List of fictional professors

This is a list of professors appearing throughout fiction.

Literature edit

Novel or literary work Author Fictional professor Study
Altered States Paddy Chayefsky Professor Eddie Jessup psychology/parapsychology
At the Mountains of Madness H. P. Lovecraft Professor William Dyer geology
Bourne series multiple Professor Jason Bourne
Professor Dominic Specter
linguistics
unknown
Captain Underpants Dav Pilkey Professor Pippy Peepee Poopypants science
The Case of the Gilded Fly Edmund Crispin Professor Gervase Fen English language and literature
The Chronicles of Narnia C. S. Lewis Professor Digory Kirke history
Discworld Terry Pratchett Professor Rincewind
Doomsday Book Connie Willis Professor James Dunworthy history
Dracula Bram Stoker Professor Abraham Van Helsing many
Exit to Eden Anne Rice Professor Collins
Foundation series Isaac Asimov Professor Hari Seldon
Professor Dors Venabili
Professor Yugo Amaryl
mathematics and psychohistory
history
mathematics and psychohistory
Frankenstein Mary Shelley Professor Krempe
Professor Waldman
natural philosophy, science
chemistry
Goosebumps series R. L. Stine Professor Eric Crane
Professor Greenwell
Professor Krupnik
Professor Leo Matz
Professor Shock
Professor Y
Harry Potter series J. K. Rowling Professor Cuthbert Binns
Professor Charity Burbage
Professor Alecto Carrow
Professor Amycus Carrow
Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore
Professor Filius Flitwick
Professor Firenze
Professor Gilderoy Lockhart
Professor Neville Longbottom
Professor Remus Lupin
Professor Minerva McGonagall
"Professor Alastor Moody"
Professor Quirinus Quirrell
Professor Aurora Sinistra
Professor Horace Slughorn
Professor Severus Snape
Professor Pomona Sprout
Professor Sybill Trelawney
Professor Dolores Jane Umbridge
Professor Septima Vector
History of Magic
Muggle studies
Muggle studies
Dark Arts
Transfiguration, later Headmaster
Charms
Divination
Defense Against the Dark Arts
Herbology
Defense Against the Dark Arts
Transfiguration, later Headmistress
Defense Against the Dark Arts
Muggle studies, later Defense Against the Dark Arts
Astronomy
Potions
Potions, later Defense Against the Dark Arts, later Headmaster
Herbology
Divination
Defense Against the Dark Arts, later Headmistress
Arithmancy
Journey to the Center of the Earth Jules Verne Professor Otto Liedenbrock geology
The Paper Chase John Jay Osborn, Jr. Professor Charles Kingsfield law
Pnin Vladimir Nabokov Professor Timofey Pavlovich Pnin linguistics
Professor Branestawm Series Norman Hunter Professor Theophilus Branestawm many
Professor Challenger Series Arthur Conan Doyle Professor George Edward Challenger zoology
Professor Shonku Series Satyajit Ray Professor Shonku physics
Ravelstein Saul Bellow Professor Abe Ravelstein
Professor Felix Davarr
Professor Radu Grielescu
Professor Rakhmiel Kogon
Professor Morris Herbst
political philosophy, literary translation, classics
political philosophy, philosophy of history, classics
history of religion, philosophy of religion, political history
Robert Langdon series Dan Brown Professor Robert Langdon symbology
A Series of Unfortunate Events Lemony Snicket Professor Fletcher
Sherlock Holmes Series Arthur Conan Doyle Professor James Moriarty mathematics
Superstitious R. L. Stine Professor Liam O'Connor folklore
The Space Trilogy C.S. Lewis Professor Elwin Ransom philology
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas Jules Verne Professor Pierre Aronnax natural history
Wicked Gregory Maguire Doctor Dillamond

