The Foundations of Fiction: Character Development Profile – Brenda Leigh Johnson, “The Closer”

As writers, part of our mandate is to develop strong, multidimensional characters. Studying traits of other characters can provide inspiration and ideas in the development of our own creations.

Today, we’re shining a light on Brenda Leigh Johnson of “The Closer.”

Name: Brenda Leigh Johnson

Occupation: Deputy Chief, Los Angeles Police Department. Formerly of the CIA, Metropolitan Police Department (District of Columbia) and Atlanta Police Department.

Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia

Marital Status: Married to FBI agent Fritz Howard. Calls him “Fritzie.” Divorced (first husband’s name unknown). Previously had an affair with her married boss, Assistant Chief Will Pope (prior to “The Closer.”)

Why “The Closer?”: So named for Brenda’s unparalleled (and dogged) ability to extract what are seen as impossible confessions from suspects in order to close the case.

Allies: Detective Sergeant David Gabriel, Assistant Chief Pope (though he’s occasionally an antagonist), Fritz (by virtue of his being an FBI agent), her squad.

Enemies/Antagonists: All her murderers, Commander Russell Taylor, Philip Stroh, Captain Sharon Raydor (though she eventually becomes an ally).

Appearance: Petite, with long wavy-blonde hair and a penchant for bright red lipstick she’s likely been wearing since high school. Wardrobe consists of cashmere sweater sets (also likely a high school holdover), heels, flowy skirts or pencil skirts (rarely pants, a likely nod to her “Southern Belle” roots). Prone to mismatched, ill-fitting, garish clothing at times. Wears black born-rimmed glasses and the occasional ponytail. Famous for her massive purse that she hangs onto like a life preserver.

Catchphrase: “Thank you, thank you very much.”

Quotable Quotes:

Brenda: If I liked being called a bitch to my face, I’d still be married. (regarding her first husband)

****

Hotel Manager: Does she have to yell?

Pope: She sometimes forgets there are other people [pauses] in the world.

***

Brenda: Captain Taylor, I suppose I should apologize to you for not having been born in Los Angeles, but, having seen your work up close now for several months, I can honestly say that, try as I might, I can’t think of *any* fair and reasonable system on Earth where I wouldn’t outrank you. (addressing her nemesis Captain Russell Taylor)

***

Accent: Honey-drenched Georgia twang.

Languages Spoken: English, Czech, Russian, and German.

Drink of Choice: “A big glass of Merlot.”

Strengths: A bulldog who is not afraid to go toe-to-toe with even the most violent of criminals in the pursuit of justice. Plays the dumb, scatterbrained blonde to lull suspects into believing they’ve gotten the better of her while she waits to drop her bombs on them. Brenda is Intelligent, resourceful, fair and a caring leader who has the respect and admiration of her squad, who she’s fiercely protective of. She is quite traditional, believing in the proper order of things (especially when it comes to her personal life). She adores her husband, Fritz, parents Clay and Willie Rae, and her cat, Kitty.

Vulnerabilities/Tics/Quirks/Flaws: Single-minded workaholic who puts solving murders above her personal life. Is insensitive and often offensive, tending to alienate those around her – she’s not one for niceties unless it serves a means to an end, which for Brenda is solving her murder at any cost. Can be a bit of a control freak regarding her investigations. She is the epitome of the bull in a china shop.  

Brenda can be a slob, letting housework slide and her mail pile up. A sugar addict who keeps a stash of candy bars and chocolate snack cakes that put her into a state of nirvana, especially after a tough day at the office. Doesn’t have many (if any) friends, especially women.

Takeaways:

• Brenda is dogged, single-minded, and tactless. Yet, she is compassionate, loyal, and caring when she needs to be.

• She is neither a saint nor sinner, rather, capable of being both – just like in real life.

• Brenda’s varied talents, likes, dislikes, imperfections, and capabilities make her a fully dimensional, interesting and engaging character

Hints for Character Development: When developing characters, imbue them with traits that conflict with their base personality. For example, Brenda is tough-as-nails in her professional life, but a softie when it comes to Fritz, her parents and her cat. She’s also a slave to sugar.

So, if you have a character who you want to be tough professionally, explore what “soft” traits you can give them in their personal life. Do they read to the blind every Sunday? Foster rescue animals? Binge Hallmark movies every weekend?

On the flip side, if they are an inherently a “saint,” can you give them a tattoo in an unusual place? Do they enjoy reading true crime books? Maybe they know karate?

Tags: character development profile, foundations of fiction, Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer