History Characters / LAConfidential1997

A beautiful blonde prostitute that works for Pierce Patchett's "Fleur-de-Lis", a company that provides customers with hookers that resemble Hollywood film stars. Lynn is the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veronica_Lake Veronica Lake]]. She falls in love with officer Bud White.

* AffablyEvil: He's an amoral scumbag who doesn't give a damn whose life he ruins but he's got a sharp wit and Danny DeVito's natural charm, making him hard to dislike.

* TokenGoodCop: Downplayed as he is willing to use excessive force to get results, but he disdains being used as muscle and geniunely wants to use his position for justice, especially against those who abuse women, in contrast many of the other cops like Jack [[spoiler: or Dudley]] who use their position for their own gain. He eventually works with, Ed, one of the other relatively honest cops on the force, to find the true culprit of Nite Owl case and eventually uncovers the corruption that was within the force.

See ''Characters/TheLAQuartet''.

See ''Characters/TheLAQuartet''.

See ''Characters/TheLAQuartet''.

Other characters from the ''Characters/TheLAQuartet''.

* AccidentalMurder: In the novel. Jack showed up to a stakeout while drunk and high, and when it escalated into a shootout he began firing randomly. He accidentally killed an innocent couple, much to his own horror. Dudley had it covered up, and holds it over Jack's head so he'll work for Dudley and assist in his plans.

* AddledAddict: In the novel, Jack was previously an alcoholic junkie to the point it impacted his job. It culminated in him accidentally shooting two civilians when he got into a shootout while high, which Dudley used to blackmail him into his services. Jack quit drugs and booze afterwards out of guilt.
* AffablyEvil: In the novel, he starts off as this. He's a DirtyCop guilty of murder and blackmail, but he's also extremely charming, witty, and friendly. Joan Morrow discusses this, contrasting Jack's amicable yet ruthless personality with [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Ed]]'s staunch morals.
* AlcoholInducedIdiocy: Part of his backstory in the novel. He showed up to a stakeout drunk and high, and when it escalated into a shootout Jack accidentally killed an innocent couple while trying to gun down an attacker.

* AntiHero: In both mediums, he's a corrupt AttentionWhore guilty of some truly vile things, but he's genuinely trying to atone for his crimes.
* AntiVillain: In the novel. Jack is a murderer and a corrupt cop who helps ruin countless lives for his own publicity, as well as somewhat reluctantly aiding in Dudley's schemes. However, he's guilt-ridden over his own actions and hates himself for what he's become, keeping him firmly sympathetic despite being a horrible person.
* TheAtoner: In both the book and the movie.
** In the movie, he genuinely tries to help Matt Reynolds. He feels guilty for going along with Sid's desire for headlines, and ruining Matt's life in the process.
** In the book, he [[spoiler:accidentally kills a young couple, and to make it up to their kids, sends money each month]].

* {{Blackmail}}: Dudley and Loew employ him to serve as a bagman and take photos of their enemies doing illicit activities so they can blackmail them.
* BrilliantButLazy: He's a talented detective but is far more concerned with his fame than cracking cases. Russ Millard in the novel notes that Jack only puts in the bare minimum of work in Ad Vice because he finds it boring and only puts in just enough effort not to get fired.
* BrokenAce: Jack is famous, a local hero, charming, witty, and handsome. However, beneath his sterling reputation is a DirtyCop guilty of murder who is tormented by self-loathing and cripplingly obsessed with fame.

* DeadpanSnarker: He gets quite a few one-liners and witty remarks in both the novel and film. Then again, he is played by Kevin Spacey.
* DefectiveDetective: Jack has completely forgotten why he wanted to be a cop in the first place, having chosen showbusiness over the law. He's a much worse case in the novel, being both corrupt and a murderer on top of his love of the spotlight ''Badge of Honor'' gets him. He was even worse in the past while on drugs, which led to him accidentally shooting a young couple dead.

