The Dead Zone (TV series)

Character Descriptions

• Johnny Smith is a retired schoolteacher who, as a result of a car accident, has developed psychic abilities. He is played by Anthony Michael Hall.
• Sarah Bracknell Bannerman is Johnny's former fianceé and the mother of his biological son, J.J.; she married Walt Bannerman during Johnny's coma, and the two are raising the child together. Sarah is played by Nicole de Boer.
• Sheriff Walt Bannerman The relationship between Johnny and Walt was very rocky to begin with, as he often feels that he stole his wife Sarah from Johnny. However, since Johnny has displayed his powers quite frequently for good purposes, Johnny has become an asset to Walt and the two have become friends. Walt is played by Chris Bruno.
• Bruce Lewis is a physiotherapist who helps Johnny regain his strength after his coma. Bruce is an open-minded spiritual junkie as a result of a religious upbringing by his pastor father; he is Johnny's best friend and frequently his voice of reason, and may very well be the reason for the divergence in this series when compared to the novel or 1983 movie (Johnny never tried to kill Greg Stillson before the election). Bruce often attempts to use Johnny's powers for selfish yet harmless purposes (e.g., finding out which girl in a room is actually interested in him, gambling requests, etc.). Bruce is played by John L. Adams.
• Rev. Gene Purdy is another original character in the series, a religious leader and head of a prestigious university and foundations funded by Vera Smith, Johnny's mother. Johnny always speculated that Purdy's interest in Vera was for financial gain; however, his powers allow him to discover that Purdy had been in love with her for more than 35 years. Upon Vera's suicide over the grief of the loss of her son, Purdy covered up the incident and made everyone believe she died of a heart attack, thus preserving her dignity in the public eye. Purdy has long been involved with somewhat shady dealings, but is always in the constant service of God. His devotion sometimes clouds his judgment and has even gone as far as to cover up a murder to protect better interests. Rev. Purdy is played by David Ogden Stiers.
• Dana Bright was a journalist for the Bangor Daily Times. She covered much of Johnny's early work and later became romantically linked with him; she was also in a relationship with Gene Purdy. Dana left the show for some time and her absence has as of yet to be explained. She is played by Kristen Dalton.
• Greg Stillson is a mentally unstable politician who has taken many illegal steps to secure an election. Upon meeting with Johnny Smith, it became clear that he would become responsible for an apocalyptic event that Johnny has seen in his visions and is trying to prevent. Greg is played by Sean Patrick Flanery.
• Deputy Roscoe works for Walt. He is usually first on the scene and very dependable. He is played by Bill Mondy.
• Johnny "J.J." Bannerman is the biological son of Johnny and Sarah. Sarah was pregnant when Johnny had his accident and she ultimately married Walt Bannerman, who raised J.J. as his own son. As of the third season, Walt and Sarah have told J.J. that Johnny is his real father, and Johnny has taken on more fatherly duties. J.J. is played by Spencer Achtymichuk.
• Malcolm Janus. Likely inspired by Karl Rove, Malcolm Janus is an evil power-broker who believes that Greg Stillson is "destined for great things." His ultimate goal is to place Stillson in the White House. He also gave Rev. Purdy a global sphere of influence, in return for financial support of Stillson's campaigns. He is apparently a member of the Illuminati, as he wears a ring with their symbol. Janus is played by Martin Donovan.
• Christopher Wey is a man from the future who has been comatose since 2003. He wakes after the apocalypse to discover that he has a "dead zone" similar to Johnny's, and that he can communicate with the present-day Johnny when both are in contact with the head of his cane. He is revealed to be in legion with a future Johnny Smith and J.J. Wey is played by Frank Whaley.
• Rebecca Caldwell is a child psychiatrist who met Johnny during his investigation of the murder of her sister Rachel. She has since become his girlfriend and at one point in time, found out that Greg Stillson may have been responsible for her sister's murder and will be responsible for the upcoming apocalypse. As of the third-season finale she has purchased a gun in an attempt to assassinate Stillson. She was stopped by Johnny and discovered that Stillson did not kill Rachel. She left Johnny, seeking to sort things out for herself. She is played by Sarah Wynter.