Ford Prefect | |
---|---|
First appearance | Fit the First (radio) |
Created by | Douglas Adams |
Portrayed by | Geoffrey McGivern (radio and LP versions) David Dixon (television) Mos Def (film) |
In-universe information | |
Nickname | Ix |
Species | Betelgeusian |
Gender | Male |
Occupation | Researcher for the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy |
Relatives | Zaphod Beeblebrox (semi-half cousin) |
Homeworld | Betelgeuse Five |
Ford Prefect (also called Ix) is a fictional character in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by the British author Douglas Adams. His role as Arthur Dent's friend – and rescuer, when the Earth is unexpectedly demolished to make way for a hyperspace bypass at the start of the story – is often expository, as Ford is an experienced galactic hitchhiker[1] and explains that he is actually an alien journalist, a field researcher for the titular Guide itself, and not an out-of-work actor from Guildford as he had claimed.