* DiesWideOpen: [[spoiler:How he dies in the film.]]
* DirtyCop:
** Like many others, Vincennes is corrupt but not quite to the same extent as others. He busts criminals to help Sid Hudgens sell papers while boosting his own profile and making some cash on the side.
** He's much more corrupt in the book. He's murdered people in cold blood in the past to prove his loyalty, and he works as a bagman for Dudley Smith to help further his and Ellis Loew's plans via blackmail.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: For as homophobic and corrupt as Jack is, he's genuinely outraged that Timmy Valburn is cheating on Billy Dieterling with Bobby Inge.

* FakeUltimateHero: Thanks to Sid's articles, Jack is regarded as a local hero and he's admired by many for busting drug addicts and dealers alike. In reality, Jack is a wreck and a DirtyCop who has murdered severe people and his accomplishments are all part of a sleazy scheme to get publicity. He's even a semi-willing participant in Dudley Smith's schemes.

* FlatWhat: When Exley asks him about the Nite Owl killings.
* ForcedIntoEvil: Downplayed. Jack is plenty shady on his own and has murdered people of his own volition, but he participates in Dudley's schemes because of the blackmail material Dudley has on him.

* HeteronormativeCrusader: He's morally disgusted by gay people and views them as sexual deviants. He's mostly disgusted at first with Patchett's enterprise because he caters to gay people, and he's quite cruel to Timmy Valburn simply because of his sexuality.

* HisOwnWorstEnemy: Jack is ultimately his own worst enemy, and his self-destructive behavior is ultimately the reason for a lot of his suffering. Dudley wouldn't be able to blackmail him if he hadn't shown up to work high and accidentally shot an innocent couple, which causes him no end of suffering. And his unhealthy obsession with his own fame alienates everyone around him.
* {{Hypocrite}}: While working in Narcotics, he became addicted to drugs while still being tasked to hunt down drug dealers and drug addicts. He admittedly quit after accidentally killing two civilians during a drug trip, but he's still well-aware that if it were revealed he'd be ruined.
* InSeriesNickname: He's known as "Trashcan Jack" in the novel by his colleagues, for the time when he murdered a man and dumped the corpse in a dumpster.
* ItsAllAboutMe: He's perfectly willing to ruin people's lives for the crime of [[FelonyMisdemeanor smoking pot]] or [[HeteronormativeCrusader being gay]] if it helps him keep his fame. He only gets involved in the Nite Owl investigation because he was trying to find something to bring himself back into the spotlight - and then to try and find the blackmail material Sid has on him.

* KillerCop: He's a murderer several times over in the book. He murdered a perp and dumped his corpse in a trash can as part of some kind of initiation ritual into the LAPD, and he also accidentally murdered a young couple while in a drug-addled haze.
* ALighterShadeOfBlack: He's corrupt, but unlike most of the {{Dirty Cop}}s populating the LAPD, Jack is well-aware he's a horrible person and draws the line at wanton murder. In a world where torturing and flat-out executing people is common practice among the police, it makes him a relatively lesser evil.
* MayDecemberRomance: The middle-aged Jack strikes up a relationship with Karen Morrow, who is still in her twenties.
* MoralityPet: In the book, his girlfriend Karen Morrow brings out Jack's softer side and he actively tries to hide his sleazier activities from her because he doesn't want to disappoint her.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone:
** Not said, but his expression says it all after he finds [[spoiler:Matt Reynolds' body.]]
** In the novel, he's guilt-ridden over the murders he's committed. While he's especially horrified of having accidentally killed two civilians and sends their children money regularly, he's also regretful of having murdered a criminal as part of an initiation ritual.

* NobleBigotWithABadge: In the novel. Jack isn't particularly noble at first, but he's one of the few {{Dirty Cop}}s in the LAPD to feel guilty about what he is and he shies away from pointless murder and brutality. He eventually decides to do the right thing and try to redeem himself.
* NominalHero: He starts off as this in the novel. Jack isn't trying to expose the villains' plans for any altruistic reason, but because he thinks it will help rejuvenate his fading fame. He later shifts to trying to find the files Sid is blackmailing him with so the murders he's committed won't be exposed.
* OhCrap: While he keeps himself outwardly composed, internally Jack panics when he starts suspecting that Sid knows about Dudley's blackmail material and is threatening him to stay away from the Bobby Inge case.
* PoliceBrutality: He was involved in the Bloody Christmas assault, although only in as far as a single punch when one of the victims stained his suit with blood. It's still enough to have the brass blackmail him into testifying, though.
* PoliticallyIncorrectHero: In the novel, Jack refers to minorities primarily through racial slurs and shows some antisemitic attitudes, even calling Loew a slur when he brings Karen to watch Jack testify against his colleagues. He's also very homophobic and is irrationally disgusted by gay people.
* RecoveredAddict: Jack was formerly a junkie and an alcoholic, but he quit after he shot an innocent couple while drunk and high.

