https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WhKt_CkXD0

It’s important to note that while he worked on making movies in college, he never actually studied film.

I used to noodle around with the camera but I didn’t go to film school. I studied English literature at college and pursued a straight academic qualification, all the while making my own films and wanting to make more

Ain’t no ugly ass white man get his face on no legal motherfucking tender, ‘cept he president!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFfG0hlA0FU&t=2m27s

Not sure if Burns also inspired McNulty or if this is just a mix-up, but Burns is understood to be the real life inspiration for Prez.

Both Burns and Prez showed advanced code breaking ability when tracking down a kingpin (Melvin Williams for Burns, Avon for Prez) and both became public school teachers in Baltimore after leaving the force.

Mentioning the uniquely American belief in “a dollar and a dream” here makes clear that Lou is really just a product of and mirror to his environment. From hurling empty corporate jargon at Rik to obsessing over building a brand, Lou embodies everything we’ve come to associate with corporate hacks. But seeing as he is regurgitating what he reads on the internet and hears from others rather than thinking on his own, this proves that Nightcrawler cares more about the circumstances that bred this character than the character himself.

While many categorize Lou as a pure sociopath, Jake Gyllenhaal felt this was incorrect. Labeling Lou as a sociopath is comfortable because it deflects all blame for his actions from society, but the fact of the matter is that American society is what allows the Lou Blooms of the world to exist. Instead, Gyllenhaal categorized Lou as an animal, motivated by instinct and urges (17:44):

I think when you’d say sociopath, I’d say animal. When you’d say crazy, I’d say survival. That’s my translation of Lou… he’s like a predator. But he’s not the type of predator you’re intimidated by because of his physical prowess… he’s intimidating because of his mental capacity and his strategy