Brad Follmer
Encyclopedia
FBI Assistant Director Brad D. Follmer is a fictional character
in the American Fox
television series The X-Files
, a science fiction
series about a government conspiracy
to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Follmer was introduced during the last season of the show, as an ex-lover to main character Monica Reyes
(Annabeth Gish
). Follmer was portrayed by British actor, Cary Elwes
.
Federal Bureau of Investigation Assistant Director Follmer made his first appearance in the ninth season
episode "Nothing Important Happened Today
" (2001). At the start of the season, Follmer was unfriendly
towards John Doggett
(Robert Patrick
) because of his case against Alvin Kersh
, the Deputy Director of the FBI. While his feelings slowly changes to respect him.
at the FBI. He had a romantic history with Monica Reyes
that he briefly brought up while trying to keep her away from the X-file
s. His true motives were more political in nature and part of his sycophancy to Alvin Kersh
. He did not believe in the X-files and deliberately showed disrespect to John Doggett
by calling him "Mr. Doggett" instead of "Agent".
In 2002, new evidence concerning the murder
of Luke Doggett came to light. Doggett sought Follmer's assistance because he had worked against organized crime in New York City
before coming to Washington
. Reyes, however, recalled seeing Follmer accept a bribe from a mobster. Although he tried to play the event off as him paying an informant (at which he nearly succeeded), the truth was as Reyes suspected: Follmer was crooked. Once the truth of Luke's fate was revealed, Follmer killed the mobster who had nevertheless threatened blackmail concerning Follmer's bribe acceptance. Follmer's future at the FBI was left unresolved, although he most likely faced criminal charges for his actions.
, one of the executive producer
s of The X-Files
, personally wanted British actor Cary Elwes
in the role. Elwes won the role after an audition with Annabeth Gish
on August 8, 2001. He was chosen because of "the dynamic" and "the energy between the two of them." Along with announcing the character, he said that the character would only appear in six episodes.
When creating the character, Elwes did not want the character to be looked as "good or bad", even having discussing it with Carter and Frank Spotnitz
, another executive producer of the show. The producers and actors have instead labeled him as "ambiguous", and a man who wants to see "evidence through logic" and not superstition. When describing his character to The Hollywood Reporter
, Elwes said he "is a guy who is a little more buttoned up, a little more polished; he represents a different kind of FBI."
There were two reasons for creating the character of Follmer, the first being when making Monica Reyes
(Annabeth Gish) became a main character in the ninth season
, they decided to provide a love interest for the character. When introducing Follmer to the show, they wanted to strengthen John Doggett
's (Robert Patrick
) and Reyes relationship. The second reason was that they wanted to create a character different from Doggett; according to John Shiban, they wanted from the start to have a character who was basically "anti-Doggett".
reacted overall positive when it was confirmed that Cary Elwes
would become a recurring guest actor. Marisa Guthrie from the Boston Herald
said Elwes was "fine" as Follmer. Michigan Daily
reviewer Christian Smith called the character "unreadable". An unnamed staff writer of Airlock Alpha
felt that Elwes performance was "forced," concluding his review of Follmer that Elwes did not feel "comfortable with his character." An unnamed reviewer from Critical Myth felt Follmer's dialogue in the season premiere, "Nothing Important Happened Today
", especially the scene at the bar did not "make any sense." While another review from the same site, felt that Follmer's "characterization" was much "stronger" in "4-D
" than in the season premiere.
Fictional character
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...
in the American Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
television series The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
, a science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
series about a government conspiracy
Conspiracy theory
A conspiracy theory explains an event as being the result of an alleged plot by a covert group or organization or, more broadly, the idea that important political, social or economic events are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general public.-Usage:The term "conspiracy...
to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Follmer was introduced during the last season of the show, as an ex-lover to main character Monica Reyes
Monica Reyes
Special Agent Monica Reyes is a fictional character in the American FOX television series The X-Files, a science fiction show about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence...
(Annabeth Gish
Annabeth Gish
Annabeth Gish is an American actress known for starring roles in Shag, Mystic Pizza and Double Jeopardy. She is best known for her roles as Special Agent Monica Reyes on The X-Files, Elizabeth Bartlet Westin on The West Wing and as Eileen Caffee on the Showtime drama Brotherhood.-Personal...
