Harold Finch (Person of Interest)
| Harold Finch | |
|---|---|
| Person of Interest character | |
| First appearance | "Pilot" |
| Portrayed by |
Michael Emerson Parker Brightman (child) Chris Bert (teenager) |
| Information | |
| Nickname(s) | "Glasses", "Professor", "Mr.Vocabulary" "Mr. Peabody" (Fusco's nicknames for him) Harry (Root's nickname for him) |
| Aliases | Harold Finch Harold Crane ("Risk", "Triggerman", "Critical", "Til Death") Harold Crow ("Identity Crisis") Harold Gull ("Proteus") Harold Martin ("No Good Deed") Harold Quail ("All In") Harold Starling ("Trojan Horse") Harold Swift ("2πR") Harold Wren ("Wolf and Cub", "Shadow Box", "Lady Killer", "The Devil's Share", "Provenance") Norman Burdett ("Mission Creep", "Cura Te Ipsum") Mr. Partridge ("The Fix") Arthur Bellenger ("Ghosts") Lucas Bennett ("Baby Blue") Walt Trowbridge ("Judgment") Mr. Kingfisher ("Allegiance") Harold Martin ("Beta") Harold Whistler ("Panopticon", "Nautilus") Mr. Egret ("Wingman") Harold Cardinal ("Prophets") |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Software engineer College professor (cover identity) |
| Significant other(s) | Grace Hendricks (ex-fiancé, reunited) |
| Nationality | American |
Harold Finch is a fictional character from the CBS crime drama television series Person of Interest. He is played by Michael Emerson, and in scenes from his past by Parker Brightman (child) and Chris Bert (teenager). Finch is a reclusive private billionaire software engineer who developed a machine that can isolate the Social Security numbers of people with either premeditated homicidal intent or who will be homicide victims, based on its analysis of surveillance data. He recruits John Reese, a former Green Beret and CIA operative, to help him prevent crimes related to the 'people of interest' that the Machine identifies. He is also known by a series of aliases, many using various bird names as a surname. A quirky and mysterious character, Finch tends to keep his personal life a secret as he rebuffs Reese's numerous attempts to learn more about him.
Born in Lassiter, Iowa, Harold was raised on a farm by his father; his mother is indicated to have been absent from at least age eight. A child prodigy, he displayed early skills in the fields of mechanical engineering and computer science. With his father suffering early onset dementia, the teenaged Finch grew increasingly interested in artificial intelligence and human-computer interaction. Needing more memory for the machine he was trying to build, Finch hacked into the early military Internet, ARPANET, resulting in his becoming the subject of federal investigation and obliging him to begin living under a false identity. His father had taught him bird names, which might explain his preference for incorporating these into his aliases.
...
Wikipedia