Denny Crane

Grew up… the son of prominent lawyer. Denny Crane was primed for legal greatness from a young age.

Living… out his twilight years as a founding partner at the powerful legal firm Crane, Poole & Schmidt. Unwilling to let his advanced age slow him down, Denny lives like a much younger man, and can be counted on to consistently carouse and womanize.

Profession… founding partner at Crane, Poole & Schmidt. In his prime, Denny Crane was a legendary lawyer, and he purports to have never lost a case (he claims a record of 6,024-0). He used to be one of the most brilliant attorneys in the world, but as he’s gotten older he’s become the greatest liability in the world. Unapologetic, prone to sexual harassment, and happy to shoot someone to solve his problems, this aging law partner is more likely to cause a lawsuit than to resolve one.

Interests… Denny Crane, guns, Alan Shore, and did we mention Denny Crane? Denny loves to talk about himself, and frequently repeats his name over and over again throughout a conversation. Denny claims this eccentricity is because people can’t believe they are in the same room as the legendary Denny Crane, and so he has to remind them. A staunch conservative, Denny Crane can frequently be found extolling the virtues of assault weapons, although he doesn’t let political beliefs stand in the way of his close friendship with his colleague Alan Shore, a bleeding heart liberal.

Relationship status… divorced nine times, but willing to risk drifting into the double digits. An incorrigible womanizer, Denny Crane loses girlfriends and wives almost as fast as he accrues them. His most stable and valued relationship is his friendship with Alan Shore. The two set aside “special time” every night to drink scotch, smoke cigars, and reflect on their many triumphs. While both men are aggressively straight, they frequently speak of their love for each other, and are borderline inseparable.

Challenge… getting older. Denny Crane spent most of his life as an indomitable force, in and outside the courtroom. Now he that he’s beginning to suffer from “mad cow” disease (which looks suspiciously like the onset of Alzheimer’s), he finds that the sharp wits that have steered him through his whole life are disappearing. Like Muhammad Ali after his prime, Denny Crane has to learn to accept that while he might be a legend, his time on top of the podium is coming to an end.

Personality… confident, crude, irreverent, and stubborn. Denny Crane elicits either love or hatred from everyone he meets – no one is left without an opinion. Denny Crane is flexible with his principles when it comes to representing clients, but is firmly committed to his scruples in his private life. While he’s usually sunny and utterly sure of his own importance, Denny is fearful of growing older, although he only expresses these doubts to Alan Shore.