While most people dread the idea of meeting an FBI agent in real life, those portrayed in fiction are beloved for their airtight focus on solving crime. Many FBI agents have been portrayed in TV and movies over the years, but some rise above for just how believable they are.
As such, let’s meet some of the most famous fictional FBI agents ever to grace the screen. (For real FBI investigations, discover the biggest cases ever investigated by the FBI.)
To compile a list of the most famous fictional FBI agents, 24/7 Tempo consulted a range of film and movie websites including IMBD and WatchMojo. Next, we selected portrayals from the widest range of eras as well as those that had the biggest cultural impact. After that, we confirmed plot points and other character information using sites like FBI.gov.
Joe Pistone – “Donnie Brasco”
One of the most famous fictional FBI agents is Joe Pistone (played by Johnny Depp) from the classic mob movie “Donnie Brasco.” The FBI sends him to infiltrate the powerful but shadowy Bonanno Crime Family in New York City. To fit in, Pistone fashions himself a jewel thief to get into the mob’s good graces. It goes a little too well, in fact, and it soon forces Pistone to draw the line between agent and criminal.
Unlike other characters on this list, Joe Pistone was a real undercover agent who successfully infiltrated the Bonannos and helped bring many members to justice. After his time in the FBI, he wrote an explosive book about the experience. After that, it was optioned into what would become the classic mob movie “Donnie Brasco.”
Clarice Starling – “The Silence of the Lambs”
When Agent Clarice Starling graced the screen in “The Silence of the Lambs” she was something of a revelation. Played by Jodie Foster, she was the first strong and capable female FBI agent to be depicted in modern movies. Consequently, she was tasked with a seemingly impossible task. She had to charm a cannibalistic, genius-level IQ serial killer into helping her solve a string of unsolved murders.
Foster’s portrayal of Starling was an instant success. What’s more, it ranked in various publication lists of the best movie characters of all time. The role of Starling and the movie were so successful, that it spawned multiple sequels and adaptations. These include Julianne Moore as Clarice Starling in “Hannibal,” and the CBS show “Clarice.”
Dana Scully – “The X-Files”
“The X-Files” was a hugely popular and long-running show on Fox, and no one cut a bolder character than Dana Scully (played by Gillian Anderson). Both a Special Agent in the FBI and a medical doctor, Scully was one half of a duo tasked with solving strange, unexplainable, and paranormal cases. Though she starts the series as the resident skeptic, within a couple of seasons she’s seen enough to convert her into a believer.
Anderson’s portrayal of Scully was so successful it spawned something of a cottage industry. Not only did she win numerous awards for acting in the show, but her titular role is a common choice for female cosplayers today. There is even “The Scully Effect”, which is the noticeable increase in women pursuing law enforcement and medicinal careers due to the character.
Fox Mulder – “The X-Files”
The other half of the famed paranormal investigation duo was Fox Mulder (played by David Duchovny). Compared to Scully’s skepticism, Mulder is the true believer. He’s willing to track down even the strangest case and bring some semblance of justice. What’s more, Mulder believes so much in the X-File that it becomes his life’s work.
Duchovny’s portrayal of Fox Mulder earned him numerous awards including two Emmy Awards. Beyond that, Mulder was the first FBI Agent on screen that more unconventional people could relate to. Compared to the usually stuffy portrayals of G-men, Mulder was strange, if not esoteric, and didn’t let bureaucracy get in the way of the truth.
Dale Cooper – “Twin Peaks”
In many ways, Dale Cooper in “Twin Peaks” is the spiritual twin of Fox Mulder. Portrayed by Kyle MacLachlan, Cooper goes to a sleepy little mountain town to investigate the murder of a teenage girl. Soon, however, he finds himself in a mind-bending adventure against the forces of darkness as he attempts to solve the case.
Though he prioritizes finding concrete evidence to solve the murder, Cooper is not above meditating on concepts and interpreting spiritual visions to find out the real story. Though MacLachlan never won awards for his portrayal, the show was a cult hit. This helped Cooper return in various iterations of “Twin Peaks.” What’s more, MacLachlan played a strand of Cooper for “Saturday Night Live.”
(For portrayals of the criminals these agents try to catch, discover the most memorable career criminals in TV history.)
Gracie Hart – “Miss Congeniality”
Perhaps the funniest portrayal of a fictional FBI agent is Gracie Hart (played by Sandra Bullock) in “Miss Congeniality.” Hart is a tough FBI female agent tasked with stopping a domestic terrorist from attacking a beauty pageant. To do this, Hart must eschew her tomboy nature and go undercover as a believable beauty queen.
A classic fish-out-of-water portrayal, Gracie Hart in “Miss Congeniality” is funny, curt, and an effective investigator. Though the movie received mixed reviews, Hart has come to typify a certain role that is endearing and empowering. For her portrayal, Bullock was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.
Eliot Ness – “The Untouchables”
Another one of the most famous fictional FBI agents is Eliot Ness. Portrayed by various actors in different adaptations of the same source material, Ness is a hard-nosed agent adept at the cat-and-mouse game of crime. He doggedly pursues his suspects with an iron will and steady focus until he gets his man.
Like Joe Pistone, Eliot Ness was a real special agent in the precursor to the FBI. As part of a team picked for their incorruptibility, Ness helped indict and arrest countless mob figures including Al Capone. Upon retirement, he wrote a memoir about his time as an agent. This spawned numerous television and movie portrayals, most notably with Brian De Palma’s movie “The Untouchables.”
Sean Archer – “Face/Off”
One of the most famous fictional FBI agents, and perhaps the strangest, is Sean Archer in “Face/Off.” Played by John Travolta, Archer continually pursues his nemesis, Castor Troy. After Troy sets a bomb to go off in Los Angeles before falling into a coma, Archer undergoes an experimental face-swap surgery. This allows him to impersonate Troy and find the bomb before it’s too late.
Legendary director John Woof was given major creative control for “Face/Off.” It’s a good thing too, as the movie is quite unlike any other crime drama that came before it. Archer is a unique FBI agent as he dissolves into a kaleidoscope of interpretation. After the face swap, the viewer can never be quite sure who is who. This makes for a gripping portrayal.
Johnny Utah – “Point Break”
Another one of the most famous fictional FBI agents is Johnny Utah in “Point Break.” Played by a young Keanu Reeves, Utah goes undercover as a righteous surfer to infiltrate a group of bank robbers known for wearing President masks. Though his cover is almost blown, Utah uses his quick thinking and careful eye to bring the group of surfers to justice.
Perhaps the most unique portrayal of an FBI agent undercover, “Point Break” is a visceral yet philosophical triumph. With Utah as its rational lens, the film manages to transform him into a tubular surfer without breaking immersion. It’s a reflective and physical movie, and agent Johnny Utah ties the film together.
Holden Ford – “Mindhunter”
Another one of the most famous fictional FBI agents is Holden Ford in the Netflix series “Mindhunter.” A young but sophisticated agent, Ford helps revitalize the agency’s Behavior Science Unit. Seeking to understand the mind of a killer better, Ford brazenly enters prisons and talks with convicted serial killers to understand their mindstate and use that information to solve new cases.
Though Ford is played by Jonathan Groff in the show, the real “Mindhunter” was an FBI agent named John Douglas. Douglas helped create the BSU and interviewed countless killers during his time in the FBI. What makes the character of Holden Ford so effective is he retains that sense of analysis while catapulting the portrayal into gutsy glory. If you prefer portrayals of a more “smoke and mirrors” variety, discover the most famous spies in fiction.)