"Prison Break" turns 20! See Wentworth Miller and the rest of the cast, then and now Chris Snellgrove, James MercadanteAugust 29, 2025 at 8:30 PM R.
- - "Prison Break" turns 20! See Wentworth Miller and the rest of the cast, then and now
Chris Snellgrove, James MercadanteAugust 29, 2025 at 8:30 PM
R. Sebree/FOX
(Clockwise from lower left): Dominic Purcell as Lincoln Burrows, Amaury Nolasco as Fernando Sucre, Peter Stormare as John Abruzzi, Robert Knepper as Theodore 'T-Bag' Bagwell, Sarah Wayne Callies as Sara Tancredi, Wade Williams as Brad Bellick, Robin Tunney as Veronica Donovan, Paul Adelstein as Paul Kellerman, Stacy Keach as Warden Henry Pope, Marshall Allman as Lincoln 'L. J.' Burrows Jr., and Wentworth Miller as Michael Scofield on 'Prison Break'
To think...Prison Break almost got locked up in development purgatory. In 2003, creator Paul Scheuring pitched Fox a high-stakes drama about two brothers — one (Dominic Purcell's Lincoln Burrows) wrongfully sentenced to death, the other (Wentworth Miller's Michael Scofield) deliberately getting himself thrown behind bars to bust them both out — and network execs thought the serialized format would be too much of a gamble.
However, when the series premiered on Aug. 29, 2005, viewers proved them wrong. The show became an instant hit, running for four seasons before wrapping up with the 2009 TV movie The Final Break, only to bring Miller and Purcell back for one more season in 2017.
Now, 20 years later, Hulu is cracking open the gates again with a reboot set in the same universe — starring Emily Browning, Lukas Gage, and Drake Rodger, among others. And because fans are eating well this year, Miller and Purcell are also reuniting on screen for the upcoming action series Snatchback.
As we celebrate two decades of Prison Break, let's catch up with the OG cast members. It's no Michael Scofield tattoo map, but it'll still get you down every road they've taken since their big escape.
Dominic Purcell (Lincoln Burrows)
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Dominic Purcell as Lincoln Burrows on 'Prison Break'; Dominic Purcell poses for a portrait during day 2 of San Diego Comic-Con on July 19, 2019
Before Prison Break, Dominic Purcell was already a veteran of screens big and small. He appeared in the film Equilibrium (2002), played none other than Dracula in Blade: Trinity (2004), and portrayed the titular protagonist on the short-lived television series John Doe. But Prison Break is undoubtedly the show that made him a major star as Lincoln Burrows, who is falsely accused of killing the president's brother. And this character archetype — a man with a gruff exterior but a good heart — would become a through-line for his career.
Purcell likely didn't know what a life-changing opportunity starring on Prison Break would be, but he knew the series was telling an epic tale from the beginning. Looking back to his earliest time on the show, Purcell is effusive in his praise, telling EW in 2017 that "the first season of Prison Break, in my opinion, was just classic, beautiful storytelling." He's also sorry that the series had to come to an end, saying, "I'd do years of Prison Break. I love the show so much."
After Prison Break began, the actor went on to appear on some high-profile shows like The Flash and DC's Legends of Tomorrow. He also starred in some action films, including Killer Elite (2011), Assault on Wall Street (2013), and Casino in Ischia (2024).
He will soon reunite with his former onscreen brother, Wentworth Miller, on the upcoming series Snatchback, which follows "a highly skilled privately contracted team of operatives as they recover hostages across the globe ."
Purcell was married to Rebecca Williamson from 1998 to 2008. They share four children. In 2023, the actor married Tish Cyrus, Miley Cyrus' mother.
Wentworth Miller (Michael Scofield)
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Wentworth Miller as Michael Scofield on 'Prison Break'; Wentworth Miller attends the 'Prison Break' screening and conversation at the Paley Center for Media in L.A. on March 29, 2017
On Prison Break, Wentworth Miller plays Lincoln Burrows' brother, and that only seemed appropriate. After all, Miller and Dominic Purcell had a similar trajectory as actors. Earlier in his career, Miller had minor parts on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and in the 2003 film Underworld, but it was Prison Break that really put him on the map. In fact, Miller would go on to earn a Golden Globe nomination for his stunning performance.
Though many fans could never imagine Prison Break without Miller, that was almost the case. In a 2006 interview with EW, Miller revealed that his would-be big breaks fizzled rather than sizzled. He hoped starring as a younger version of Anthony Hopkins in The Human Stain (2003) would put him on the map, but it instead led to almost two years of no job offers.
"It was like I stepped off the pavement and into the desert," he said. "As rocky as that road was, I learned a lot about endurance and patience and discipline." Fortunately, he landed a last-minute audition for Prison Break, and from there, a hot new career was born.