Film edit

Film Portrayer Fictional professor Study
The Absent-Minded Professor (Flubber) Fred MacMurray/Robin Williams Professor Philip/Ned Brainard physical chemistry
Accepted (2006) Lewis Black Dr. Ben Lewis philosophy
Admission (2013) Michael Sheen
Sonya Walger
Christopher Evan Welch
Dr. Mark Nathan
Helen
Brandt
English literature
English literature, with a focus on Modernism and Virginia Woolf
English literature
Austenland JJ Feild Henry Nobly history
Arlington Road Jeff Bridges Professor Michael Faraday history
Charly Leon Janney Professor Richard Nemur psychology
Cheers for Miss Bishop Martha Scott Professor Ella Bishop English
Clue Christopher Lloyd Professor Plum psychiatry
Creepshow Hal Holbrook
Fritz Weaver
Professor Henry Northrup
Professor Dexter Stanley
English
zoology
Creepshow 3 Emmet McGuire Professor Dayton
The Da Vinci Code
Angels & Demons
Inferno
Tom Hanks Professor Robert Langdon symbology
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) Sam Jaffe Professor Jacob Barnhardt biological altruism
Dead Poets Society Robin Williams Professor John Keating English literature
Diamonds Are Forever Joseph Furst Professor Metz laser science
Exit to Eden John Schneider Professor Collins
The Fearless Vampire Killers Jack MacGowran Professor Abronsius vampirology
Ghostbusters Harold Ramis
Dan Aykroyd
Bill Murray
Dr. Egon Spengler
Dr. Ray Stantz
Dr. Peter Venkman
parapsychology
parapsychology
psychology and parapsychology
Goosebumps (2015) John Deifer Professor Shock
The Great Mouse Detective Vincent Price (voice) Professor Padraic Ratigan
Harry Potter series Richard Harris / Michael Gambon
Warwick Davis
Kenneth Branagh
David Thewlis
Maggie Smith
Brendan Gleeson
Ian Hart
Alan Rickman
Jim Broadbent
Miriam Margolyes
Emma Thompson
Imelda Staunton
Professor Albus Dumbledore
Professor Filius Flitwick
Professor Gilderoy Lockhart
Professor Remus Lupin
Professor Minerva McGonagall
"Professor Alastor Moody"
Professor Quirinus Quirrell
Professor Severus Snape
Professor Horace E.F. Slughorn
Professor Pomona Sprout
Professor Sybill Trelawney
Professor Dolores Jane Umbridge
Transfiguration, later Headmaster
Charms
Defense Against the Dark Arts
Defense Against the Dark Arts
Transfiguration
Defense Against the Dark Arts
Defense Against the Dark Arts
Potions, later Defense Against the Dark Arts
Potions
Herbology
Divination
Defense Against the Dark Arts, later Headmistress
Higher Learning Laurence Fishburne Professor Maurice Phipps political science
Indiana Jones series Harrison Ford
Sean Connery
Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones, Jr.
Professor Henry Jones, Sr.
archaeology
Medieval literature
Jumanji series Jack Black
Bobby Cannavale
Professor Sheldon "Shelly" Oberon
Professor Van Pelt
archaeology, cartography, geometry, paleontology
archaeology
Knowing Nicolas Cage Professor Jonathan "John" Koestler astrophysics
The Ladykillers Tom Hanks Professor Goldthwaite Higginson Dorr Latin, philology, and classics
Liberal Arts (2012) Richard Jenkins
Allison Janney
Dr. Peter Hoberg
Dr. Judith Fairfield
American literature
Romantic literature
The Life of David Gale Kevin Spacey Professor David Gale philosophy
Maggie's Plan (2015) Ethan Hawke
Julianne Moore
Dr. John Harding
Dr. Georgette Harding
anthropology
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein John Cleese Professor Waldman medicine
The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996) Barbra Streisand Professor Rose Morgan English literature
My Fair Lady Rex Harrison Professor Henry Higgins phonetics
The Nutty Professor Eddie Murphy Professor Sherman Klump biology
The Paper Chase John Houseman Professor Charles Kingsfield law
The Savages (2007) Philip Seymour Hoffman Professor Jon Savage theatre
A Serious Man (2009) Michael Stuhlbarg Dr. Lawrence "Larry" Gopnik physics
A Single Man Colin Firth Professor George Falconer English literature
Some Kind of Beautiful (2014) Pierce Brosnan Dr. Richard Haig English literature
Spider-Man 2 Dylan Baker Dr. Curtis Connors physics
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Kathryn Hahn Dr. Olivia Octavius physics
Still Alice (2014) Julianne Moore Professor Alice Howland linguistics
Tarzan (1999) Nigel Hawthorne Professor Archimedes Q. Porter naturalist
The Visitor (2007) Richard Jenkins Professor Walter Vale economics
The Whale (2022) Brendan Fraser Charlie literature
Wit (2001) Emma Thompson Professor Vivian Bearing English literature
The Wizard of Oz Frank Morgan Professor Marvel none (fraudulent)
Wonder Boys (2000) Michael Douglas Professor Grady Tripp creative writing
X-Men series Patrick Stewart Professor Charles Xavier many

