Arthur "Artie" Nielsen
| Arthur "Artie" Nielsen | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | "Pilot" |
| Last appearance | "Endless" |
| Created by | Jane Espenson |
| Portrayed by | Saul Rubinek |
| Information | |
| Nickname(s) | Artie |
| Occupation |
Cryptographer Warehouse 13 agent |
| Family | Izzy Weisfelt (father) |
| Children | Scott Moore (Son) |
Agent Arthur "Artie" Nielsen (née Arthur Weisfelt) is a fictional character on the U.S. television science fiction series Warehouse 13 (2009–2014), portrayed by Saul Rubinek. He is the Special Agent in Charge of Warehouse 13 and is the immediate supervisor of Agents Pete Lattimer, Myka Bering and Claudia Donovan.
Artie Nielsen is born Arthur Weisfelt on July 2, 1948 and grows up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has Russian Jewish heritage. His father, Izzy Weisfelt (Judd Hirsch), taught musical composition at Temple University. The young Artie is a gifted pianist and earns admission to the Juilliard School. Rather than continuing his musical training, he goes to work for the National Security Agency (NSA). He stands 5 feet 8 inches tall, and in addition to English, he is fluent in Russian, German and French. He can also read Latin. As chief custodian of Warehouse 13, Artie understands many of its secrets.
As revealed in the season 1 episode "Implosion", the NSA recruits Artie right out of school. While in his 20s he works as a cryptographer and code breaker, decoding Soviet communications, and intercepting letters and phone transcripts. He is suspected of selling secrets to the Soviets when he makes contact with one of the persons they are spying on. He is put under surveillance, and on November 18, 1978, an arrest warrant is issued for him on charges of espionage and treason.
In the season 2 episode "Vendetta", it is revealed that Artie was actually trading artifacts in exchange for the release of family members who are political prisoners in the Gulag. He believes the artifacts are nothing more than trinkets, antiques and old relics. When his Soviet contact lets slip the artifacts have power, Artie soon discovers they have frightening and dangerous powers. Unable to live with the guilt of what he has done, he turns himself in. This is the day Mrs. Frederic comes into his life, offering him a chance to make amends for past mistakes. She gets the charges expunged and he is given a new identity, Arthur Nielsen. The change of name is not to hide from the U.S. government, but from the Soviets, who consider him a spy who betrayed them. As Artie Nielsen, he joins the U.S. Secret Service and becomes a Warehouse agent.
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