Ulysses Everett McGill

Living… on the flat Mississippi Delta countryside since he escaped from Parchman Farm, a penitentiary in Mississippi. He’s seen all kinds of characters while on the run, including a giant, one-eyed Bible salesman, a famous bank robber, and a few seductive sirens.

Profession… outlaw. They had him locked up in a Parchman Farm chain gang for practicing law without a license, but it’s not Everett’s fault – he’s a natural-born smooth-talker. In order to escape, he lied to the guys chained to him, Delmar and Pete, saying he was arrested for armed robbery. Everett told them a tale about some treasure he hid in the valley before he got locked up. He said if they helped him escape, he’d split the treasure with them. So now they’re all on the run from the law, hoping to get to the alleged treasure before the valley it’s buried in is flooded as part of a new hydroelectric project.

Interests… singing with the Soggy Bottom Boys. While on the run, Everett, Delmar, Pete and their new acquaintance Tommy come across a radio station run by a blind man who offered them $10 to “sing into a can.” Enticed by the money, the four of them made a record called Man of Constant Sorrow that managed to become a huge radio hit all across the south. Little does the public know that the members of its new favorite band, the Soggy Bottom Boys, are wanted fugitives.

Relationship Status… married; it’s the whole reason he’s trying to get out of jail. Everett had to get out of there to get back to his wife Penny, who already has a “bona fide” suitor named Vernon T. Waldrip. Rather than telling the truth about Everett going to jail, Penny told the children that their daddy had been hit by a train. She’s already engaged to Waldrip, so Everett has to hurry up and prove himself to her if he wants to get his family back.

Challenge… eluding the cruel Sherriff Cooley and the rest of the police looking for him. As if winning his wife back isn’t stressful enough, Everett also has to keep a low profile so he, Delmar and Pete don’t get caught by Cooley, who desperately wants to see these lowlifes punished. They’ve gotten this close to being strung up, consumed in a fire, whipped to no end, and sunstroked – all in the name of the “treasure” Everett promised.

Personality… arrogant, witty, and an unrepentant B.S. artist. Everett is the unofficial leader of the group, but he’s getting them into a whole lot more trouble than they bargained for. Delmar and Pete are starting to doubt the whole operation, but luckily for Everett they’re just dumb enough to stick with him. Everett is also obsessed with his appearance, and is constantly slicking back his hair with Dapper Dan, his favorite brand of pomade. Although he may not be the most honest person, Everett’s only goal is to get back to those he loves, even if it’s in a roundabout, dangerous way.