Foil

Character Role Analysis

Luther Coleman/Johnny Hooker

Luther is an older conman who's from a different generation of grifters than our protagonist, Johnny. Luther believes in saving your money and using it to try to give yourself a good start at an honest life. That's why he decides to leave the grifting game after he and Johnny get a big score off of Mottolla in the opening scene.

Johnny, however, can't imagine a life where he's not grifting. For him, money doesn't really matter—he always gambles it away. Johnny always wants to be hungry for his next grift, and Luther's plan for a stable, secure life doesn't jibe with Johnny's fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants attitude.