Gotham has given us many Batman villains but not nearly enough heroes. One of the most egregiously missing characters so far has been Bruce Wayne's coworker Lucius Fox. That is, until now — Lucius Fox is coming to Gotham, played by Chris Chalk. According to the official description of the Gotham's version of the character released by Deadline, we're meeting him in a familiar place.
Lucius Fox is Wayne Enterprises’ resident tech genius. In a corporation shadowed by nefarious dealings, Fox emerges as a moral beacon for young Bruce Wayne. His desire to help Bruce uphold Thomas Wayne’s legacy eventually will earn him a spot as one of the boy’s most important confidants.
Most of us remember Lucius Fox as he was played by Morgan Freeman in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. The character ultimately becomes the CEO of Wayne Industries and supplies Bruce Wayne with all of his gadgets. Will Chris Chalk do this epic character justice? Judging by his resume, I don't think we need to be worried. He was nominated for a Drama Desk Award in 2010 for his performance in Fences on Broadway, and chances are that you'll recognize Chalk from one of his screen roles as well.
12 Years A Slave
Soloman Northup encounters many people on his Academy Award winning odyssey, but you're sure to remember Chris Chalk's character Clemons Ray. The two were captured together, and it is Clemons who warns Soloman not to let anyone know that he can read and write. It is to Clemons that Soloman delivers the famous line "I don't want to survive. I want to live." The are ultimately separated. You can watch their scenes in the (NSFW due to language) clip above.
The Newsroom
This is easily one of my favorite cold opens of all time (also NSFW briefly for language). Chalk played Gary Cooper on the HBO series. The character's name was supposed to be a joke that Aaron Sorkin thought would resonate with a modern audience. Still, Cooper worked in the newsroom as an associate producer and booker. He accompanied Allison Pill's character to Uganda.
Homeland
Chris Chalk's character on Homeland, Tom Walker, was mentioned more often than seen. Remember Tom Walker from Season 1? He was Brody's fellow soldier and was presumed dead. We believed that Brody himself killed him under the orders of his captors and then learned that Walker had been brainwashed and was working for Abu Nazir as well.
Everything Else
Those are Chris Chalk's most recognizable roles for the casual film and television fan. Like any good stage actor in New York, you've probably seen him on a handful of Law & Order episodes. He also had a small part in Rent (just over a minute into the clip above — yes I do know Rent that well), Justified, Sons of Anarchy, Being Flynn and Before the Devil Knows You're Dead. I can't wait to see what he brings to the role of Lucius Fox on Gotham!
