Sheriff Graham

"It's my heart, Emma. I need to find it."

- Sheriff Graham to Emma Swan

Sheriff Graham, also known by his full name Graham Humbert, is a character on ABC's Once Upon a Time. He débuts in the first episode of the first season. He is portrayed by guest star and former starring cast member Jamie Dornan and is the Storybrooke counterpart of the Huntsman.

History
For events occurring before the casting of the Dark Curse, see the Huntsman.

During the Curse
Graham is the local sheriff of Storybrooke, and after the enacting of the curse, develops and maintains an intimate and physical relationship with the mayor, Regina Mills. She is alarmed that two outsiders, Kurt Flynn, and his son, Owen, have entered town. Graham expresses just as much surprise as Regina at their unfamiliar faces. In a short time, Regina becomes very fond of Owen, and suggests that he and his father can stay in Storybrooke permanently. However, Kurt rejects the idea. Despite Kurt's firm answer, she tries to find a way to force them to stay longer by asking the mechanic Billy, to stall the fixing of Kurt's car. But, Kurt already picked up his car ten minutes ago, so she rushes off to her office to speak commands into Graham's heart to make him arresting Kurt for false charges of drunk driving. Her plans go awry when Kurt overhears her, and tries to leave the office, but Sheriff Graham bursts into the room to wrestle him down on the desk. Kurt tries to tell Graham that Regina is somehow controlling him with something, and knocks onto the ground the box containing his heart. The heart hits the floor, to which Graham gasps in pain and accidentally releases Kurt, who escapes out the door. Graham asks what that thing is, but Regina doesn't answer. He helps Regina chase after Kurt and Owen in his sheriff police car, and block them from leaving at the town border. As he takes hold of Kurt and cuffs him, Owen is forced to run for his life on his father's orders. Regina's adopted son, Henry Mills, decides to run away from home to find his biological mother, Emma Swan. Emma brings him back to his house doorstep where a very worried Regina opens the door and hugs him. Sheriff Graham watches on. When Emma tries to leave Storybrooke to return to Boston, a wolf appears in the middle of the street and causes her to crash into the Storybrooke town sign. She wakes up in the Storybrooke jail, where Graham is currently releasing Leroy from his cell. He does not believe her when she tells him that a wolf caused her car accident. After Archie Hopper gives Henry's file to Emma, Graham shows up at her room at Granny's Bed and Breakfast and asks for Henry's file back, claiming that Dr. Hopper reported it stolen. Emma gives him Henry's file and tells him that she was set up, as she is arrested. Later, he lets her go and asks her to become his deputy. He went looking for David Nolan after he escaped from the hospital along with Henry, Mary Margaret and Emma's help. He also helps Emma when Henry runs into the sinkhole. It is revealed that he is having an affair with the mayor shortly after he asks Emma to become his deputy, claiming that he would really be at the animal shelter that night. Graham is upset about Emma witnessing him leaving Regina's house after his nightly tryst with Regina. She refuses his apologies and pleas, so he kisses her, and briefly gets a flash of a memory of who he was in the Enchanted Forest. He realizes then that he had never felt anything before and goes to Regina's house. After asking if Henry was in bed, he kisses Regina, but discovers that he does not get the same burst of feeling as he had with Emma.

That night, he wakes up from a dream and tells Regina about his recurring dreams. Regina tells him to go back to sleep, but he heads outside to get some air and sees the wolf from his dreams. The wolf leaves, before he can go after it.

The next day, he visits Mary Margaret and asks her whether or not they have met before Storybrooke. He proceeds to question Mary Margaret, making her fully aware of the haze in her memories. After Mary Margaret, he goes to Henry's house and asks whether or not he is in Henry's book.

Henry tells him that he is the Huntsman and that the Evil Queen stole his heart so that he would never feel again. Henry tells him about the Queen's signature symbol and Graham goes off in a frantic search for his heart. He manages to get Emma to help him and, when he sees the wolf haunting his dreams a second time, chases after it.

The wolf leads the pair to Regina's father's grave, where Regina catches them searching for Graham's heart. Graham breaks his affair off with her and, after a cat fight between Regina and Emma, heads for the station with Emma. Unknown to them, Regina has descended into the chamber where all of her captured hearts are held. She takes Graham's heart and starts squeezing it slowly turning it to dust.

Back at the station, Graham apologizes for Regina's behavior and kisses Emma again. After he pulls back, he smiles and says he remembers everything. Before Emma can ask what he means, he suffers a fatal "heart attack" and dies in her arms.

Trivia

 * His last name is Humbert, as revealed in the episode "Desperate Souls".
 * "Graham" derives from "Grantham," an English settlement, itself derived from the Old English elements "grand" (or gravel) and "ham" (homestead). "Humbert" is derived from the Germanic words for "warrior" and "bright".
 * In the Disney animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Humbert is the name of the Huntsman. However, it is never said in the film.
 * In the original script, he stated that he got his accent from his parents.
 * Likes pixie sticks.
 * Regina Mills sent him to arrest Emma Swan, while the Evil Queen sent his counterpart to kill Emma's mother.
 * In an interview with Exclusive by Tierney Bircker, Jamie Dornan stated that he originally was supposed to be another character, however because they could not get the rights, they made him the Huntsman. It was not stated who the other character was supposed to be, but Edward Kitsis revealed in Entertainment Weekly's final October issue that he was supposed to be Sherlock Holmes.

Appearances
Graham Humbert Sheriff Graham Graham Humbert Humbert Graham Szeryf Graham Xerife Graham