Ford Prefect (character)

Ford Prefect
David Dixon as Ford Prefect in Episode One of the BBC TV series
First appearance	Fit the First (radio)
Created by	Douglas Adams
Portrayed by	Geoffrey McGivern (radio and LP versions) David Dixon (television) Mos Def (film)
In-universe information
Nickname	Ix
Species	Betelgeusian
Gender	Male
Occupation	Researcher for the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Relatives	Zaphod Beeblebrox (semi-half cousin)
Homeworld	Betelgeuse Five

Ford Prefect (also called Ix) is a fictional character in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by the British author Douglas Adams. His role as Arthur Dent's friend – and rescuer, when the Earth is unexpectedly demolished to make way for a hyperspace bypass at the start of the story – is often expository, as Ford is an experienced galactic hitchhiker^[1] and explains that he is actually an alien journalist, a field researcher for the titular Guide itself, and not an out-of-work actor from Guildford as he had claimed.