Primary Characters
| Name | Actor/actress | Starring seasons | Recurring seasons | Episode count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olivia Dunham | Anna Torv (adult), Ada Berker and Karley Scott Collins (young girl) | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | — | 99 |
| Olivia Dunham is a young FBI agent assigned to a multi-agency task force of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security called the "Fringe division". She is brought aboard the Fringe division after her boyfriend and fellow agent, John Scott, dies in a Fringe-related case. As the series progresses she comes to learn that, as a child, she was a test subject for Walter's Cortexiphan trials, giving her some weak psycho-kinetic abilities including the ability to cross between the universes. Over the course of the show Olivia develops a romantic relationship with Peter.
The Other Universe version of Olivia Dunham, dubbed by the prime universe as Fauxlivia, is an agent of the alternate and more powerful Fringe division. As of the end of season 2, Fauxlivia is sent to the prime universe by Walternate, taking Olivia's place without the knowledge of the Bishops, and maintains a close relationship with Peter for unknown reasons; this ultimately puts stress on Olivia and Peter's own relationship. Eventually, she is brought back to the parallel world after completing her mission in the prime one. Fauxlivia has also been nicknamed, unofficially, Altivia, Alt-Olivia, Otherlivia, and Bolivia. In the episode "Immortality," Fauxlivia is revealed to be pregnant with Peter Bishop's child, which Walternate hopes to use to sway Peter back to the Other Universe. The alternate Olivia gives birth to a son in the episode "Bloodline". In the episode "6:02 AM EST" it is revealed that she has named the baby Henry. Walternate uses a sample of the baby's blood to activate the machine to destroy the other universe. For several episodes, Torv also played a third role, that of Olivia possessed by the mind of William Bell, which has been dubbed "Bellivia" by reviewers. In this, she simulates Nimoy's raspy voice and mannerisms used in the portrayal of Bell. |
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| Peter Bishop | Joshua Jackson (as adult), Quinn Lord, Nico Ghisi and Chandler Canterbury (as young Peter) | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | — | 100 |
| Peter Bishop is the son of mad scientist Walter Bishop, and a member of the Fringe division. In the show's second season it is revealed that Peter is actually from a parallel universe from where he had been kidnapped by Walter after this universe's version of Peter died at a young age. He is a genius with an I.Q. of 190, a college drop-out with gambling debts, and a jack-of-all-trades. In the second season two-part finale "Over There", and a major plot element of the third season, Peter is found to be the only person that can cause a reaction from an apparent doomsday device that Walternate has assembled in the parallel universe and that is currently being assembled in the prime world. | ||||
| Walter Bishop | John Noble | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | — | 100 |
| Walter Bishop is a former government researcher into fringe science with a recorded I.Q. of 196. He was institutionalized after a lab accident which resulted in manslaughter charges. Having been locked up for 17 years in a mental institute prior to becoming assigned to the Fringe division, Walter often expresses wonder at modern technology, and seems to be disconnected from the world, sometimes leaving his son to decode his rantings for others. He often says things which seem so obvious that no one else wants to say (or thinks necessary) and tends to burst into song while working, as he believes it helps him think. He is also known to eat or drink while working on a body, no matter how disgusting everyone else thinks it is. He seems to derive joy from both these quirks. He is the archetypal mad scientist.
The Other Universe version of Walter Bishop, nicknamed Walternate, is the United States Secretary of Defense, and directly oversees the alternate and more powerful Fringe division. He is the main antagonist of the third season. Walternate also serves as the immediate superior to the shapeshifters, with their leader—Thomas Jerome Newton—being extremely loyal and protective of him (possibly being friends). Walternate, making arrangements through Newton and other shapeshifters, successfully traveled to the prime universe, and was later brought to see Peter for the first time since he was taken by his counterpart. Walternate convinces Peter to return home to the Other Universe, though he later goes back, though not before Walternate appears to have Olivia replaced by her own counterpart, as part of an unknown plan regarding Peter. |
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Read more about this topic: List Of Fringe Characters
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