Fran Kranz portrays technology geek Topher Brink on the upcoming Fox drama Dollhouse.

This character is the main individual responsible for downloading various personalities into the Actives, chief among them Eliza Dushku's Echo. (Watch the series premiere on February 13, this will all make sense.)

“He's the guy who understands and knows the technology behind how the whole imprint process works," Kranz told BuddyTV. "The dolls are imprinted with different personalities for each of their missions or clients' fantasies, and Topher designs these personalities."

Does this mean he's a good guy or a bad guy? Does he have the best interests of his subjects in mind?

“Whether he's ultimately good or bad remains to be seen. But certainly he loves his job, and that says volumes about who he is.  Because of him people are used and abused.  Some die … But he sees it as an artistic, creative process.  When he builds these personalities, I like to look at it like he's building a brain. 

He's using real parts of real personalities.  Nothing is completely artificial.  They're pieces of real people.  They're kind of his color palette, and his final product is a complete person.  The show meditates on this, obviously.”

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.