* SurprisinglySuddenDeath: Doubles as a Wham moment since it also reveals that [[spoiler: Captain Smith is the Big Bad.]]

* VillainWithGoodPublicity: Jack is famous in L.A. for his consultant role on ''Badge of Honor'' and his work in Narcotics, and he's widely regarded as a hero. In reality, Jack is a DirtyCop, blackmailer, and murderer obsessed with fame. He's also aware of this, and it's one of the reasons Jack hates himself so much.
* VillainousFriendship: Subverted. He gets along well with Sid Hudgens, but there's no real friendship between them and the two are simply using each other. In the book, Sid proves quite willing to threaten Jack when he starts becoming a threat to his plans and tries to blackmail him.

[[folder:Preston Exley]]
!!Preston Exley

Ed Exley's father. Preston is a former LAPD officer famous for capturing the Dr. Frankenstein killer, who capitalized on his fame and used it to become a construction magnate.

* AffablyEvil: Preston is a friendly, cultured man who is quite polite and well-mannered. [[spoiler:As Ed learns, he's also corrupt and got his position through moral compromises.]]
* DeathByAdaptation: He's a PosthumousCharacter in the film, having been merged with his late son Thomas Exley.
* OpportunisticBastard: He taught Ed to be as opportunistic as he was so he could succeed, and always encourages his son's ruthless careerism. Preston himself is just as ruthless as Ed, but has the charm to back it up.
* OutlivingOnesOffspring: His son Thomas was killed prior to the novel. Ed is well-aware Thomas was his father's favorite, fueling his desire to impress the man.
* ParentsAsPeople: He's a loving father to Ed, but it's clear to Ed that his late brother Thomas was his favorite and that Preston isn't satisfied with how stoic and uncharismatic Ed is.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Inez]]
!!Inez Soto
->'''Portrayed By:''' Marisol Padilla Sánchez

A student who is kidnapped and raped by the main suspects of the Nite Owl killings. Exley's attempts to verify their role in the massacre conflict with her want for vengeance.
----

* DemotedToExtra: Is one of the most important characters in the book but is in only a couple of scenes.
* FramingTheGuiltyParty: In the movie, knows that the police won't care about a young Mexican girl being raped, but will stop at nothing to kill the criminals if they think they killed six white people. So she goes along with the frame job to get justice. In the book, she does so to make Exley feel better. Later, she throws it back in his face.
* LyingToProtectYourFeelings: In the book, she tells him her rapists were involved in the Nite Owl murders.
* MalignedMixedMarriage: Ed Exley has a long affair with Inez Soto, who he meets during an investigation. He never marries her, because it's the 1950s, and marrying a Mexican woman would hurt his police career.
* ManipulativeBitch: Book only. However justified, she proceeds to play on Exley and Bud's feelings both to make herself feel better as well as lies about a murder investigation.
* TheMistress: Exley makes her this in the book and it feeds into her resentment of him as a lover.
* UngratefulBitch: Exley believes this of her given he's provided her a home and job as well as position. Inez believes this means he considers her just a whore.
* SympatheticAdulterer: Averted. While the book Inez has many reasons to resent Exley's treatment of her, she deliberately seeks out Bud White (the man Exley hates MOST) to have her affair as well as continues it for four years.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Rollo Tomassi]]
!!Rollo Tomassi

A purse-snatcher who killed Preston Exley years ago.
----

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Timmy Valburn]]
!!Timmy Valburn

