Linus Caldwell

Infobox character
colour = #CE0000
colour text = #FFFFFF
name = "Linus Caldwell"
series = Ocean's Series


caption = Matt Damon as Linus Caldwell in Ocean's Thirteen.
first = Ocean's Eleven
last = Ocean's Thirteen
cause =
creator = Ted Griffin
portrayer = Matt Damon
episode =
nickname =
alias =
species =
gender = Male
age =
born =
death =
specialty = Thief
Con artist
occupation =
title =
callsign =
family =
spouse =
children =
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residence =
religion =
nationality = United States
imdb_id = 0002214

Linus Caldwell is a fictional character portrayed by Matt Damon in the heist film "Ocean's Eleven" and its sequels "Ocean's Twelve" and "Ocean's Thirteen". The films are based on the original "Ocean's Eleven", but Linus does not appear in it.

Character History

Ocean's Eleven

Linus is son of legendary con artist Bobby Caldwell. Linus is the last to be recruited to the Eleven for the Benedict job. He is first seen pickpocketing when Danny finds him and offers him a role in the job, claiming his Dad recommended him, but Linus is unsure, showing family problems.

Though uncertain at first, he joins the Eleven when told by Reuben to "get in the goddamned house." He is given the task of performing reconnaissance on Benedict's hotel, a task he is annoyed in doing, as he hoped to have a larger role in the scheme. He is the first to discover that Tess Ocean, Danny's ex-wife, is with Benedict, leading Rusty to show uncertainty with the job.

As Danny attempts to win Tess back, he is blacklisted from the hotel, making his role in the job impossible to perform. As a result, Linus takes his place. He enters the heist under the disguise of a gaming officer sent in to report on Frank Catton (who is part of the job).

He arrives and informs Benedict of Catton's criminal past. Linus and Frank stage an argument, and Linus uses the distraction to steal the codes to the lift from Benedict's pocket. He then fakes having left something in order to stay behind and use the opportunity to enter the lift. There, he finds Danny has infiltrated the lift using his contacts. Danny tells him that this was an act to test Linus' ability.

At the same time, another member of the Eleven, Basher, shuts down the power for a few minutes. In that time, they abseil down the lift with the laser grid down and continue on to knock out the guards, blow up the door to the vault where another member, Yen, had been smuggled in and planted bombs and using a series of distractions, and smuggle the money out under the disguise of the SWAT team.

Ocean's Twelve

Some time after "Ocean's Eleven", the team are betrayed by Francois "The Night Fox" Toulour. He gives away their locations to Benedict and he tracks them down. Linus is found and asks that his parents not be informed, showing his independence. When meeting with the rest, Linus says he has spent $1 million on talent expansion. With interest, he owes a total of $7 million.

He follows the team to Europe to pull off a job to pay their debt. He asks Rusty for a bigger role in the job. Although Danny and Rusty allow Linus to attend a meeting with them, they pretend to talk in a fake language to get rid of him. He plays a small role in the series of events that follow in discovering Toulour is behind the job.

However, after the team is arrested preparing to rob the Coronation Egg as part of a contest with Toulour to see who is the best thief, he is one of the few to escape. Linus, Basher, and Turk bring in Tess to act as a distraction to affect a swap of the egg with a fake prepared by Roman Nagel.

After being captured with the rest, he is interrogated and apparently gives in. As they are driven away by the authorities, it becomes apparent the interrogator is actually Linus' mother, called in by Danny to help in a prepared swap of the Coronation Egg, and their capture was staged to make the attempt appear genuine. Toulour is forced to pay their debt because of his defeat.Linus joins the Eleven in the celebrations afterward.

Ocean's Thirteen

Some time after the events of "Ocean's Twelve", Reuben is ripped off in a business deal with Willie Bank. As a result, he has a heart attack and is left near death. Linus meets Danny and Rusty as they arrive at the airport. As the group discuss what to do, Linus is for negotiating with Bank. When this fails, Linus is sent to find out what security Bank will use at his new Hotel/Casino. With difficulty and losing a lot of assets, he manages to discover it is the AI computer called the Greco. The team intend to shut it down long enough to rig all the games and win big. After that, they would get everyone out and Bank would be ruined.At the time the drill they intended to use to create a fake earthquake to get evacuate the hotel with the ill-gotten money breaks down, Linus is the one to suggest using Benedict to fund them to buy the second available drill. He accompanies Danny and Rusty to the meeting and Benedict agrees, providing they also steal Bank's collection of diamond necklaces.

After this step, he accompanies Yen into infiltrating the Casino as rich businessman "Mr Wang" with Linus playing his assistant. Once in and with little way to enter the room in which the diamonds are stored, Linus comes up with the idea of seducing Abigail Sponder, Bank's right hand at the casino. He insists on taking the role rather than Rusty, and is against using an "accelerant", though it is ultimately used.

After seducing her, he and Sponder enter the penthouse (where the diamonds are) where he is arrested by the FBI. Upon leaving, it becomes apparent once again that his parents have arrived to help, this time the one being his Dad, the famous Bobby Caldwell. The two, fully aware Benedict is about to rip them off using Toulour, announce to the rest of the team (on the frequency Benedict is listening) they have swapped the diamonds. On the roof and held at gunpoint, Linus hands over the fake diamonds to Toulour, who base jumps and parachutes away. The two than get in a helicopter that pulls away a chunk of the building and as it flies away with the diamonds still housed in its impregnable case.

After the success of the job, Linus is seen with Danny and Rusty at the airport about to leave. He has a spot in his Dad's next job and appears to be both more confident and has dealt with his family problems.