Television edit

Television show Portrayer Fictional professor Study
3rd Rock from the Sun Jane Curtin
John Lithgow
Dr. Mary Margaret Albright, Ph.D
Dr. Richard "Dick" Solomon
anthropology
physics
The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron Tim Curry (voice) Professor Finbarr Calamitous science
The Aquabats! Super Show! / The Aquabats Parker Jacobs Professor Monty Corndog science
Bagpuss Oliver Postgate (voice) Professor Yaffle (Augustus Barclay Yaffle) unknown
Being Human Lyndsey Marshal Professor Lucy Jaggat science
BoJack Horseman Will Arnett (voice) Professor BoJack Horseman theater
Boy Meets World William Daniels Mr. George Hamilton Feeny archaeology/physics
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Lindsay Crouse Professor Maggie Walsh psychology
Californication David Duchovny Professor Hank Moody creative writing
Community Betty White
Malcolm McDowell
John Oliver
Kevin Corrigan
Jonathan Banks
Michael K. Williams
Lauren Stamile
John Michael Higgins
Joel McHale
Professor June Bauer
Professor Noel Cornwallis
Dr. Ian Duncan
Professor Sean Garrity
Professor Buzz Hickey
Dr. Marshall Kane
Professor Michelle Slater
Professor Eustice Whitman
Professor Jeff Winger
anthropology
history
psychology
theater
criminology
biology
statistics
accounting
law
Cory in the House Mary Chris Wall
Paul Rogan
Amy Tolsky
Professor Suzane Bushwick
Professor Uriah Dobbs
Dr. Vanderslyce
psychology
science
unknown
Deutschland 83 Alexander Beyer Professor Tobias Tischbier law
Doctor Who Denis Carey
Derek Jacobi
Alex Kingston
Trevor Baxter
Jack Watling
Professor Urban Chronotis
Professor Yana
Professor River Song
Professor George Litefoot
Professor Edward Travers
chronology
endtime gravity mechanics
archaeology
forensic pathology
anthropology
Falling Skies Noah Wyle Professor Tom Mason history
Felix the Cat Jack Mercer (voice) The Professor science
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Janet Hubert-Whitten / Daphne Maxwell Reid Professor Vivian Banks African-American history
Friends David Schwimmer Ross Eustace Geller, Ph.D paleontology
Futurama Billy West (voice) Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth science
Ghost Whisperer Jay Mohr
Jamie Kennedy
Bruce Davison
Professor Rick Payne
Professor Eli James
Professor Josh Bedford
paranormal studies
psychology
unknown
Gilligan's Island Russell Johnson Professor Roy Hinkley, Ph.D. science
Gilmore Girls Michael York
Edward Herrmann
Professor Asher Fleming
Mr. Richard Gilmore
unknown
economics
The Good Place William Jackson Harper Professor Chidi Anagonye ethics
Heroes Sendhil Ramamurthy Professor Mohinder Suresh genetics
How I Met Your Mother Josh Radnor Professor Ted Mosby architecture
Kim Possible Patton Oswalt (voice)
John DiMaggio (voice)
Professor Dementor
Dr. Drakken
science
Law & Order Dianne Wiest Nora Lewin law
The Lost Symbol Ashley Zukerman Professor Robert Langdon symbology
The Magic School Bus Rides Again Lily Tomlin (voice) Professor Valerie Felicity Frizzle, PhD science
Nanny and the Professor Richard Long Professor Harold Everett mathematics
Neighbours Andrew Clarke Professor Alexandr Isiovich "Alex" Kinski unknown
Numb3rs David Krumholtz
Peter MacNicol
Navi Rawat
Dr. Charles Edward "Charlie" Eppes
Dr. Lawrence "Larry" Fleinhardt
Dr. Amita Ramanujan
mathematics
physics
mathematics
One Life to Live unknown Dr. Stephen Haver unknown
The Order Sam Trammell Eric Clarke ethics
The Paper Chase John Houseman Professor Charles Kingsfield law
Perception Eric McCormack Dr. Daniel Pierce neuroscience
Phineas and Ferb Jennifer Grey (voice) Dr. Gevaarlijk Evil Science
Pokémon Dan Green
unknown
Kayzie Rogers
Stan Hart and Billy Beach
Jimmy Zoppi
Professor Birch
Professor Elm
Professor Felina Ivy
Professor Samuel Oak
Professor Rowan
Professor Juniper
Professor Sycamore
Professor Kukui
Pokémon habitats
Pokémon breeding
Pokémon
Pokémon behavior
Pokémon evolution
The Powerpuff Girls Tom Kane (voice) Professor Utonium science
Primeval Douglas Henshall Professor Nick Cutter unknown
Professor Balthazar N/A Professor Balthazar unknown
Quatermass (various) (various) Professor Bernard Quatermass space exploration
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch Beth Broderick Professor Zelda Spellman quantum physics
Science Court H. Jon Benjamin (voice) Professor Nick Parsons science
The Secret Show Rob Rackstraw (voice) Professor Professor science
The Simpsons Hank Azaria (voice) Professor John Frink Jr. science
Sliders John Rhys-Davies Professor Maximillian P. Arturo cosmology and ontology
Star Trek: The Next Generation Brent Spiner Lucasian Professor Data physics
The Twilight Zone (1959) Robert Emhardt
John McIntire
Malcolm Atterbury
Oscar Beregi, Jr.
Donald Pleasence
Richard Long
Milton Parsons
Kevin McCarthy
Edgar Stehli
Russell Johnson
Robert Boon
Oscar Beregi, Jr.
Professor Ackerman
Professor A. Daemon
Professor Eliot
Professor Farwell
Professor Ellis Fowler
Professor Sigmund Friend
Professor Gilbert
Professor Walter Jameson
Professor Samuel Kittridge
Professor Manion
Professor Holger Nielsen
Professor Karl Werner
unknown
potions
none
chemistry and physics
English literature
psychiatry
time travel
history
chemistry
time travel
unknown
unknown
The Twilight Zone (1985) Sherman Hemsley
John Carradine
Professor Sam
Professor Alex Stottel
mathematics
unknown
Veronica Mars Patrick Fabian Professor Hank Landry criminology
A Very Peculiar Practice Timothy West Professor Furie
The West Wing Martin Sheen President Josiah Bartlet economics
WordGirl unknown
Tom Kenny (voice)
unknown
Professor Steven Boxleitner, Ph.D, MOMA, M&A, LMNOP
Dr. Two-Brains
Professor James Doohickey
science
science
technology