An actor who voices Moochie Mouse and Billy Dieterling's boyfriend.
----
* AmbiguouslyEvil: It's left unclear at first if he's involved in something sinister, or if Timmy opposes Jack's investigation simply because he doesn't want his sexuality to be exposed.
* JerkassHasAPoint: Jack treats him as unreasonable for opposing his investigation, but Timmy's primary grievance is that he simply doesn't want his sexuality to be exposed.
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: He threatens to use his connections in Hollywood against Jack to stop him from exposing his sexuality.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Bobby Inge]]
!!Bobby Inge

A gay prostitute who distributes porn for Pierce Patchett.
----
* CombatPragmatist: When Jack tries to arrest him, Bobby escapes by throwing vodka in his face and running while Jack's distracted.
* SmallRoleBigImpact: He rarely appears onscreen, but Jack's pursuit of him causes him to start investigating with the villains' conspiracy.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Karen Morrow]]
!!Karen Morrow

Jack's idealistic girlfriend and later wife.
----
* BreakTheCutie: Karen starts off as idealistic and perky, but after marrying Jack she quickly becomes disillusioned with him and his self-destructive personality.
* BrokenPedestal: She idolizes Jack at first, but comes to gradually hate him after seeing the darker sides of his personality. [[spoiler:However, when he confesses his crimes to her, she appreciates his honesty and decides to try and save their marriage.]]
* WideEyedIdealist: She starts off as this, admiring Jack for stopping her from trying marijuana and viewing him as a hero. She becomes increasingly cynical over time.

!Dieterling Family

[[folder:Raymond Dieterling]]
!!Raymond Dieterling

A famous owner of an animation studio and Preston Exley's business partner.

* MrAltDisney: He's clearly inspired by Creator/WaltDisney, being the creator of an animation studio famous for its characters such as [[WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse Moochie Mouse]] and [[WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck Danny Duck]].

[[folder:Billy Dieterling]]
!!Billy Dieterling

Raymond's son and a closeted gay man.

!Other Characters

[[folder:Sid]]
!!Sid Hudgens
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/4428_23812.jpg]]
->'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/DannyDeVito

->''"Off the record, on the QT, and very hush-hush."''

The owner and paparazzi journalist to the gossip magazine "Hush-Hush" and an old acquaintance to Jack Vincennes. He uses his magazine to uncover Hollywood's biggest scandals but also takes part in blackmail.

* AffablyEvil: He's an amoral scumbag who doesn't give a damn whose life he ruins but he's got a sharp wit and Danny DeVito's natural charm, making him hard to dislike.
* {{Catchphrase}}: Catchphrase, tagline for his gossip magazine, same thing.
* DeadpanSnarker: He gets a lot of barbed lines, particularly while writing his column.
* FairWeatherFriend: To Jack Vincennes, and it most certainly goes both ways. They're very aware of the extent to which they're using each other. Sid isn't even particularly sad about the news of [[spoiler:Jack's death]].
* LackOfEmpathy: He doesn't care at all about the lives he ruins with his stories or the men killed during the gang wars he writes about.
* MrExposition: Sid sets up the film with his memorable opening narration.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Sid seems to been primarily based on [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Rushmore Howard Rushmore,]] writer for the real-life celebrity gossip magazine ''Confidential''.
* {{Paparazzi}}: He's a particularly nasty flavor of paparazzi scumbag, taking sadistic delight in ruining the lives and careers of other people, which he then profits off of.

[[folder:Loew]]
!!District Attorney Ellis Loew
->'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/RonRifkin

One of Los Angeles' most prominent district attorneys.

See ''Characters/TheLAQuartet''.

[[folder:Stompanato]]
!!Johnny Stompanato
->'''Portrayed By:''' Paolo Seganti

Mickey Cohen's chief enforcer.

See ''Characters/TheLAQuartet''.

[[folder:Matt]]
!!Matt Reynolds
->'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/SimonBaker

A movie only character that is busted for reefer possession before being blackmailed into doing favors for Sid and Jack.

* CompositeCharacter: He's a combination of Tammy Reynolds and Rock Rockwell (the kids Jack busts for smoking pot in the beginning) and Billy Dieterling (tragic young gay actor, whose life is ruined by one of the main detectives - Jack in the movie, Ed in the book).
* {{Gayngst}}: He could lose his career getting caught sleeping with a man, that is if he didn't get killed by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Yet even that has issues, as Jack notes homicide won't help him on the case due to the gay aspects.

