| Adrian Monk | |
|---|---|
| Monk character | |
 Shalhoub as Monk | |
| First appearance | "Mr. Monk and the Candidate" |
| Created by | |
| Portrayed by | Tony Shalhoub Aaron Linker (in Little Monk) Grant Rosenmeyer (in "Mr. Monk and Little Monk") |
Adrian Monk, portrayed by Tony Shalhoub, is the title character and protagonist of the USA Network television series Monk. He is a renowned former homicide detective for the San Francisco Police Department. He has obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and multiple phobias, all of which intensified after the murder of his wife Trudy, who died in a car bomb, resulting in his suspension from the department. He works as a private police homicide consultant and undergoes therapy with the ultimate goal of overcoming his grief, taking control of his phobias and disorder, and being reinstated as a police detective. Monk solved over 100 homicide investigations.
Series co-creator David Hoberman says that he based Monk partly on himself, and also on other fictional detectives such as Lt. Columbo, Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes. Other actors considered for the role included Dave Foley, John Ritter, Henry Winkler, Stanley Tucci, Alfred Molina and Michael Richards. The network eventually chose Shalhoub because they felt he could "bring the humor and passion of Monk to life".[1]
Both Monk and Shalhoub have garnered many accolades. Monk was included in Bravo's list of The 100 Greatest Television Characters of All Time, and Shalhoub has won various awards for his portrayal, including a Golden Globe Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.