You love Ray Donovan and don’t miss a second of the show, but have you ever stopped to wonder whether there are people like him outside of the story? The answer is a curt but confident yes.
Fixers and Hollywood are practically synonymous and were particularly prevalent in the ‘40s and ‘50s. One such man was Anthony Pellicano, who horded enough explosives in his office to blow up a commercial airliner and tapped the phones of stars such as Sylvester Stallone and Tom Cruise.
Eddie Mannix and Fred Otash are another couple of fixers you would not have wanted to mess with. They served as inspiration for the creation of Ray Donovan, and the dirty deeds they got up to is enough to raise hairs on the back of your neck and send a chill down your spine.
On a lighter note of this dark topic, we decided to take a look at some of the best fixers on television and in movies.
(spoiler alert!)
Olivia Pope, The Fixer
In the U.S. the show is titled Scandal, but in order to avoid confusion with SA’s local soapie, the show was retitled. Good thing too, as it’s far more descriptive and highlights its key character: Olivia Pope. Played by Kerry Washington, Pope cleans up messes and buries truths. Her mediums are blackmail, manipulation, and outsourcing violence, making her a Ray Donovan of sorts for the White House.
Winston Wolfe, Pulp Fiction
When Vincent accidentally shoots Marvin in the head in Jules’ car, the pair needs someone to clean up their very literal mess...and fast. Enter: The Wolf.
Michael Clayton, Michael Clayton
Sharp, shrewd, smart and savvy, Michael Clayton is a lawyer who does whatever dirty work his employer demands, getting clients out of nasty scrapes by manoeuvring his way around the legal system’s loopholes.
Blake, Glengarry Glen Ross
The stony silence that many fixers employ can be intimidating, but they can deliver a vicious verbal slaying just as well. Alec Baldwin’s brutal delivery as Blake in Glengarry Glen Ross is a pinnacle of oral assault, as he shakes up a foursome of salesmen.
Ray Donovan, Ray Donovan
Finally, the Southie fixer living and working in L.A. cleaning up the messes of actors, athletes and executives alike. Ray Donovan is the personification of cool, calm and collected; but he’s not without his weaknesses. It’s these very flaws that turn him into an irresistible anti-hero, and make him dangerously unpredictable.
Which fictional fixer is your favourite?