Alvin Kersh

Alvin Kersh
The X-Files character
James Pickens, Jr. as Alvin Kersh
First appearance	"The Beginning"
Last appearance	"The Truth"
Portrayed by	James Pickens, Jr.
Information
Occupation	Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Affiliated with	The Smoking Man Toothpick Man
Duration	1998-2002

Alvin D. Kersh is a fictional character in the Fox science fiction television series The X-Files, played by James Pickens, Jr.. He serves as a figure of authority within the series, first introduced as an Assistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is later promoted to the post of Deputy Director. Kersh acts as an antagonist who bureaucratically prevents Special Agents Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, John Doggett and Monica Reyes from investigating cases dealing with the paranormal, dubbed X-Files.

Kersh first appeared as a guest role in several episodes of the series' sixth season, returning as a recurring character in the eighth and ninth seasons. Kersh's creation was driven by a need to place pressure on the character of Walter Skinner. The character has been met with mixed to negative critical responses, although he was initially positively received before coming to be considered a "one-note" role as the series progressed. Pickens, as part of the series' ensemble cast, earned a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for his work.

Kersh's first appearance in the series was during the sixth season opening episode "The Beginning". As an Assistant Director, he temporarily became supervisor to Agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) when they were assigned away from the X-Files division. During this time The Smoking Man could be seen in his office, reminiscent of his silent presence in Walter Skinner's office in early seasons. Kersh assigned Mulder and Scully mostly to menial tasks, such as terrorist details and Federal background checks. When they did investigate an X-File behind his back, Kersh would charge them for expenses they incurred on the case, forcing them to pay out of their own pocket. He also attempted to separate Mulder and Scully, believing that Mulder threw away a promising career as a criminal profiler, but that Scully's career could still be saved.