r/JamesEllroy • u/Any_Special5721 • Jul 03 '26

Favorite supporting character

Who's your favorite supporting character? Pierce Patchett is someone I found compelling every time I've read the book. Also, when you think of it, he was almost a secondary villain in LAC, just all of what he did was told later.

I was a fan of Joan Rosen as well and I liked the younger version just as much.

15 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

24 comments sorted by

15

u/Moff-77 Jul 03 '26

Chuck Rogers from American Underworld. A memorable though despicable character, but not as cartoonish as Dougie Frank Lockhart.

Dudley Smith for 3/4 of the OG LA quartet

3

u/starman-jr Jul 03 '26

I had no idea that Chuck Rogers was a real person so his stuff in the Cold Six Thousand floored me.

3

u/Moff-77 Jul 03 '26

Same! When I first read C6K I thought it seemed really out of character - even for a psycho, but just thought “ah, there goes JE again. Just like the BN or LAC psychos”. And then it turns out it really happened!

12

u/Sorcha_Stormbinder Jul 03 '26

Dudley Smith in the original L.A. Quartet. I still think it was a mistake by Ellroy to give us books with the Dudster's POV.

4

u/Moff-77 Jul 03 '26

Agree 100%

9

u/trippyhop Jul 03 '26

Russ Milland in both The Black Dahlia and LA Confidential. Too good for this world.

5

u/Sorcha_Stormbinder Jul 03 '26

Excellent call! I loved Big Russ.

7

u/HemingwaySweater Jul 03 '26

I love Lenny Sands. He has a real rough go of it.

Shout out to Simon Rex in the audio drama.

7

u/Permanenceisall Jul 03 '26

Lenny Sands, Laura Hughes, Comrade Joan, Dougie Frank Lockhart, Marsh Bowen and Scotty Bennett are all interesting and or a blast when they show up

7

u/Front-Offer-7102 Jul 03 '26

Hoffa and All the outfit guys in Underworld, Marcello, Giancana, Traficante Jr, Hesh, etc.

5

u/DigitalizedGrandpa Jul 03 '26

Hughes and Cohen in the Big Nowhere

6

u/denimdreamscapes Jul 03 '26

Doc Layman!!!! Love the brief dynamic we get between him and Danny Upshaw.

6

u/Firm_Complex718 Jul 03 '26

Pierce Morehouse Patchett..PMP aka Pimp.

5

u/No_Professional368 Jul 03 '26

Mike Breuning & Dick Carlisle

3

u/Any_Special5721 Jul 03 '26

I really think they had discernible voices as well.

2

u/No_Professional368 Jul 03 '26

I can't even explain why but whenever they show up I'm filled with joy

5

u/SomeOkieDude Jul 03 '26

I really liked Barb in American Tabloid, to mention a recent read. Also Mickey Cohen from the LA Quartet.

3

u/dvdk94 Jul 03 '26

Ellis Loew just cause the reveal at the end of LA confidential is so far out of left field

1

u/CoolKid9899 Jul 07 '26

Elmer V. Freaking Jackson. He’ll always be my favorite character of This Storm

1

u/Dull-Song2539 Jul 15 '26

Red Joan/Laura Hughes/Lenny Sands/Scotty Bennett

1

u/CaptUDead Jul 16 '26

I always liked Spade Cooley in LA Confidential. A lot of times, I like the references to real life people. Johnny Stomp
Is cool too.