Why John Grant Is My Favorite Profiler Character Someone asked me, "Why John? Why is he your fav character?" And I wrote them this response.
Oooh...big question. Once I would have dumbly said, "He's played by Julian McMahon," but I didn't have to have my feelings dismissed as mere lust more than once to learn not to do that. I think it's really how similar I feel we are, his capacity to be very funny, and his capacity to be very sensitive. I mean John is originally from Boston, and I'm from New England. He likes baseball even less than I do. We both like basketball. (I had a dream during March Madness that was just John and I watching March Madness together. There wasn't any more to it then that.) Jack calls him the clown, and Marcus has to help him deal with the people killed at the hotel by the fire bombing there.
I like this description of John that Julian gives -
I think the best way to describe John Grant is that he's sort of like an Everyman. He's the type of guy who can look at these crimes and say, "Jesus, this is pretty screwed up." He tries to deal with it as a human being and that can be through jokes, or trying not to take it as seriously perhaps as some of his co-workers, or in some cases by taking it a bit too seriously.
John's a crusader. He really wants to get the bad guys, no matter what, and I think that's what drives him. He's had a difficult life and towards the end of first season we started to find out a little bit about his past. He's trying to block out all those bad memories by working sixteen hours a day and really throwing himself into his job. He can be a bit of a workaholic. This guy just has so many sides to him. One minute he's the smart ass, then he's the funny guy, and sometimes you turn around and he's being very sensitive and emotional about things.
More, however dumb they may have John act at times, he isn't dumb. He can't be. You have to have a college degree to become a Special Agent of the FBI. And, if the degree isn't in Law or Accounting, you have to be fluent in a language they want or have years of experience in your field of work. John is bright, funny, and sensitive. Of course as far as the other guys go...
Bailey likes opera, he smokes cigars, and rides a Harley. Not selling points to me.
George is Jewish, gay, and I've seen his mother. I like George, but...
Jack...completely aside from the homicidal part (which isn't entirely a deal buster for me) there's his God complex. As finely honed as I can get mine I can't compete with his. And I'd shoot him a lot faster than Sam did.
Nathan, I like him, and I like his wife.
Marcus, I'm with John he needs to cut back on his caffeine.
Coop, John may have a personal reason for disliking the ATF, but it doesn't make them any less cowboys.