[[folder:Preston Exley]]
!!Preston Exley

Ed Exley's father. Preston is a former LAPD officer famous for capturing the Dr. Frankenstein killer, who capitalized on his fame and used it to become a construction magnate.

* AffablyEvil: Preston is a friendly, cultured man who is quite polite and well-mannered. [[spoiler:As Ed learns, he's also corrupt and got his position through moral compromises.]]
* DeathByAdaptation: He's a PosthumousCharacter in the film, having been merged with his late son Thomas Exley.
* OpportunisticBastard: He taught Ed to be as opportunistic as he was so he could succeed, and always encourages his son's ruthless careerism. Preston himself is just as ruthless as Ed, but has the charm to back it up.
* OutlivingOnesOffspring: His son Thomas was killed prior to the novel. Ed is well-aware Thomas was his father's favorite, fueling his desire to impress the man.
* ParentsAsPeople: He's a loving father to Ed, but it's clear to Ed that his late brother Thomas was his favorite and that Preston isn't satisfied with how stoic and uncharismatic Ed is.

[[folder:Inez]]
!!Inez Soto
->'''Portrayed By:''' Marisol Padilla Sánchez

A student who is kidnapped and raped by the main suspects of the Nite Owl killings. Exley's attempts to verify their role in the massacre conflict with her want for vengeance.

* DemotedToExtra: Is one of the most important characters in the book but is in only a couple of scenes.
* FramingTheGuiltyParty: In the movie, knows that the police won't care about a young Mexican girl being raped, but will stop at nothing to kill the criminals if they think they killed six white people. So she goes along with the frame job to get justice. In the book, she does so to make Exley feel better. Later, she throws it back in his face.
* LyingToProtectYourFeelings: In the book, she tells him her rapists were involved in the Nite Owl murders.
* MalignedMixedMarriage: Ed Exley has a long affair with Inez Soto, who he meets during an investigation. He never marries her, because it's the 1950s, and marrying a Mexican woman would hurt his police career.
* ManipulativeBitch: Book only. However justified, she proceeds to play on Exley and Bud's feelings both to make herself feel better as well as lies about a murder investigation.
* TheMistress: Exley makes her this in the book and it feeds into her resentment of him as a lover.
* UngratefulBitch: Exley believes this of her given he's provided her a home and job as well as position. Inez believes this means he considers her just a whore.
* SympatheticAdulterer: Averted. While the book Inez has many reasons to resent Exley's treatment of her, she deliberately seeks out Bud White (the man Exley hates MOST) to have her affair as well as continues it for four years.

[[folder:Rollo Tomassi]]
!!Rollo Tomassi

A purse-snatcher who killed Preston Exley years ago.

* AllegoricalCharacter: In-story, he's Exley's representation of a KarmaHoudini.
* CanonForeigner: He's exclusive to the film because Preston Exley [[DeathByAdaptation is still alive in the book]].
* CopKiller: Murdered Preston Exley when the latter tried to stop him from robbing someone.
* InventedIndividual: The name Rollo Tomassi technically doesn't exist, but Exley invented the name to give him an identity.
* KarmaHoudini: He was never arrested or even identified.
* SmallRoleBigImpact: His murder of Preston Exley drove Preston's son Ed to become a cop, to catch those who think they can get away with crimes. The name itself becomes a ChekhovsGun when [[spoiler:Captain Smith mentions the name to Exley after Jack is murdered, tipping Exley off that Smith was involved because the only other person who knew about Rollo Tomassi was Jack]].

[[folder:Timmy Valburn]]
!!Timmy Valburn

An actor who voices Moochie Mouse and Billy Dieterling's boyfriend.

