Teddy Daniels

Living… in the shadow of World War II. Teddy is a resident of Boston in the early ‘50s.

Visiting… Shutter Island. It’s the secluded location of Ashecliffe hospital, which is designated specifically for the criminally insane.

Profession… federal marshal. Teddy and his new partner Chuck Aule are tasked with investigating the disappearance of an inmate on the island, who seems to have vanished into thin air. Teddy is glad to come, because he has some personal business to attend to on the island, but his partner is more suspicious of the island suddenly requiring their help: “Luck doesn’t work that way, boss.”

Interests… getting the job done. Ghosts from Teddy’s past make him uneasy on the island, so he refrains from relaxing and instead focuses all his attention on the missing woman.

Relationship… widowed. Teddy’s wife was killed in an apartment fire set by a mysterious arsonist. There is definitely darkness and pain in Teddy’s past.

Challenge… keeping everything straight. As events on the island take a turn for the worse following a hurricane, Teddy and his partner try to piece together the trail of the missing inmate while dealing with increasingly strange behavior from the inmates, guards, and suspicious doctors. With the return ferry indefinitely delayed due to the weather, the duo try to keep a level head as paranoia sets in.

Personality… quick-witted but distrusting. Teddy is an excellent marshal because he never takes anything at face value. He turns his keen eye to the doctors on the island, and keeps up well in the verbal jousting that they initiate. Teddy tries to appear well put-together, but just beneath the surface he’s emotionally distraught by events from his past, including the horrors he witnessed while serving in the army. Sometimes events on the island trigger painful flashbacks that visibly wear on Teddy, eliciting concern from the people around him. Stubborn, he refuses to admit he’s hurting and keeps his feelings close to his chest, often issuing a verbal rebuttal to probing questions that the psychiatrists on the island label “very impressive defense mechanisms, indeed.” It’s all Teddy can do to keep himself together.