Lenny Nero

Leonard "Lenny" Nero is the main protagonist of the 1995 cyberpunk film Strange Days.
He was portrayed by , who also portrayed John Steed in the 1998 film adaptation of The Avengers and M in the James Bond films Spectre and No Time to Die.
==Biography==
Lenny worked in the LAPD as a detective on the Vice Squad, investigating drug-related crimes. By all accounts a compassionate officer, Lenny befriended Lornette "Mace" Mason after he comforted her son when her husband was arrested for drug dealing. Lenny fell in love with Faith Justin, a homeless prostitute and aspiring singer, and helped her get back on her feet. The two had a close relationship, but she eventually left him for record producer Philo Gant. Lenny was later fired from the LAPD under undisclosed reasons by Deputy Commisioner Palmer Strickland, and he soon began making a living selling SQUID, a device that records memories and allows for them to be played back. Lenny became addicted to SQUID as well, constantly using it to relive his memories of his relationship with Faith. His continued usage caused his mental state to decline, and he spends most of his days selling SQUID tapes to disreputable clients and drinking at a bar with his friend and fellow ex-cop Max Peltier.
Lenny repeatedly talked to Faith and made an effort to get back together with her, in spite of her protests. During the final days of 1999, Lenny is contacted by Iris, a prostitute and friend of Faith's for mysterious readons. While Lenny attempts to talk to her outside of Philo's nightclub, Iris flees after hearing a police siren. Lenny sneaks inside to talk to Faith, only for Philo to have him beaten by one of his men. Lenny breaks into the nightclub once again and meets with his contact, Tex Arcana, giving him a free SQUID tale. Tex in turn gives Lenny a SQUID tape mysteriously left for him.
While Mace drives him home, Lenny plays the tape only to find it is a snuff film of a mysterious assailant raping and murdering Iris. Lenny is horrified and, while he refuses to get the police involved out of fear of being arrested, Lenny decides to investigate on his own with Mace and Max's help. Lenny finds himself stalked by Iris's killer, who records a tape of him breaking into Lenny's apartment while he sleeps and threatening him with a boxcutter. Lenny temporarily moves into Mace's house out of fear for his safety. After taking the tape to his regular supplier Tick, Mace and Lenny realize that Iris had left a SQUID tape in Lenny's car, which had been impounded. 
Lenny and Mace break into the impound lot and grab the tape, only to be ambushed by corrupt LAPD officers Dwayne Engelman and Burton Steckler. Holding the two at gunpoint, Steckler demands Lenny give him Iris's tape; Lenny appears to comply, but secretly slips him another tape. Steckler attempts to kill them anyway, and Mace and Lenny flee by car. Steckler and Engelman chase after them and shoot out their car's tires before setting it ablaze.
Mace drives the car into a nearby river, putting the fire out and allowing them to escape. Back at Mace's brother's house, Lenny plays the tape and discovers it to be a recording of Engelman and Steckler executing rapper and civil rights activist Jeriko One in cold blood. Lenny and Mace head over to Tick's, only to find the killer has left him brain-dead. Lenny confronts Faith, who reveals Philo had Iris spy on Jeriko out of a paranoid fear he would leave his label, and wnats to cover the fact up.
Lenny and Mace head over to the West Bonaventure Hotel, where Philo is holding a party for the city's elite. Although Lenny initially intends to trade the tape for Faith's freedom, Mace convinces him the tape is too important to be sacrificed and he turns it over to her, insteucting her to turn it over to Strickland. Sneaking into Philo's room, Lenny discovers through another tape left ot him that Max was the killer, having been hired by Philo, and was having an affair with Faith. Max had betrayed Philo after learning he decided to kill Faith and left him brain-dead in a similar manner to Faith. Max arrives and holds Lenny at gunpoint, intending to kill him and frame him for the murders. Faith arrives, and Lenny apologizes to her for his obsessive behavior, before taunting Max that he is too psychopathic to ever know actual love.
While Max prepares to shoot Lenny, Faith attacks him, causing Max to drop his gun. Max throws Faith off of him, onlyfor Lenny to go after him. Max stabs Lenny in the back and attempts to throw him off a balcony, only for Lenny to throw him off instead. Max grabs onto Lenny's tie, intending to kill him, only for Lenny to use Max's knife to cut off his tie, sending Max plummeting to his death. Lenny heads down to the streets and arrives as Steckler and Engelman are being arrested for murder. Engelman commits suicide, while Steckler attempts to shoot Mace and Lenny and is gunned down by several other officers on the scene. As Lenny and Mace are escorted to be given medical attention and temporary police custody, Lenny gives Mace a kiss before being taken in to his likely arrest.
==Personality==
Lenny was once a compassionate, responsible police officer. However, his growing SQUID addiction has negatively impacted his mental state and caused his morals to take a turn for the worse. Lenny is sleazy and often manipulative, taking advantage of Mace to sell SQUID to her clients. Lenny is similarly somewhat exploitative of the people who's clips he uses. Lenny often uses recordings of real-life crimes or sex, though he adamantly refuses to sell "blackjack clips" (tapes that involve death). 
However, Lenny is in fact greatly compassionate in spite of being somewhat self-absorbed and goes out of his way to help people. His obsession with Faith is motivated by his desire to protect her and his knowledge that Philo is physically and emotionally abusive. In spite of his often selfish behavior, Lenny in fact tends to value the well-being of others over himself and is capable of acts of great selflessness. Lenny suffers from depression, something worsened by his SQUID addiction. Lenny is rather manipulative as well, frequently getting his opponents to underestimate him by putting up an act of cowardice. Lenny is in fact greatly capable in a hand-to-hand fight and a good marksman, something he keeps hidden. Lenny also possesses great deductive skills, having been a former detective. Lenny is rather cynical as well, and frequently expresses his disgust for the LAPD and its often corrupt and self-serving nature.
Category:Jerks
Category:Liars
Category:Criminals
Category:True Neutral
Category:Anti-Heroes
Category:Live Action Heroes
Category:Charismatic
Category:Tragic
Category:Insecure
Category:Protectors of Innocence
Category:Mentally Ill
Category:Fighters
Category:Thrill-Seekers
Category:Thriller Heroes
Category:Obsessed
Category:Scapegoat
Category:Selfless
Category:Chaotic Good
Category:Friend of a Villain
Category:Karma Houdini
Category:Redeemed Villains