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Valentin Narcisse | |
---|---|
Boardwalk Empire character | |
First appearance | "Resignation" |
Last appearance | "Eldorado" |
Portrayed by | Jeffrey Wright |
In-universe information | |
Gender | Male |
Dr. Valentin Narcisse is a fictional character from the HBO TV series Boardwalk Empire , portrayed by Jeffrey Wright. He is a prominent and highly educated underworld figure based in Harlem, New York and a Black nationalist orator, active in Marcus Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association.
Narcisse was based on Casper Holstein, a prominent New York City African-American organized crime figure from the Danish West Indies, who ultimately became the biggest and first massive numbers-runner in Harlem during the Harlem Renaissance. [1]
Narcisse was the driving force behind the downfall of the few sympathetic characters on Boardwalk Empire, particularly Albert "Chalky" White (Michael K. Williams) and Daughter Maitland (Margot Bingham). His motivations often stem from the need to be right or the thrill of antagonizing people, and he is one of the few characters to never be shown in a good light. Although Wright joined the cast during the show's penultimate season, his character is often cited as one of the series' best villains. [2] [3]
Jeffrey Wright is an American actor. He has received numerous accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, a Tony Award, and a Golden Globe Award, in addition to a nomination for an Academy Award. Wright began his career in theater where he gained prominence for his role in the Broadway production of Tony Kushner's Angels in America (1993), for which he won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play. He reprised his role in the acclaimed 2003 HBO miniseries adaptation, earning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie.
Casper Holstein was a prominent New York mobster involved in the Harlem "numbers rackets" during the Harlem Renaissance.
Boardwalk Empire is an American period crime drama television series created by Terence Winter and broadcast on the premium cable channel HBO. The series is set chiefly in Atlantic City, New Jersey, during the Prohibition era of the 1920s and stars Steve Buscemi as Nucky Thompson. Winter, a Primetime Emmy Award-winning screenwriter and producer, created the show, inspired by Nelson Johnson's 2002 non-fiction book Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City, about the historical criminal kingpin Enoch L. Johnson.
Enoch Malachi "Nucky" Thompson is a fictional character and the protagonist of the HBO TV series Boardwalk Empire, portrayed by Steve Buscemi. Nucky is loosely based on former Atlantic City, New Jersey political figure Enoch Lewis "Nucky" Johnson.
The fourth season of the HBO television series Boardwalk Empire premiered on September 8, 2013, and concluded on November 24, 2013, consisting of 12 episodes. The series was created by Terence Winter and based on the book Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times and Corruption of Atlantic City by Nelson Johnson. Set in Atlantic City, New Jersey, during the Prohibition era, the series stars Steve Buscemi as Enoch "Nucky" Thompson, a political figure who rose to prominence and controlled Atlantic City, New Jersey, during the Prohibition period of the 1920s and early 1930s. The fourth season takes place between February and August, 1924. The fourth season was released on DVD and Blu-ray in region 1 on August 19, 2014.
Richard Harrow is a fictional character on the television series Boardwalk Empire, played by the actor Jack Huston.
Giuseppe Colombano "Gyp" Rosetti is a character in the HBO TV series Boardwalk Empire, portrayed by Bobby Cannavale. Rosetti is a New York City gangster who works for Joe Masseria. Hot-headed, easily offended and prone to bouts of extreme violence, he is the primary antagonist of the series’ third season.
The fifth and final season of the HBO television series Boardwalk Empire premiered on September 7, 2014, and concluded on October 26, 2014, consisting of 8 episodes. The series was created by Terence Winter and based on the book Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times and Corruption of Atlantic City by Nelson Johnson. Set in Atlantic City, New Jersey, during the Prohibition era, the series stars Steve Buscemi as Enoch "Nucky" Thompson, a political figure who rose to prominence and controlled Atlantic City, New Jersey, during the Prohibition period of the 1920s and early 1930s. The fifth season takes place between April and October 1931, seven years after the previous season, during the Great Depression, with flashbacks to 1884 and 1897 detailing Nucky's childhood and young adulthood. On January 13, 2015, the fifth season was made available on DVD and Blu-ray in region 1.
