Biography

Gene Hunt is portrayed as being in his early forties. The details of his life before the events of 1973 are sketchy. He apparently did his national service prior to joining the police force at the age of 19, and by 1973 was a DCI. As a young beat-cop, he soon discovered that his first mentor, a decorated war hero and local legend named Harry Outhwaite, was on the take. Hunt turned him in and, unable to bear the humiliation, Outhwaite committed suicide, an event which greatly shaped Hunt's outlook on policing and loyalty. A month later Hunt took his own first backhander, a practice he maintained until Sam Tyler became his DI.

Little is known of Hunt's family, apart from brief references to an abusive alcoholic father and a speed-addicted brother who died despite Hunt's efforts to rehabilitate him. Hunt is married and references his "missus" on several occasions, though the exact nature of their relationship is ambiguous as Hunt is largely depicted as being married to his job. No children have ever been mentioned, although his mother is apparently still alive in 1973 and living in Manchester.

Hunt follows boxing, supports Manchester City and is an aficionado of westerns. He is known in the station for his sharp and sarcastic one-liners. While in Manchester, he drives a 1973 bronze Ford Cortina 2000GXL (occasionally while drunk) and has been known to lock DI's in its boot.

Personality

Gene Hunt is portrayed as being, by modern standards, extremely politically incorrect. Something of an 'old school' police officer, he frequently beats suspects until they confess and often displays a lax approach to his job, usually being quite happy to arrest and sometimes frame any criminal he happens to believe is guilty (or at least deserving of incarceration), regardless of whether the evidence points to them or not. At least initially, he also maintains a morally ambivalent attitude to accepting bribes and other forms of institutionalised corruption (such as manufacturing or destroying evidence), reasoning that they can be justified in the pursuit of a greater good. An enthusiastic drinker, his behaviour is often uncouth and boorish, and his attitudes, whilst common for the time, are extremely homophobic and sexist. As a result, he frequently clashes with and is often vocally dismissive of DI Sam Tyler, his immediate subordinate and second-in-command, whose politically correct and methodical approach is distinctly opposed to his own.

Despite his faults, Hunt is also depicted as being intensely loyal, affectionate and highly intelligent. A team player, he often gives credit when it's due and is willing to follow Tyler's methods if sufficiently convinced of their validity. His sexism has limits: he countenances Annie Cartwright's appointment as the first woman detective in the force, although he is initially dismissive of her chances of success and not beyond sending her to get him coffee and Garibaldis. Despite his shades-of-grey approach to his job, he nevertheless possesses a strong sense of right and wrong, especially with regards to serious crimes such as murder. A fan of westerns, he views himself as being a sheriff charged with protecting the innocent by whatever means necessary.

Fanlisting

Gene Hunt

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