Lee Harvey Oswald was the main antagonist of Stephen King's novel 11/22/63 and its Hulu TV series adaptation where the protagonist, Jake Epping, goes back in time to prevent the Kennedy assassination. He was portrayed by Daniel Webber.
Throughout the novel, Jake spies on Lee, tracing his every movement. In the climax to the novel, Jake prevents Lee from assassinating Kennedy by killing him but only at the cost of Sadie Dunhill’s life. When he sees the damage he has done to reality, Jake reverts the timeline, returning the timeline to as it was. He was shot dead by Jack Ruby two days after the JFK assassination. (NOTE: As Oswald is based on a real life person with real history, some real events not really shown in the series may be mentioned)
Appearance[]
Oswald (11.22.63's portrayal of him) is just below average height, fair toned, brown haired man with a round chin. He has a slim neck and light stubble under his chin and just on the front being visible. Oswald often wears basic t-shirts and basic pants.
Personality[]
Oswald is a egocentric almost manchild at times. He dislikes when someone tries to question his worth even if its just looking at him for no apparent reason that he would be aware of. When Oswald returns to the US in 1962, he is highly offended and upset by the fact that there were no reporters to report on the only U.S Marine to defect's return. Oswald is also quite histrionic, wanting people to know his name by any means, even if he has to be known as the murderer of the president to do so; Oswald is generally very paranoid about his self image and how its held up by others around him and often complains and is abusive to his wife, Marina Prusakova. Oswald is shown to not be afraid to go to violence when intimidated or when he disagrees with someone's life choices or if violence would himself be more known.
Alternate Timeline[]
As of the series' closet wormhole's beginning loop day, October 21st, 1960, Oswald is currently in Russia as a defector but is briefly seen. During his time in Russia, he meets Marina Nikolayevna Prusakova, who was 19 at the time who Oswald would marry her several weeks after meeting her. In February 1962, Marina gave birth to her and Oswald's child named June.
Oswald returns to America in 1962 to no one beside his family really caring, to his dissapointment. Time Traveler Jake Epping and his "associate" Bill Turcotte stalk Oswald to see if he has any relation or any mention of Edwin Walker by following him and "bugging" his house. Oswald is seen at a speech meeting where Oswald begins to try and attack Oswald due to Edwin being a facist in Oswald's eyes. Oswald in March 1963 used an alias of A. Hidell to buy a Italitan Carcano rifle and a Smith & Wesson Model 10 though that's off screen. Oswald would go to Marina and telling her to take a photo of him holding his Carcano Rifle and S&W handgun that he would use to go "Facist Hunting" and Marxist papers in his backyard which are infamously known as "The Backyard Photos." Oswald befriended a Russian Immigrant named George de Mohrenschildt and George was able to convince Oswald to assassinate Walker and that George would connect him with "some of his friends", possibly being the CIA and soon tells Marina to give a photo to June when she gets older incase he doesn't return alive, from what she's not aware of. Oswald later on attacks Marina to the horror of Bill Turcotte who has a crush on Marina.
Bill and Jake make plans to see if Oswald will be the lone man to attempt to assassinate Walker and if so, they will know he's the one who will try and assassinate JFK and there so, Oswald will be murdered to save Kennedy's life (and also stop Connally from being stuck though Connally's wellbeing is irrelevent to the main cause.) Bill goes to the site of the attempted assassination of Walker but gets distracted by a hallucination of his deceased sister Clara leading to him completely missing the missed shot at Walker.
On October 15th, 1963, Lee is hired at the Texas School Book Depository and goes to talk to Marina to try and get her to come back home and bring the kids back while using the positive news of his new job to convince her to come back though with Marina's simple questions, Oswald's egotistical manchild side returns and gets annoyed at Marina not saying yes. Later that night, Oswald and George talk about Walker's failed assassination attempt against him though Oswald seems to be oblivious to the action or atleast denies the accusation that Oswald did it and both George and Oswald leave the house. On October 18th, 1963, it's the birthday of Oswald and his friends and family are there, including Bill which leads to Bill knocking over a lamp that had been wired leading to Oswald finding it but he believes the ones who planted it were the FBI or in his words, The Feds and he does not suspect Bill or Jake. Oswald starts to throw and break things in a fit of rage as he curses America, mocking it for him believing America's nickname of "Land of the Free" and "Home of the Brave" being misleading and all a lie and he storms out the house though he returns at one point or another and is seen kissing Marina.
Oswald goes to a shooting range that cost $1.50 ($15.25 with inflation in 2023) to shoot though he only has a few cents and so pays with work, that being to rake the field for shell casings from the other shooters and his own guns. Oswald begins firing his rifle (or atleast some random rifle he got from a nearby rack with several possible free to use rifles behind the lady who assumingly ran the shooting range.) Oswald shot several shots at the target and hitting all bullseyes in the middle of the target. Oswald goes home with his rifle that he likely took to the range and sits down next to Bill who by this point has made enemies with Jake and has befriended Oswald and asks if Jake has ever shot a gun before to Jakes sarcastic agreement. Jake fears Bill could be a second shooter in the JFK assassination and so falsely gets Bill imprisoned in a mental facility which leads to Bill's suicide later on.