). Follmer was portrayed by British actor, Cary Elwes
Cary Elwes
Ivan Simon Cary Elwes , known professionally as Cary Elwes, is an English actor. The son of Dominick Elwes and Tessa Georgina Kennedy, Elwes acted in off-Broadway plays during college and moved to the United States in the early 1980s. He is known for his role as Westley in the cult classic The...
.
Federal Bureau of Investigation Assistant Director Follmer made his first appearance in the ninth season
The X-Files (season 9)
The ninth season of The X-Files commenced airing in the United States on November 11, 2001, concluded on May 19, 2002, and consists of twenty episodes. The X-Files is an American serial science fiction-horror-thriller television series. Season nine took place after Fox Mulder's leave after the...
episode "Nothing Important Happened Today
Nothing Important Happened Today
"Nothing Important Happened Today" is the collective name for the 182nd and 183rd episodes of the science fiction television series The X-Files. Part 1 first aired on November 11 and Part 2 aired on November 18, 2001 on Fox in the United States and Canada. Both episodes subsequently aired in the...
" (2001). At the start of the season, Follmer was unfriendly
Friendship
Friendship is a form of interpersonal relationship generally considered to be closer than association, although there is a range of degrees of intimacy in both friendships and associations. Friendship and association are often thought of as spanning across the same continuum...
towards John Doggett
John Doggett
FBI Special agent John Jay Doggett is a fictional character in the American Fox television series The X-Files, a science fiction show about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of alien existence...
(Robert Patrick
Robert Patrick
Robert Hammond Patrick, Jr. is an American actor, known for his leading and supporting roles in a number of films and television shows....
) because of his case against Alvin Kersh
Alvin Kersh
Alvin D. Kersh is a fictional character in the American Fox television series The X-Files, a science fiction series about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of extraterrestrial existence...
, the Deputy Director of the FBI. While his feelings slowly changes to respect him.
Character arc
Follmer was an Assistant DirectorAssistant director
The role of an Assistant director include tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, maintaining order on the set. They also have to take care of health and safety of the crew...
at the FBI. He had a romantic history with Monica Reyes
Monica Reyes
Special Agent Monica Reyes is a fictional character in the American FOX television series The X-Files, a science fiction show about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence...
that he briefly brought up while trying to keep her away from the X-file
X-file
On the television series The X-Files, an X-File is a fictional case that has been deemed unsolvable by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The files constitute an unassigned project outside the Bureau mainstream that is more or less concerned with unexplained phenomena. -First X-Files:The very...
s. His true motives were more political in nature and part of his sycophancy to Alvin Kersh
Alvin Kersh
Alvin D. Kersh is a fictional character in the American Fox television series The X-Files, a science fiction series about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of extraterrestrial existence...
. He did not believe in the X-files and deliberately showed disrespect to John Doggett
John Doggett
FBI Special agent John Jay Doggett is a fictional character in the American Fox television series The X-Files, a science fiction show about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of alien existence...
by calling him "Mr. Doggett" instead of "Agent".
In 2002, new evidence concerning the murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
of Luke Doggett came to light. Doggett sought Follmer's assistance because he had worked against organized crime in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
before coming to Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. Reyes, however, recalled seeing Follmer accept a bribe from a mobster. Although he tried to play the event off as him paying an informant (at which he nearly succeeded), the truth was as Reyes suspected: Follmer was crooked. Once the truth of Luke's fate was revealed, Follmer killed the mobster who had nevertheless threatened blackmail concerning Follmer's bribe acceptance. Follmer's future at the FBI was left unresolved, although he most likely faced criminal charges for his actions.
Conceptual history
When creating the character, Chris CarterChris Carter (screenwriter)
Christopher Carl Carter is an American screenwriter, film director and producer. He is the creator of The X-Files and Millennium.- Ten Thirteen Productions :...
