Peter Florrick is the estranged husband of Alicia Florrick, and a former Cook County State's Attorney and Governor of Illinois. A high-profile sex scandal cost him his job as State's Attorney and, briefly, his freedom, sending Alicia back to the workforce as an junior associate at Stern, Lockhart & Gardner. Though he was initially convicted for crimes relating to his sex scandal, the conviction was overturned, and he successfully sought election to his old job as State's Attorney. Continuing his political comeback, he won the democratic gubernatorial nomination and then the governorship itself.
Biography[]
Peter is the son of Jackie Florrick and her late husband, an Illinois state judge. He is the father of two children with his wife Alicia Florrick, Zach and Grace. His closest confidant is his political strategist, Eli Gold.
Season 1
He was the State's Attorney, however he was accused of hiring prostitutes with the State budget. His opposition, Glenn Childs leaked a sex tape of him and a prostitute named Amber Madison. Peter was forced to resign, his wife Alicia was humiliated and Peter had to spend 10 months in jail. One time when Alicia and Peter were having sex before the sex scandal, Peter stopped to take a phone call from Amber Madison. As he and his legal team came closer to their appeal, his lawyer started sending Alicia gifts that she rejected. Eventually, the legal team realized that their only choice was to have Alicia testify at Peter's appeal.
While working on the case of a six year death row inmate named Clarence Wilcox, Alicia realized that she needed to have a conjugal visit with Peter to get information, he slept on the floor. Alicia was unprepared when she was asked to testify on Peter's behalf. Peter did not make bail. He and his legal team soon found out that his prostitute was causing a problem because she was writing a book. Alicia came to see Peter and told him that his prostitute had called her office, she told him to make her stop. Peter confronted Amber saying that he would hurt her if she did not stop writing her book. Alicia found out from a partner at her firm that a bunch of people made a bet and were trying to cover it up. The courts weren't ever going to let Peter out of jail. Alicia walked into Peter's office and kissed him.
After being let out of prison on house arrest, Peter immediately starts plotting his political comeback. He is re-elected State's Attorney, defeating Wendy Scott Carr. Peter's successor and rival, Glenn Childs, is forced to drop out before the election.
Season 3
Before long, Peter comes into strong contention for the 2012 gubernatorial race. He wins the Democratic primary and defeats Republican candidate Mike Kresteva by a wide margin.
Season 5
Peter Florrick was a 2016 Democratic Presidential candidate, as a gambit to demonstrate popular support in order to be considered for vice president under Hillary Clinton. He had a following by a grade-school music teacher dressed as a Revolutionary War soldier, whom Eli considered an embarrassment. Despite completing "the Full Grassley" by visiting all 99 of Iowa's counties, Peter lost the Iowa caucuses. He placed fourth behind Martin O'Malley, having won only Des Moines and the last county he visited. Peter dropped out of the race and resumed his duties as governor.
A few months later, Peter Florrick became the subject of a FBI investigation. The FBI believed Peter to have bribed people to donate money to his SA campaign. He was charged with concealing evidence in a murder trial in order to help a campaign donor. Alicia steps in as one of his attorneys. Peter avoids jail time, but is forced to resign from the office of the Governor of Illinois in exchange for one year probation. He and his wife Alicia Florrick had agreed to get a divorce when the series ended.
Portrayal[]
Peter is played by Chris Noth, who is best known as "Mr. Big" on the HBO series Sex and the City and Mike Logan in Law and Order: Criminal Intent. His character was partly inspired by the Eliot Spitzer prostitution scandal, as well as by other prominent American political sex scandals, particularly those of John Edwards and Bill Clinton.
Trivia[]
- His name was supposedly "Dick Fallick" in the original script for the Pilot.