Will Graham (character)

Will Graham
Hannibal Lecter character
Hugh Dancy as Will Graham in the TV series Hannibal
Portrayed by	William Petersen (Manhunter) Edward Norton (Red Dragon) Hugh Dancy (Hannibal)
Information
Gender	Male
Occupation	FBI profiler
Nationality	American

Will Graham is a fictional character in Thomas Harris' 1981 novel Red Dragon.

Other than passing mentions in Harris' sequel The Silence of the Lambs, he does not appear in any other book of the Lecter series. In the film adaptations Manhunter and Red Dragon, he is portrayed by William Petersen and Edward Norton, respectively. In the television series Hannibal, he is portrayed by Hugh Dancy.

Graham is an FBI profiler responsible for the capture of serial killer Hannibal Lecter, and who is later assigned to capture serial killer Francis Dolarhyde. In both the text and film adaptations, Graham is described as having an unusual level of empathy. This ability can manifest as the ability to empathize with criminals and psychopaths, which he finds extremely disturbing. He also has an eidetic memory rivaling Lecter's.

Red Dragon establishes Graham's backstory. He grew up poor in Louisiana, eventually moving to New Orleans, where he became a homicide detective. He leaves New Orleans to attend graduate school in forensic science at George Washington University. After attaining his degree, Graham goes to work for the FBI's crime lab. Following exceptional work both in the crime lab and in the field, Graham is given a post as teacher at the FBI Academy. During his career in the FBI, Graham is given the title of 'Special Investigator' while he is in the field.