, one of the executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
s of The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
, personally wanted British actor Cary Elwes
Cary Elwes
Ivan Simon Cary Elwes , known professionally as Cary Elwes, is an English actor. The son of Dominick Elwes and Tessa Georgina Kennedy, Elwes acted in off-Broadway plays during college and moved to the United States in the early 1980s. He is known for his role as Westley in the cult classic The...
in the role. Elwes won the role after an audition with Annabeth Gish
Annabeth Gish
Annabeth Gish is an American actress known for starring roles in Shag, Mystic Pizza and Double Jeopardy. She is best known for her roles as Special Agent Monica Reyes on The X-Files, Elizabeth Bartlet Westin on The West Wing and as Eileen Caffee on the Showtime drama Brotherhood.-Personal...
on August 8, 2001. He was chosen because of "the dynamic" and "the energy between the two of them." Along with announcing the character, he said that the character would only appear in six episodes.
| "He is so much different than Doggett, he's so much different than Mulder. He is a person that is physically attractive, terrific actor, and has a kind of quality that we saw we could use, which was, I don't want to say devious, but there is something going on behind Cary's eyes." |
| — Carter talking about the character of Follmer and portraying actor Elwes. |
When creating the character, Elwes did not want the character to be looked as "good or bad", even having discussing it with Carter and Frank Spotnitz
Frank Spotnitz
Frank Spotnitz is an award-winning American television writer and producer, best known for his work on The X-Files television series.-Biography:...
, another executive producer of the show. The producers and actors have instead labeled him as "ambiguous", and a man who wants to see "evidence through logic" and not superstition. When describing his character to The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
, Elwes said he "is a guy who is a little more buttoned up, a little more polished; he represents a different kind of FBI."
There were two reasons for creating the character of Follmer, the first being when making Monica Reyes
Monica Reyes
Special Agent Monica Reyes is a fictional character in the American FOX television series The X-Files, a science fiction show about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence...
(Annabeth Gish) became a main character in the ninth season
The X-Files (season 9)
The ninth season of The X-Files commenced airing in the United States on November 11, 2001, concluded on May 19, 2002, and consists of twenty episodes. The X-Files is an American serial science fiction-horror-thriller television series. Season nine took place after Fox Mulder's leave after the...
, they decided to provide a love interest for the character. When introducing Follmer to the show, they wanted to strengthen John Doggett
John Doggett
FBI Special agent John Jay Doggett is a fictional character in the American Fox television series The X-Files, a science fiction show about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of alien existence...
's (Robert Patrick
Robert Patrick
Robert Hammond Patrick, Jr. is an American actor, known for his leading and supporting roles in a number of films and television shows....
) and Reyes relationship. The second reason was that they wanted to create a character different from Doggett; according to John Shiban, they wanted from the start to have a character who was basically "anti-Doggett".
Reception
John Sellers from Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
reacted overall positive when it was confirmed that Cary Elwes
Cary Elwes
Ivan Simon Cary Elwes , known professionally as Cary Elwes, is an English actor. The son of Dominick Elwes and Tessa Georgina Kennedy, Elwes acted in off-Broadway plays during college and moved to the United States in the early 1980s. He is known for his role as Westley in the cult classic The...
would become a recurring guest actor. Marisa Guthrie from the Boston Herald
Boston Herald
The Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
said Elwes was "fine" as Follmer. Michigan Daily
Michigan Daily
The Michigan Daily is the daily student newspaper of the University of Michigan. Its first edition was published on September 29, 1890. The newspaper is financially and editorially independent of the University's administration and other student groups, but shares a university building with other...
reviewer Christian Smith called the character "unreadable". An unnamed staff writer of Airlock Alpha
Airlock Alpha
Airlock Alpha, formerly SyFy Portal, is an entertainment news website focusing on science-fiction, fantasy and comic book television series and films.-History:...
felt that Elwes performance was "forced," concluding his review of Follmer that Elwes did not feel "comfortable with his character." An unnamed reviewer from Critical Myth felt Follmer's dialogue in the season premiere, "Nothing Important Happened Today
Nothing Important Happened Today
"Nothing Important Happened Today" is the collective name for the 182nd and 183rd episodes of the science fiction television series The X-Files. Part 1 first aired on November 11 and Part 2 aired on November 18, 2001 on Fox in the United States and Canada. Both episodes subsequently aired in the...
", especially the scene at the bar did not "make any sense." While another review from the same site, felt that Follmer's "characterization" was much "stronger" in "4-D
4-D (The X-Files)
"4-D" was the fourth episode of the ninth season of The X-Files science-fiction television series created by Chris Carter.-Plot:At the beginning of the episode, FBI Agent Monica Reyes is monitoring Erwin Lukesh, who is suspected of being a psychotic killer who cuts out his victims' tongues. In...
" than in the season premiere.