Ricki Tarr
Ricki Tarr is a fictional character created by John le Carré, and is a major figure in le Carré's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
Biography
Ricki Tarr was a field agent, a member of "scalp-hunters", a section used when a bit of physical derring-do might be called for by the Circus, jokingly described as "cosh and carry" by Smiley. He is sent on a mission to Hong Kong to run the rule over a Russian potential blackmail target whom, when he gets there, Tarr realizes is a "Moscow Centre trained hood" - he comments to Smiley "You can tell one of your own". In packing-up to return to London, Ricki has a chance surveillance of the target's wife, Irina (played by Svetlana Khodchenkova in the 2011 movie), a member of the embassy staff. Tarr falls in love with Irina, and brokers a deal to bring her back to London.
Ricki grew up in Marseilles, the son of a French mother and an Australian preacher father. Tarr was the one who first discovered Irina. He has a child with a Eurasian woman, who he believes can pass for white. George Smiley originally gave him his job. Tarr directly works for Peter Guillam inside the Circus (British Intel). Due to various mishaps during his career (e.g. falling for a female Polish agent, causing a suicide via blackmail) Tarr is widely regarded among the scalp-hunters as "disaster-prone".
Portrayals
Tarr was played by Hywel Bennett in the 1979 television serial based on the novel.[1] In the 2011 film adaptation, he was played by Tom Hardy.[1]
