The ‘Death by Lightning’ Dudes, Ranked from ‘That Guy’ to ‘My Man!’

Rank: Fuck You, Dude (aka The Bad Doctor)

Signature Attributes:

Completely unearned confidence
Casually racist
Notable lack of facial hair

First Impression:

“This man is going to kill the president.”

Lasting Impressions:

This man killed the president. Dr. Purvis is a complete disaster who sticks around long enough to not only dig his own grave but climb into it as well. From the moment he pushes aside the competent Dr. Charles Purvis, it’s clear he is trouble. He is arrogant, bossy, full of himself, and incompetent at his job.

The real giveaway is his lack of facial hair. While “Death by Lightning” features a wide variety of hair styles, this outdated fool appears with just a few sparse whiskers under his chin, signaling he’s not the person to save the fallen leader.

“Death by Lightning” has a greater diversity of hair growth than a Chia Pet shop, so when this antiquated dumb-dumb walks in with a few dead whiskers under his chin, that’s the signal he’s not the man to breathe life back into our fallen leader.

Props to Željko Ivanek — an Emmy winner for “Damages” and a veteran actor with over 100 credits — who skillfully balances the Bad Doctor’s authoritative demeanor with his many mistakes, making me tempted to rank him higher.

Author’s Summary:

The character of Dr. Purvis stands out in “Death by Lightning” as an overconfident failure whose appearance and arrogance signal his role in the president’s fate, brilliantly portrayed by Željko Ivanek.

IndieWire — 2025-11-08