Earl and Edgar McGraw

Earl McGraw and his son Edgar McGraw are two fictional characters played by Michael Parks and James Parks. They appear in several feature films by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, including the From Dusk till Dawn franchise, Kill Bill: Volume 1, and in various works from the Grindhouse project. Despite being killed off in his first appearance in From Dusk till Dawn, various characters named Earl and Edgar have returned in several other films from Rodriguez and Tarantino. Talking with a heavy Texas accent and delivering profanity laden dialogue, the Earl character often serves as comic relief. He and Edgar are consistently portrayed as Texas Rangers. Edgar is portrayed by James Parks, the real-life son of Michael Parks. Earl has a daughter who is introduced in the Grindhouse films, named Dakota, played by Marley Shelton, who plays a large role in Planet Terror. Dakota also appears in the television series portrayed by Nicky Whelan.

From Dusk till Dawn
Not much is known about the original version of Earl before his appearance in From Dusk till Dawn other than his career as a Texas Ranger. Earl McGraw goes into a liquor store, where killers Seth and Richie Gecko are hiding. Before McGraw can leave, he is shot in the head by Richie, who mistakenly believed that the store's clerk whispered "Help us" to McGraw.

This version of Earl had a son named Edgar who appears briefly in two scenes in the sequel film From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money. Bo Hopkins references Edgar's businesslike demeanor: "Oh, them Gecko brothers killed his daddy."

While Earl Mcgraw does not appear in From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter, Michael Parks portrays a fictionalized version of real life writer Ambrose Bierce as a main character throughout the film. Ambrose's relationship, if he has any, with Earl is unknown.

Kill Bill: Volume 1
Earl, alongside his son Edgar, appears in Kill Bill: Volume 1, where they investigate the massacre at the Two Pines Chapel. Ten people have been brutally murdered there, which is the setup for the story of the film and its sequel. He soon discovers that the bride, Beatrix Kiddo, is still alive. In the film, he scolds his son for taking the Lord's name in vain while inside the chapel.

Grindhouse films
This incarnation of Earl would gain a more prominent spotlight to the point that his family is introduced beyond his son Edgar in this universe. During the Grindhouse segment Planet Terror, Earl McGraw is forced to kill his wife Ramona after she turns into a zombie, while Dakota takes refuge in his house. McGraw also helps survivors gather and fight, as well as staying behind to fight off the zombie attack while the others escape. He reappears near the end, where he saves Dakota by killing her infected husband, Doctor Block.

In the Grindhouse segment, Death Proof, Earl, accompanied by Edgar, visits a hospital after Stuntman Mike's first attack. He is the only person aware of the fact that Stuntman Mike was responsible for the deaths of five girls, but Mike is cleared of all charges because the girls were intoxicated. Although he can't formally arrest him, Earl does however run Mike out of Texas.

Edgar McGraw appears making out with Sartana's sister in a deleted scene featured on the Machete Blu-ray and DVD releases.

Television
A new version of Earl McGraw appears in the television series From Dusk till Dawn: The Series, based on the film series, played by Don Johnson. Don's son Jesse Johnson portrayed the younger version of his father's character during a flashback in the second season.