Sam Beckett
Fictional character from Quantum Leap / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Sam Beckett?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
Dr. Samuel John Beckett is a fictional character and the protagonist on the science fiction television series Quantum Leap, played by Scott Bakula.[1]
This article may need to be rewritten to comply with Wikipedia's quality standards. (April 2024) |
Samuel John Beckett | |
---|---|
First appearance |
|
Last appearance |
|
Created by | Donald P. Bellisario |
Portrayed by | Scott Bakula |
In-universe information | |
Full name | Samuel Beckett |
Species | Human |
Gender | Male |
Occupation | Scientist Time traveller |
Family | John Beckett (father, deceased) Thelma Beckett (mother) Tom Beckett (brother) Katherine Beckett (sister) |
Spouse | Dr. Donna Eleese |
Children | Samantha Josephine 'Sammy Jo' Fuller (daughter) |
Initially, the audience knows very little about Beckett, much as he knows little about himself due to holes in his memory dubbed the "Swiss cheese effect"—a side effect from the time travel (an effective trope to allow the writers to add to the character as the show went on). Eventually, it turns out that Beckett is a true Renaissance Man, equally good at math/science and the arts. His skills allow him to adapt to the various situations that he finds himself in, although many of those situations still take him off guard with comical results.
Beckett tends to fall in love easily, yet be naive about women; his traveling companion Al Calavicci has playfully called him a "Boy Scout."
He also learned painful things from his past that likely inspired him to travel through time in the first place. Beckett tries to do the right thing no matter what, although when the leaps hit close to home, he tends to lose perspective and make irrational decisions; at those times, he requires Al to guide him back to the right path.