Changes: Templeton "Faceman" Peck

Revision as of 20:31, 1 April 2015

Templeton Peck (also known as Faceman, or simply Face or Peck) was a member of the A- Team, a U.S. Army Special Detachment unit in the Vietnam War. Face was a First Lieutenant and was decribed as being able to get in and out of trouble.

Biography

The A-Team is a group of ex-United States Army Special Forces who were wrongly convicted of a crime during the Vietnam War. Managing to escape from the military police, they fled to Los Angeles, where, as fugitives, the A-Team work as soldiers of fortune, using their military training to fight oppression or injustice. Faceman, along with Hannibal Smith, B. A. Baracus, and H.M Murdock make up the A-Team.

The first time Face was in a firefight, his company got pinned down by the Vietnamese. What he remembered about it later was that there was crying and screaming everywhere. When he bailed out of a jeep and hit the dirt he lost his helmet. Ray Brenner gave his own helmet to Face.^[1]

Suave, smooth-talking, and hugely successful with women, Peck serves as the team's con man and scrounger, able to get his hands on just about anything they need. Effectively second in command behind Hannibal (although Murdock outranks him), he is the one who arranges for supplies, equipment, and sensitive information using numerous scams and hustles. He is also the team member who usually organizes the fees for their services, due to his aptitude with numbers, as demonstrated in "Members Only." He once claimed to be a Scorpio, but may have been lying.^[2]

In the pilot episode it is revealed in a discussion with an elderly priest that Face spent his youth at a Los Angeles orphanage run by the Catholic Church, where possibly one of the priests was Father O'Malley. It was later revealed in future episodes that he was raised an orphan and is Catholic and may have once considered the priesthood. Face's will left his estate to an orphanage.^[3] In the episode Family Reunion (fifth season), it was revealed that Face is the son of former presidential adviser and convicted criminal A.J. Bancroft. However, Face only finds out about this when Murdock tells him after Bancroft's death. Although Murdock found out earlier, Bancroft made him promise not to tell Face, who is furiously angry that Murdock didn't tell him sooner about his father. Face is happy to find out about his sister, Bancroft's daughter, as it gives him at least one family member.

Face is the most gentle member of the A-Team, generally attempting to avoid conflict. His interests tend towards more cultural facets, such as country clubs, art purchasing, and wine tasting. While still in college, he tried to give his fraternity pin to Leslie Becktall, as a sort of pre-engagement gift. He discovered that she had moved away without saying goodbye. Face responded to this abandonment by dropping out of school, joining the army, and eventually becoming part of the A-Team.^[4] Face lost much of his charm while married, acting much more nervous around his wife than either before or after they were wed^[5].

Faceman as Bradley Cooper — Face Peck played by Bradley Cooper

Abilities

Face is a skilled grifter. He is very likeable, and people seem to find themselves trusting him. He is knowledgeable on a wide variety of subjects.

Face is a skilled marksman and is proficient with many different types of guns.

He knows how to drive a bus^[6] and a garbage truck.^[7] He can parachute.^[8] He knows how to ride a horse.^[9] He can apparently pick a padlock in under ten seconds,^[10] but sometimes takes at least twice that long.^[11]

Face is prone to seasickness.^[12] He knows how to SCUBA dive, but he doesn't like doing it.^[13]

Another skill he has is the ability to conjure anything from anywhere.

His Corvette

Peck drives a custom white 1984 Chevrolet Corvette sports car with red interior and a red stripe (to match B.A.'s van). It is equipped with a CB radio and a mobile phone. The license plate was IHJG851 and never changed.

The car was prominently featured in several episodes, including season two's Chopping Spree, where it was used as bait in an attempt to catch car thieves.

The A-Team (2010) Film

In the 2010 film, Peck was played by comic actor Bradley Cooper. As in the TV series, Face is depicted as a smooth talking ladies man, but is also shown having a relationship with Captain Charisa Sosa (played by Jessica Biel), who pursues the A-Team after they escape from prison. Throughout the film, Face matures from a womanizing joker to a calculating professional - to the point that, in the film's climax, he, not Hannibal, plans the A-Team's legal redemption. Face plans the mission based on a classic confidence game including cranes and shipping crates, and involving Murdock being shot in the head. B. A. initially regrets the team's reliance on Face, but changes his mind after they learn Sosa has smuggled a key into Face's mouth with a kiss. Face also shows considerable maturity when he accepts his own punishment, rather than allowing Hannibal to take the full blame. Face ends the film by saying Hannibal's catchphrase, "I love it when a plan comes together."

Benedict had a small cameo, which he reportedly regretted. In the post-credits scene, Face (Cooper) is approaching a tanning bed and asks Benedict's character what to do about his face. Benedict answers, "You don't mess with it."

Memorable Quotes

Face: I like working for the church now and then. Insurance against judgement day.^[14]

Face: [describing the team] You know, when we're apart we're just a bunch of social misfits, but when we're together, well, that's something very special.^[15]

Face: I just love picking locks! Eye-hand coordination, you know?^[16]

Face: I lie, I cheat, I steal... and I don't get any respect! Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag

Trivia

He is Catholic.
In the Season 1 episode A Small and Deadly War it is revealed that as a child he wanted to be a cop.
He was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity.^[17]

References

18. Where Is The Monster When You Need Him?

[1] A Nice Place to Visit

[2] Water, Water Everywhere

[3] Till Death Do Us Part

[4] The Only Church in Town

[5] Till Death Do Us Part

[6] It's a Desert Out There

[7] The Out-of-Towners

[8] One More Time

[9] When You Comin' Back, Range Rider?

[10] Water, Water Everywhere

[11] Say It with Bullets

[12] Bad Time on the Border

[13] There's Always a Catch

[14] Holiday in the Hills

[15] Water, Water Everywhere

[16] Say It with Bullets

[17] The Only Church in Town

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@@ Line 52: / Line 52: @@
 Face is prone to seasickness.<ref>[[Bad Time on the Border]]</ref> He knows how to SCUBA dive, but he doesn't like doing it.<ref>[[There's Always a Catch]]</ref>
+Another skill he has is the ability to conjure anything from anywhere.
 ==His Corvette==