Sterling Malory Archer (codenamed Duchess after his mother's dog) is the fictional titular character on the American adult animated sitcom Archer, which aired on the basic cable network FX from 2009 to 2019 and is currently broadcast on sister network FXX. Almost exclusively referred to as just ‘Archer’, the character serves as the comedy's main protagonist and is voiced by H. Jon Benjamin. Creator Adam Reed was expected to play the role in the show's original pilot, but was recast because producers felt his voice-over was not suitable for the character's dialogue. Archer debuted in the first episode of Archer, "Mole Hunt", on September 17, 2009. Inspired by James Bond, Archer appears in early seasons of Archer as the narcissistic, womanizing secret agent of the International Secret Intelligence Service (ISIS), a fictional New York-based intelligence service headed by his mother Malory (Jessica Walter). It is likely he is named after Sir Archibald David Stirling , founder of the SAS. His narcissism, sharp sense of humor and complex relationships with his peers serve as important aspects of his character. Archer subsequent years see him take on different occupations and personae as the show experiments with new ideas, character arcs and self-contained narratives. The characterization of Archer, and Benjamin's performance of the character, have been well received by the media. Benjamin has received numerous accolades, including a Primetime Emmy nomination and an Annie Award nomination, for outstanding achievement in voice acting. Attributes Background Archer was born in Tangier as the only child of Malory Archer (Jessica Walter), the retired agent-turned-director of the New York-based International Secret Intelligence Service (ISIS). Due to Malory’s involvement in espionage throughout World War II, Archer was raised until age 5 by his servant, Woodhouse. The whereabouts of his biological father are unknown barring a fake identity conceived by Malory, though he briefly appears as a faceless figure in a dream sequence in the season four episode "Once Bitten", as Archer hallucinates from a cobra bite. Archer spent his youth at a boarding school, where he excelled at lacrosse. As a result, Archer was offered an athletic scholarship to Johns Hopkins University, but the offer fell through after he was shot in the abdomen. Although not explicitly stated, a background photo in season two's "Placebo Effect" hints Archer may have instead graduated from Georgetown University. Personality The comic efficacy of Archer’s personality lies in his narcissism and unremitting