renegade
Renegade (TV series)
Renegade is an American television series that ran for 110 episodes spanning 5 seasons between September 19, 1992 and April 4, 1997.The series stars Lorenzo Lamas as Reno Raines, a police officer who is framed for a murder he didn't commit. Raines goes on the run and joins forces with Native...
, and the spoof Run, Buddy, Run
Run, Buddy, Run
Run, Buddy, Run is a 16-episode situation comedy starring Jack Sheldon, which ran on CBS television from September 12, 1966, until January 2, 1967. Sheldon, also a trumpet player, portrayed Buddy Overstreet, an "ordinary guy", an accountant, on the run from a group of comical gangsters. As the plot...
.
Dr. Kimble was a pediatrician in Stafford, and had served as a medic in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. "The Savage Street" establishes that Kimble originally wanted to be a baseball player, but was pressured by his father into becoming a doctor. Kimble met his wife, a Registered Nurse, while he was obtaining his Internship. Helen Kimble grew up and lived in Fairgreen, Indiana (her maiden name was Helen Waverly).
The character was also featured in the 1993
1993 in film
The year 1993 in film involved many significant films, including the blockbuster hits Jurassic Park, The Fugitive and The Firm. -Events:...
film The Fugitive
The Fugitive (1993 film)
The Fugitive is a 1993 American thriller film based on the television series of the same name. The film was directed by Andrew Davis and stars Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. The film was one of the few movies associated with a television series to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best...
, based loosely on the original series, starring Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford is an American film actor and producer. He is famous for his performances as Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy and as the title character of the Indiana Jones film series. Ford is also known for his roles as Rick Deckard in Blade Runner, John Book in Witness and Jack Ryan in...
and Tommy Lee Jones
Tommy Lee Jones
Tommy Lee Jones is an American actor and film director. He has received three Academy Award nominations, winning one as Best Supporting Actor for the 1993 thriller film The Fugitive....
as a United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
marshal
United States Marshals Service
The United States Marshals Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice . The office of U.S. Marshal is the oldest federal law enforcement office in the United States; it was created by the Judiciary Act of 1789...
in pursuit of him. In the film version, Kimble was a prominent Chicago vascular surgeon rather than a small-town pediatrician. This change was necessary to support the plot change in which the killing of Kimble's wife was not a senseless murder by a transient during a botched robbery attempt (as in the original series) but rather the result of a fiendish plot by an evil drug company executive.
Yet a third incarnation of Richard Kimble surfaced in an updated remake of the original Fugitive series which aired during the 2000-2001 television season. Kimble in this version was portrayed by actor Timothy Daly
Timothy Daly
James Timothy "Tim" Daly is an American stage, screen and voice actor, director and producer. He is best known for his television role as Joe Hackett on the NBC sitcom Wings and for his voice role as Superman/Clark Kent in Superman: The Animated Series, as well as his recurring role of the...
, whose father James had guest starred in two segments of the original series.