Where Are They Now: The “Prison Break” Edition
In August of 2005, Fox debuted a new serial drama created by Paul Scheuring called Prison Break, which revolved around two brothers, Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller) and Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell). After originally being passed over by Fox in 2003, who worried that the series had a low probability of longevity, the network finally decided to pursue production in 2004—and lucky for them that they did. The show’s first season was met by extraordinarily positive reviews, healthy ratings, and impressive accolades; it was nominated for several industry awards, taking home the 2006 People’s Choice Award for Favorite New TV Drama and the 2005 Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series Drama. In addition, over the course of its four-season run, the show became a pop culture staple, inspiring a spin-off series called Prison Break: Proof of Innocence, an official magazine, and a tie-in novel.
Therefore, it has continued to live on in some way, shape or form for millions of dedicated fans, many of whom have clung to the hope that the series would one day be revived. Now, Fox is granting that wish; in January 2015, they announced their intention to move forward with a nine-episode sequel series scheduled for release in the 2016-17 television season. What’s more, most of the original cast, including Wentworth Miller, Dominic Purcell and Sarah Wayne Callies, have signed on to return for their respective roles, increasing the level of excitement and anticipation amongst fans. However, before Prison Break’s epic return, let’s explore what our favorite cast members have been up to since the show’s finale in 2009.
Wentworth Miller (Michael Scofield)
Michael Scofield may have been Wentworth Miller’s breakout role, but he actually made his television debut in 2003 as a guest star on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. From there, he bounced from show to show, landing spots on Time of Your Life, Popular, ER, Joan of Arcadia, Ghost Whisperer and Family Guy. In addition, he starred in a number of movies, including The Human Stain, Underworld, Blood Creek, Resident Evil: Afterlife and The Loft. After Prison Break ended, he went on to guest star on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, House MD and Young Justice before being cast as Leonard Snart/Captain Cold on The Flash and then Legends of Tomorrow, in which he recently reunited with Dominic Purcell. He will be appearing in the Prison Break revival.
Dominic Purcell (Lincoln Burrows)
Before starring in Prison Break as Lincoln Burrows, Michael Scofield’s older brother, Dominic Purcell was already making a name for himself on television. His first major role was in the show Home & Away, in which he played the character Constable Rogers. His other pre-Prison Break television credits include Raw FM, Heartbreak High, BeastMaster, John Doe and North Shore. In addition, he landed parts in the movies Mission Impossible: II, Scenes of the Crime, Equilibrium, Three-Way, Blade: Trinity, Visitors and Primeval. After Prison Break ended, he focused the majority of his acting attention on scoring movie roles, starring in the films House of the Rising Sun, Escapee, Straw Dogs, Bad Karma, Officer Down, Suddenly, Vikingdom, Breakout, Ice Soldiers, The Ganzfeld Haunting, A Fighting Man and Gridlocked. Then, in 2014, he was cast as Mick Rory/Heat Wave in The Flash, a role which he is currently playing in the show Legends of Tomorrow. He will also be reprised his role as Lincoln Burrows in the Prison Break Revival.
Sarah Wayne Callies (Dr. Sara Tancredi)
Like her costar Wentworth Miller, Prison Break provided Sarah Wayne Callie with her breakout role—but before Prison Break, she was active in the industry. After receiving her Master of Fine Arts Degree from Denver’s National Theater Conservatory, she made her television debut as a guest star on the show Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. Then, she landed the part of Detective Jane Porter on the short-lived series Tarzan. While she was making a name for herself on television, she was also starring in a variety of movies including Lullaby for Pi, Black Gold, Faces in the Crowd, Foreverland, Black November, Into the Storm, Pay the Ghost and The Other Side of the Door. In 2010, she was cast as Lori Grimes in AMC’s hit television phenomenon The Walking Dead, which remains her most well-known role. She stayed on that show until the third season and has since moved on to play another character in the sci-fi genre: that of Katie Bowman on USA’s Colony, co-starring Josh Holloway, Amanda Righetti and Tory Kittles. She is also signed on to appear in the Prison Break sequel and the movie This Is Your Death.