* AmbiguouslyEvil: It's left unclear at first if he's involved in something sinister, or if Timmy opposes Jack's investigation simply because he doesn't want his sexuality to be exposed.
* JerkassHasAPoint: Jack treats him as unreasonable for opposing his investigation, but Timmy's primary grievance is that he simply doesn't want his sexuality to be exposed.
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: He threatens to use his connections in Hollywood against Jack to stop him from exposing his sexuality.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Bobby Inge]]
!!Bobby Inge

A gay prostitute who distributes porn for Pierce Patchett.
----
* CombatPragmatist: When Jack tries to arrest him, Bobby escapes by throwing vodka in his face and running while Jack's distracted.
* SmallRoleBigImpact: He rarely appears onscreen, but Jack's pursuit of him causes him to start investigating with the villains' conspiracy.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Karen Morrow]]
!!Karen Morrow

Jack's idealistic girlfriend and later wife.
----

[[folder:Thad Green]]
!!Deputy Chief Thad Green

The deputy chief of the LAPD and Ed's superior.

* PoliticallyIncorrectHero: He's a ReasonableAuthorityFigure who throws around a few racial slurs, though he's horrified by the volume of Dudley's bigotry.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: He's one of the few officers to frown on using PoliceBrutality to get confessions, and he's quite supportive of Ed while still acknowledging how much his fellow officers dislike him. He also recognizes Dudley Smith is bad news specifically because of his racism, as well as trusting the kindly Russ Millard instead.

[[folder:Art De Spain]]
!!Lieutenant Arthur "Art" De Spain

Preston Exley's best friend and one of Ed's mentors.

* MentorInSourArmor: He's quite cynical about the LAPD and its office politics, and tries to dissuade Ed from being a ByTheBookCop. He still does his best to mentor him and help him succeed.

!Fleur-de-Lis

[[folder:Patchett]]
!!Pierce Morehouse Patchett
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/16637_23812.jpg]]
->'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/DavidStrathairn

->''"Well, we all want ''something''."''

A multimillionaire that owns a business of pornography and luxurious prostitution.

* AlliterativeName: '''P'''ierce '''P'''atchett.
* AnswersToTheNameOfGod: Befitting of his smug demeanor he jests about his stature when Bud's taken aback by the level of his HighClassCallGirl scheme.
-->'''Bud:''' Jesus fucking Christ!
-->'''Patchett:''' No, Mr. White, Pierce Morehouse Patchett.
* BadBoss: [[spoiler:Sets up a girl to have plastic surgery to become one of his call girls, then has her killed in the Nite Owl shooting with Dudley]].
* BigBadWannabe: Patchett is set up as a major figure in the LA crime world to fill the power vacuum but despite being [[spoiler:a partner to Dudley Smith, he's disposed of by Dudley to tie up loose ends and never even really faces the heroes]].
* {{Blackmail}}: His usual trick with politicians who frequent his brothels.
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: A businessman and millionaire known to be involved in prostitution and blackmail. To enrich himself further he's also [[spoiler:working with Dudley to take over organized crime in LA]].
* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:Subverted. Dudley's men try to make his death look as one, but Bud notices that two of his fingers are broken]].
* FauxAffablyEvil: Patchett never fails to act smugly polite to the officers who come to investigate him but he's so fake they can all see right through it. [[spoiler:And he's a criminal mastermind]].
* {{Fingore}}: [[spoiler:His broken fingers reveal that his death wasn't a suicide.]]
* FleurDeLis: The name of his escort agency for prostitutes that resemble Hollywood film stars.
* SmugSnake: Everyone can see through his faux friendly act but he constantly sees himself on top of the world with his money and connections. Too bad [[spoiler:his much more dangerous partner Dudley eventually deems him a liability and kills him to blame their joint crimes on Patchett]].
* WickedCultured: Lynn mentions that Pierce enjoys many of the finer things in life, and taught his girls how to dress and converse with their high-class johns.

[[folder:Lynn]]
!!Lynn Bracken
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/8c4c94bb_528c_4308_82bb_4865c232afd1.jpeg]]
->'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/KimBasinger

A beautiful blonde prostitute that works for Pierce Patchett's "Fleur-de-Lis", a company that provides customers with hookers that resemble Hollywood film stars. Lynn is the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veronica_Lake Veronica Lake]]. She falls in love with officer Bud White.

* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: Her wardrobe reflects a lot about her character. She wears black when she first meets Bud and is a suspect in Susan Lefferts' death, she wears soft greens and blues during her domestic scenes with Bud, she wears all white during the scene where she seduces Ed, and when she shows up at the end ready to leave for Arizona, she's dressed in a bright yellow amid the sea of blue at Ed's ceremony.
* FemmeFatale: A subversion. She is not really dark and her feelings towards Bud are sincere. The closest thing she does is seducing Edmund Exley [[spoiler:but it was all a part of the blackmail between Smith, Patchett and Hudgens]].
* HighClassCallGirl: Her luxurious prostitution job that makes her resemble a film star. In her case it's Veronica Lake.
* HookerWithAHeartOfGold: She's very loveable and caring, and has mutual romantic feelings with Bud White.
* ImportantHaircut: In the end, she cuts her hair to show her rejection of her former life.

!Dieterling Family

[[folder:Raymond Dieterling]]
!!Raymond Dieterling

A famous owner of an animation studio and Preston Exley's business partner.

* MrAltDisney: He's clearly inspired by Creator/WaltDisney, being the creator of an animation studio famous for its characters such as [[WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse Moochie Mouse]] and [[WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck Danny Duck]].

[[folder:Billy Dieterling]]
!!Billy Dieterling

Raymond's son and a closeted gay man.

!Other Characters

[[folder:Sid]]
!!Sid Hudgens
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/4428_23812.jpg]]
->'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/DannyDeVito

->''"Off the record, on the QT, and very hush-hush."''

The owner and paparazzi journalist to the gossip magazine "Hush-Hush" and an old acquaintance to Jack Vincennes. He uses his magazine to uncover Hollywood's biggest scandals but also takes part in blackmail.

* AffablyEvil: He's an amoral scumbag who doesn't give a damn whose life he ruins but he's got a sharp wit and Danny DeVito's natural charm, making him hard to dislike.
* {{Catchphrase}}: Catchphrase, tagline for his gossip magazine, same thing.
* DeadpanSnarker: He gets a lot of barbed lines, particularly while writing his column.
* FairWeatherFriend: To Jack Vincennes, and it most certainly goes both ways. They're very aware of the extent to which they're using each other. Sid isn't even particularly sad about the news of [[spoiler:Jack's death]].
* LackOfEmpathy: He doesn't care at all about the lives he ruins with his stories or the men killed during the gang wars he writes about.
* MrExposition: Sid sets up the film with his memorable opening narration.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Sid seems to been primarily based on [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Rushmore Howard Rushmore,]] writer for the real-life celebrity gossip magazine ''Confidential''.
* {{Paparazzi}}: He's a particularly nasty flavor of paparazzi scumbag, taking sadistic delight in ruining the lives and careers of other people, which he then profits off of.

[[folder:Loew]]
!!District Attorney Ellis Loew
->'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/RonRifkin

One of Los Angeles' most prominent district attorneys.

See ''Characters/TheLAQuartet''.

[[folder:Stompanato]]
!!Johnny Stompanato
->'''Portrayed By:''' Paolo Seganti

Mickey Cohen's chief enforcer.

See ''Characters/TheLAQuartet''.

[[folder:Matt]]
!!Matt Reynolds
->'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/SimonBaker

A movie only character that is busted for reefer possession before being blackmailed into doing favors for Sid and Jack.

* CompositeCharacter: He's a combination of Tammy Reynolds and Rock Rockwell (the kids Jack busts for smoking pot in the beginning) and Billy Dieterling (tragic young gay actor, whose life is ruined by one of the main detectives - Jack in the movie, Ed in the book).
* {{Gayngst}}: He could lose his career getting caught sleeping with a man, that is if he didn't get killed by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Yet even that has issues, as Jack notes homicide won't help him on the case due to the gay aspects.

[[folder:Preston Exley]]
!!Preston Exley

Ed Exley's father. Preston is a former LAPD officer famous for capturing the Dr. Frankenstein killer, who capitalized on his fame and used it to become a construction magnate.