Comics edit

Comic Fictional professor Study
The Adventures of Tintin Professor Cuthbert Calculus nuclear and theoretical physics, planetary astronomy, calculus
DC Comics Dr Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn
Dr. Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow
Professor Ray Palmer/Atom
Professor Martin Stein/Firestorm
Abin Sur
psychiatry
psychiatry
physics
physics
history
Jommeke Professor Jeremias Gobelijn self-declared "professor in everything"
Marvel Comics Dr. Curtis Connors
Dr. John Grey
Dr. Henry Philip "Hank" McCoy/The Beast
Professor Piotr Phobos
Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym
Dr. Reed Richards
Professor Miles Warren/Jackal
Professor Charles Francis Xavier
herpetology
history
biochemistry/genetics
unknown
entomology, theoretical physics, and chemistry
many
biology
genetics
The Adventures of Nero Adhemar philology, trigonometry, nuclear physics, dynamics, philosophy, biology, ornithology and botany
Spike and Suzy Professor Barabas time travel, inventions
Doctor Who Professor Bernice Summerfield archaeology

Other edit

Creator Fictional professor Study
John William Spaeth, Jr. Professor Josiah S. Carberry Psychoceramics
Unknown Professor Bernard Weiss Linguistics
BethAnn McLaughlin @Sciencing_Bi Anthropology
Stephen Manderson Professor Green Musician
Max Wall Professor Wallofski Music hall comedian