"Resignation" is the second episode of the fourth season of the American period crime drama television series Boardwalk Empire. It is the 38th overall episode of the series and was written by consulting producer Dennis Lehane and executive producer Howard Korder, and directed by Alik Sakharov. It was released on HBO on September 15, 2013.
"Acres of Diamonds" is the third episode of the fourth season of the American period crime drama television series Boardwalk Empire. It is the 39th overall episode of the series and was written by series creator Terence Winter, and directed by Allen Coulter. It was released on HBO on September 22, 2013.
"The North Star" is the sixth episode of the fourth season of the American period crime drama television series Boardwalk Empire. It is the 42nd overall episode of the series and was written by Eric Overmyer and executive producer Howard Korder, and directed by Allen Coulter. It was released on HBO on October 13, 2013.
"William Wilson" is the seventh episode of the fourth season of the American period crime drama television series Boardwalk Empire. It is the 43rd overall episode of the series and was written by David Matthews and series creator Terence Winter, and directed by Jeremy Podeswa. It was released on HBO on October 20, 2013.
"The Old Ship of Zion" is the eighth episode of the fourth season of the American period crime drama television series Boardwalk Empire. It is the 44th overall episode of the series and was written by Christine Chambers and executive producer Howard Korder, and directed by executive producer Tim Van Patten. It was released on HBO on October 27, 2013.
"Marriage and Hunting" is the ninth episode of the fourth season of the American period crime drama television series Boardwalk Empire. It is the 45th overall episode of the series and was written by David Matthews, Jennifer Ames, and Steve Turner, and directed by Ed Bianchi. It was released on HBO on November 3, 2013.
"White Horse Pike" is the tenth episode of the fourth season of the American period crime drama television series Boardwalk Empire. It is the 46th overall episode of the series and was written by Dave Flebotte, and directed by Jake Paltrow. It was released on HBO on November 10, 2013.
"Havre de Grace" is the eleventh episode of the fourth season of the American period crime drama television series Boardwalk Empire. It is the 47th overall episode of the series and was written by executive producer Howard Korder, and directed by Allen Coulter. It was released on HBO on November 17, 2013.
"Farewell Daddy Blues" is the twelfth episode and season finale of the fourth season of the American period crime drama television series Boardwalk Empire. It is the 48th overall episode of the series and was written by series creator Terence Winter and executive producer Howard Korder, and directed by executive producer Tim Van Patten. It was released on HBO on November 24, 2013.
"What Jesus Said" is the third episode of the fifth season of the American period crime drama television series Boardwalk Empire. It is the 51st overall episode of the series and was written by Christine Chambers and executive producer Howard Korder, and directed by Ed Bianchi. It was released on HBO on September 21, 2014.
"King of Norway" is the fifth episode of the fifth season of the American period crime drama television series Boardwalk Empire. It is the 53rd overall episode of the series and was written by Steve Kornacki, and directed by Ed Bianchi. It was released on HBO on October 5, 2014.
"Devil You Know" is the sixth episode of the fifth season of the American period crime drama television series Boardwalk Empire. It is the 54th overall episode of the series and was written by executive producer Howard Korder, and directed by Jeremy Podeswa. It was released on HBO on October 12, 2014.
The most dangerous villains are also the most charismatic, and newcomer Dr. Valentin Narcisse is no exception. The Trinidad native and Marcus Garvey supporter presents himself as an early proponent of African-American civil rights, but in reality, he's a merciless killer who deeply lacks any sort of empathy. He brutally lynched a bigoted white woman who displeased him, and in one of the season's biggest twists, it's revealed that Narcisse murdered Daughter Maitland's prostitute mother before taking the eventual blues singer under his wing. Narcisse's grasp of Atlantic City's Northside – and his subsequent war with Chalky White – has been one of the most riveting story lines of the season, and the Season Four finale is certain to be a real nail-biter as the two men prepare for a showdown.