On November 12th 1963, 10 days before the JFK assassination at around 11am, Oswald attempts to speak with James Hosty, an FBI Agent who had been investigating Oswald and Marina and trying to get in contact to interview Marina to Oswald's outrage which doesn't help the fact Oswald is still under the belief that the FBI were the ones who bugged his home though that wasn't the case. Hosty, not being available, Oswald leaves though writes a letter before leaving in a huff.
On November 17th 1963, Oswald and his mother, Marguerite talk about the FBI and how Marguerite is worried for Oswald's wellbeing. Marguerite shows Oswald his second grade report card and how the teacher stated Lee had potential and the she thinks Oswald still has it. The next day on the 18th, Oswald while on a bench in a park finds a newsaper on John F. Kennedy's upcoming visit to Dallas and leaves the park whistling.
Marina prepares to leave Oswald, getting her things packed and talking about how she deserved better and a life that doesn't include abuse. Jake and Sadie continue to try and stop Oswald by trying to steal his rifle though they cannot find it as Oswald already has it.
As November 22, 1963 comes around, Oswald comes to work with his historically controversial brown long back and heads to work at the School Book Depository while whistling and sets up his snipers nest and loads his Carcano rifle at around 9am and prepares for the shooting even though more than likely this would of been at around 11am. Oswald continues to stay on the sixth floor while waiting for his chance to asssassinate Kennedy. "YOUR (not you're) THE PATSY" is seen spray painted on the wall by someone unknown though possibly by Oswald. Jake and Sadie rush to stop Oswald and succeeds in so as Clint Hill climbs aboard the back of the Presidential Limo and the President, First Lady, Govener, and Govener's wife speed away under the triple underpass.
Oswald enraged slowly hunts Sadie and Jake around the sixth floor which is covered in bookshelfs and boxes as Oswald curses Jake and Sadie for them interupting his chance of making his mark on the world as he shoots through boxes in an attempt to shoot in kill them in a fit of rage. Oswald explains his motive more as he walks around while hunting Sadie and Jake and is tackled by Jake and Oswald uses the fight and is shot and killed by his own rifle at around 12:34pm going by the time of the shooting (12:30pm and around 9 minutes into the episode) which is shown on a clock in the episode and the time of the episode Oswald is shot. (13:42 in the episode) Oswald during his frantic shooting spree on the sixth floor, mortally strikes Sadie.
Jake having completed his mission to save JFK though losing his love Sadie, goes to the future and returns which due to the rules of the wormhole that brought him to 1960, that compeletley resets the past 3 years from 1963 to 1960 and Jake never interacts with Oswald again and so all events involving Oswald continue as normal as he goes on to do everything he does in real life involving assassinating John F. Kennedy, injuring John Connally, and murdering J.D. Tippit.
Main Timeline[]
After Jake reverts time timeline back and allows the events of the real world occur. Everything that happens can be found basically at your local library or google search though most points from the Alternate timeline are true or atleast believed to be true with some examples being:
- Oswald defects to Russia, meeting his wife Marina there and moving back to America with her in 1962.
- Attempts to assassinate Edwin Walker.
- Gets hired by the Texas School Book Depository.
- Purchases a rifle and a handgun and takes a photo of them in his backyard.
- Writes a letter to James Hosty.
- Shoots at JFK with his rifle from the depository at the sixth floor of the TSBD at around 12:30pm (though in 11/22/63, Oswald misses his first shot like in real life those doesn't get the chance to take any other shots due to being caught.
Death[]
No matter the timeline, either the Alternate Timeline or Main Timeline, Oswald is fatally shot not long after the asssassination attempt.
In the main timeline/the actual timeline that actually happened, Jack Ruby who was a nightclub owner and is seen earlier that season by Bill and Jake runs up to Oswald during a transportation of the currently in custody Oswald and shoots him point blank range into his torso, mortally wounding him. Oswald was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital (The same hospital that not only Kennedy and Connally were taken to but the same one Sadie in 11/22/63 would be taken to when she is attacked by her ex-husband) where he was pronounced dead. Oswald was killed 2 days after the Kennedy assassination on November 24th, 1963.
In the Alternate Timeline, as stated above, Jake shoots Oswald in the chest with his own rifle, saving Kennedy's life.
Quotes[]
| “ | Sharpshooter! | „ |
| ~ Oswald trying to encourage himself before shooting at the Motorcade. |
| “ | You don't know that. You don't know me. I'm gonna make my mark on this world. | „ |
| ~ Oswald to Jake. |
| “ | F*** you! F*** You! | „ |
| ~ Oswald to Jake and Sadie for interupting him. |
| “ | Why?! What are you doing here, god damn it!? | „ |
| ~ Oswald angrily asking Jake and Sadie. |
| “ | I came here to do something! Something important! You know what kind of potential I have!? I can do anything I set my mind to! | „ |
| ~ Oswald scolding Jake for stopping him from killing Kennedy. |
| “ | Nobody knows me. | „ |
| ~ Oswald's last words before being shot roughly in the heart |
Gallery[]