Amaury Nolasco (Fernando Sucre)
By the time that Amaury Nolasco was cast as Fernando Sucre in Prison Break, he had guest-starred on a variety of shows and starred in a multitude of movies. Some of his pre-Prison Break credits include the shows Early Edition, The Huntress, CSI and George Lopez and the films Brother, 2 Fast 2 Furious, The Librarians and Mr. 3000. After Prison Break ended, he went on to star in Southland, Chase, Work It, Gang Related, Rizzoli and Isles and Telenovela. He also landed parts in the movies The Rum Diary, A Good Day to Die Hard, Kill the Dictator, In the Blood, Small Time and Animal. Fans can expect to see him not only in the upcoming sequel to Prison Break but also in the movie Criminal.
William Fichtner (Alex Mahone)
Prior to playing Alex Mahone in Prison Break, William Fichtner had already built an extensive resume for himself. He starred in the films The Underneath, Strange Days, Heat, Armageddon, Drowning Mona, The Perfect Storm, Pearl Harbor, Black Hawk Down, Crash, Nine Lives, The Longest Yard, Ultraviolet, Blades of Glory and The Dark Knight. He also scored roles in the shows Grace Under Fire, MDs and Invasion. After Prison Break ended, Fichtner landed parts in Entourage, Crossing Lines and Empire as well as the movies Drive Angry, Phantom, The Lone Ranger, Elysium and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Fans can expect to see him in the upcoming films St. Sebastian, Last Days of Summer, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, Independence Day: Resurgence and The Wizard.
Robert Knepper (Theodore “T-Bag” Bagwell)
As an actor, Robert Knepper has a career that stretches back to 1986, when he guest starred on the show The Paper Chase. Since then, he has starred in a plethora of shows, including E.A.R.T.H. Force, LA Law, Murder She Wrote, Thieves, Presidio Med, Carnivale, Heroes, Heroes: Slow Burn, SGU Stargate Universe, Cult, Mob City, Hawaii Five-O, Texas Rising, Public Morals and iZombie. He also landed parts in the movies When the Bough Breaks, Everyone Says I Love You, Dead of Night, Phantoms, Swatters, Hostage, Hitman, Transporter 3, The Day the Earth Stood Still, My Way, R.I.P.D., Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, Ride, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay—Part 2 and The Hoarder. Fans can expect to see him in the upcoming Prison Break sequel and the films Hard Target 2, Frat Pack, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, Badsville and the Twin Peaks revival.
Jodi Lyn O’Keefe (Gretchen Morgan)
Jodi Lyn O’Keeke made her acting debut in 1995 as the character Maggie Cory on Another World. After starring in the movies Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, She’s All That, The Crow: Salvation, Whatever It Takes and Teacher’s Pet, she scored her first major television role: that of Cassidy Bridges on the show Nash Bridges. When that show ended after five seasons in 2001, she scored guest spots on a variety of shows, such as Dharma & Greg, Tru Calling, Charmed, Boston Legal, Eve, The Evidence and CSI: NY before being cast in Prison Break in 2007. She stayed on that show until it closed its curtains in 2009, after which she guest-starred on Lost, Law and Order: LA, The Finder, Castle and The Exes and starred in the movies The Frozen Ground and Merry Ex-Mas. In 2014, she was cast as Dr. Joe Laughlin on The Vampire Diaries. Her most recent roles include Ronnie on Lucifer and Lionel Davenport on Hit the Floor. She is not slated to be returning in the Prison Break revival series.
Wade Williams (Brad Belick)
Last but not least, we have Wade Williams, who played Brad Belick on the show. Like the rest of the cast, Williams’ acting credits are wide-ranging; he guest-starred on the shows Profiler, Star Trek: Voyager, NYPD Blue, Silk Stalkings, Promised Land, ER, Touched By An Angel, Becker, The X-Files, Charmed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Six Feet Under, Star Trek: Enterprise, 24, CSI, Crossing Jordan, MDs, JAG, CSI: Miami, Tru Calling and Over There. From 2001 to 2005, he played recurring character Father Cronin on The Bernie Mac Show. After Prison Break ended, he landed guest spots on Criminal Minds, Monk, Leverage, Bones, The Whole Truth, Burn Notice, The Mentalist, Touch, Vegas, NCIS, Code Black, The League and Grimm. He is currently starring in the series Mercy Street and can be seen in the upcoming movie Ice Scream. As of right now, he is not scheduled to appear in the Prison Break revival.