* AffablyEvil: Preston is a friendly, cultured man who is quite polite and well-mannered. [[spoiler:As Ed learns, he's also corrupt and got his position through moral compromises.]]
* DeathByAdaptation: He's a PosthumousCharacter in the film, having been merged with his late son Thomas Exley.
* OpportunisticBastard: He taught Ed to be as opportunistic as he was so he could succeed, and always encourages his son's ruthless careerism. Preston himself is just as ruthless as Ed, but has the charm to back it up.
* OutlivingOnesOffspring: His son Thomas was killed prior to the novel. Ed is well-aware Thomas was his father's favorite, fueling his desire to impress the man.
* ParentsAsPeople: He's a loving father to Ed, but it's clear to Ed that his late brother Thomas was his favorite and that Preston isn't satisfied with how stoic and uncharismatic Ed is.

[[folder:Inez]]
!!Inez Soto
->'''Portrayed By:''' Marisol Padilla Sánchez

A student who is kidnapped and raped by the main suspects of the Nite Owl killings. Exley's attempts to verify their role in the massacre conflict with her want for vengeance.

* DemotedToExtra: Is one of the most important characters in the book but is in only a couple of scenes.
* FramingTheGuiltyParty: In the movie, knows that the police won't care about a young Mexican girl being raped, but will stop at nothing to kill the criminals if they think they killed six white people. So she goes along with the frame job to get justice. In the book, she does so to make Exley feel better. Later, she throws it back in his face.
* LyingToProtectYourFeelings: In the book, she tells him her rapists were involved in the Nite Owl murders.
* MalignedMixedMarriage: Ed Exley has a long affair with Inez Soto, who he meets during an investigation. He never marries her, because it's the 1950s, and marrying a Mexican woman would hurt his police career.
* ManipulativeBitch: Book only. However justified, she proceeds to play on Exley and Bud's feelings both to make herself feel better as well as lies about a murder investigation.
* TheMistress: Exley makes her this in the book and it feeds into her resentment of him as a lover.
* UngratefulBitch: Exley believes this of her given he's provided her a home and job as well as position. Inez believes this means he considers her just a whore.
* SympatheticAdulterer: Averted. While the book Inez has many reasons to resent Exley's treatment of her, she deliberately seeks out Bud White (the man Exley hates MOST) to have her affair as well as continues it for four years.

[[folder:Rollo Tomassi]]
!!Rollo Tomassi

A purse-snatcher who killed Preston Exley years ago.

* AllegoricalCharacter: In-story, he's Exley's representation of a KarmaHoudini.
* CanonForeigner: He's exclusive to the film because Preston Exley [[DeathByAdaptation is still alive in the book]].
* CopKiller: Murdered Preston Exley when the latter tried to stop him from robbing someone.
* InventedIndividual: The name Rollo Tomassi technically doesn't exist, but Exley invented the name to give him an identity.
* KarmaHoudini: He was never arrested or even identified.
* SmallRoleBigImpact: His murder of Preston Exley drove Preston's son Ed to become a cop, to catch those who think they can get away with crimes. The name itself becomes a ChekhovsGun when [[spoiler:Captain Smith mentions the name to Exley after Jack is murdered, tipping Exley off that Smith was involved because the only other person who knew about Rollo Tomassi was Jack]].

[[folder:Timmy Valburn]]
!!Timmy Valburn

An actor who voices Moochie Mouse and Billy Dieterling's boyfriend.

* AmbiguouslyEvil: It's left unclear at first if he's involved in something sinister, or if Timmy opposes Jack's investigation simply because he doesn't want his sexuality to be exposed.
* JerkassHasAPoint: Jack treats him as unreasonable for opposing his investigation, but Timmy's primary grievance is that he simply doesn't want his sexuality to be exposed.
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: He threatens to use his connections in Hollywood against Jack to stop him from exposing his sexuality.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Bobby Inge]]
!!Bobby Inge

A gay prostitute who distributes porn for Pierce Patchett.
----
* CombatPragmatist: When Jack tries to arrest him, Bobby escapes by throwing vodka in his face and running while Jack's distracted.
* SmallRoleBigImpact: He rarely appears onscreen, but Jack's pursuit of him causes him to start investigating with the villains' conspiracy.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Karen Morrow]]
!!Karen Morrow

Jack's idealistic girlfriend and later wife.
----

A veteran LAPD police captain highly regarded by his fellow policemen and the public though he does some dirty duties in the dark.