Sam Axe

Overview

Sam served over 20 years as a U.S. Navy SEAL and eventually retired with full benefits at the rank of Commander in February 2005 as part of a graymail deal reached over keeping the true events of Operation PROVIDE SUPPORT in Colombia a secret. The deal included relocation to the city of his choice (he selected Miami, Florida), along with a change of clothes and one ice cold beer. He helps Michael Westen with freelance work, having known him since at least 1992 when they were doing a job together in Poland. He frequently uses the cover name "Chuck Finley" after the baseball player he frequently and successfully wagered upon; coincidentally it is also the name of a coworker of Bruce Campbell's father.

Sam Axe as Chuck Finley

"Chuck Finley" is an alias used by Commander Samuel "Sam" Axe, USN (ret.), one of the fictional characters from the television series Burn Notice, played by Bruce Campbell. "Chuck Finley" turns into "Charles Finley" when Sam feels that his cover needs to be more sophisticated and up-scale.

Chuck Finley has also been depicted as the alter ego, con-artist persona of Sam Axe.

Overview of Chuck Finley

Chuck Finley made the first appearance in the third episode of the first season of Burn Notice, "Fight or Flight" as the attorney of character Cara Stagner, a waitress at the nightclub below Michael's loft.

However, chronologically as per the series, Chuck Finley appears first in the prequel The Fall of Sam Axe. Sam Axe adopts the Chuck Finley alias for the first time at the "Secret CIA Intelligence facility" in Colombia while calling for help from military base in Santa Marta, posing as "Deputy Assistant Intelligence Director Chuck Finley" from the NSA headquarters.

On being asked by Amanda Maples of the reason of picking the name "Chuck Finley", Sam replied: "Yeah. Made a lot of money betting on him back in the day. I'm thinking it's a lucky name." The scene from "The Fall of Sam Axe" at that instant shows Sam holding an undated edition of fictitious sports magazine "Sports Action" with cover page heading "Pitching Giants: Remembering Chuck Finley". Apparently, "Chuck Finley" has been named after the baseball pitcher that Sam Axe frequently and successfully bet upon.

Sam has shown certain degree of affinity to the name Chuck Finley and in "Blind Spot", episode 11, fourth season of Burn Notice, declined to relinquish that cover I.D. despite the adversary also being named Charles and other characters suggesting an alternate alias.

Chuck Finley: The Character

In an interview, Bruce Campbell has stated that Sam Axe uses Chuck Finley to convince people without dragging the Sam Axe character, who has a past career as a U.S. Navy SEAL, into the matter.

Bruce Campbell has mentioned that, coincidentally, it is also the name of a former co-worker of his real-life father.

In an interview about Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe to Darryl Morden of Buzzine, Bruce Campbell has mentioned the following:

Morden: "What about Sam's con-artist persona Chuck Finley? Will we see more of him on the show or in the prequel movie?"Campbell: "Oh yeah, Chuck is all over the place. Chuck Finley is forever." [And Chuck was also on giveaway Burn Notice t-shirts handed out to fans attending the panel.]

The real life Chuck Finley was a pitcher with the (L.A.) Angels in the late 1980s and through the 1990s. Apart from his on field activities, he was in news for being a victim of domestic violence. He had alleged that his wife, Tawny Kitaen had once attacked him with a stiletto heel.

Appearances of Chuck Finley in episodes of Burn Notice

Chuck Finley has made appearance in the following 21 episodes of Burn Notice through to Season 5.

In all the episodes, Chuck has taken different professions which suited the situation, ranging from a lawyer or police officer or doctor, to motivational speaker or Glades homeowners association member.