Joe Carroll is one of the main characters on the TV series The Following . He is portrayed by James Purefoy. Carroll used to work as a college professor. He had a loving wife and a son. Unbeknownst to his wife Claire, Joe is a cunning serial killer who has killed several female campus students.Carroll is captured by FBI Agent Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon) and put into prison for nearly a decade. From behind bars, Carroll is able to develop a league of serial killer followers who obey his every word. Some of Joe's disciples help to get him out of federal custody with a daring escape.After Joe's escape, Ryan Hardy is called out of retirement in order to recapture Joe.