After Prison Break ended in 2009, Miller wrote and produced the 2013 film Stoker. He also made a splash appearing on The Flash as an ice-themed villain, a role that he reprised for the spinoff series DC's Legends of Tomorrow. Additionally, he played a prominent role in season 6 of Madam Secretary and made a few guest spots (as different characters) on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Miller came out as gay in 2013 by declining an invitation to a Russian film festival. "As a gay man, I must decline," he wrote in a statement. "I am deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government.
Eventually, he took things a step further and declared he was no longer interested in playing any straight roles, even if that meant skipping out on a sixth season of Prison Break. He's set to reunite on screen with Dominic Purcell on Snatchback.
In 2021, Miller revealed that he had been diagnosed with autism the year before.
Robin Tunney (Veronica Donovan)
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Robin Tunney as Veronica Donovan on 'Prison Break'; Robin Tunney attends the L.A. premiere for 'Dear Edward' on Jan. 31, 2023
In her own way, Robin Tunney arguably had a more impressive résumé going into Prison Break than many of her costars. Like Dominic Purcell and Wentworth Miller, she had a smattering of television and film credits, including those in some of the most influential teen films of the '90s like Encino Man (1990), Empire Records (1995), and The Craft (1996). She also appeared in End of Days (1999) and Vertical Limit (2000). These formative early experiences certainly helped her bring her Prison Break character (Lincoln's childhood friend and current lawyer) to such vivid life.
It may have been Tunney's early career heights that helped her recognize how special the series was. In a 2006 interview with IGN, she explained, "It's a pleasure to go to work and I feel really blessed about that.... It's not derivative. You can make the comparison to 24, but it's not derivative of anything else." She took this as a point of pride, especially because Hollywood is so often guilty of not giving "anything original" the time of day.
Though Tunney only appeared in the first two seasons of Prison Break, it still proved she could hold her own on a big-budget ensemble series. She soon starred as Teresa Lisbon in all seven seasons of The Mentalist. Later, she had prominent roles in a handful of movies as well as television series like The Fix and Dear Edward.
Tunney married film producer Bob Gosse in 1997, but they divorced in 2006. Later, she got engaged to interior designer Nicky Marmet, and they have two children together.
Amaury Nolasco (Fernando Sucre)
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Amaury Nolasco as Fernando Sucre on 'Prison Break'; Amaury Nolasco attends the Darren Dzienciol and Richie Akiva's Annual Oscar pre-party in Bel Air, Calif., on March 10, 2023
On Prison Break, veteran character actor Amaury Nolasco plays Fernando Sucre, a close friend of Michael's who fervently dreams of leaving Fox River Penitentiary and reuniting with his fiancée.
In the years leading up to Prison Break, Nolasco had a fairly eclectic career, primarily acting on TV. He popped up on shows like Arli$$ and Early Edition, though his main focus at the time was police procedurals. Nolasco made brief appearances on shows like New York Undercover and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in between minor film parts (the biggest of which was 2003's 2 Fast 2 Furious). While filming Prison Break, he appeared in the first of Michael Bay's hit Transformers films (2007), followed by Street Kings in 2008 and A Good Day to Die Hard in 2013.
In a 2006 interview with PEOPLE ahead of Prison Break's second season, Nalasco talked about how fun it was to film in Texas. "I'm riding horses. It's Texas! You need to do those things." However, some aspects were harder to adapt to than others. Originally, he shrugged off warnings about the Texas heat under the assumption that his upbringing in Puerto Rico adequately prepared him. Sadly, it did not: "Honey, it's something I've never experienced before. 115 (degrees)? 112? What is this?" he said. "It's unbearable. And the humidity?"
The actor eventually left that sweltering heat, and it was his career that kept things hot from there. After Prison Break initially ended in 2009, he went on to land recurring gigs on shows like Rizzoli & Isles, Deception, and Hightown. He's since reprised the role of Fernando Sucre in the 2009 TV movie Prison Break: The Final Break and the 2017 revival season. His latest onscreen credits include The Valet (2022), Lights Out (2024), and the AppleTV+ series Land of Women.
Marshall Allman (L.J. Burrows)
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Marshall Allman as L.J. Burrows on 'Prison Break'; Marshall Allman attends the L.A. premiere of 'I Am the Night' on Jan. 24, 2019
Before Prison Break, Marshall Allman made a few appearances in a handful of projects, including Little Black Book (2004), Hostage (2005), Boston Public, Malcolm in the Middle, and The Practice. Prison Break provided him with a breakout (so to speak) role as Lincoln Burrows' son, and this became the kind of acting opportunity Allman wouldn't soon forget.
With a bit of self-deprecating humor, Allman told Starry Constellation Magazine in 2014 why he took the role on Prison Break: "It is the only project that I got hired for." The young actor also saw this as a great learning opportunity, saying, "I'm getting to do real acting with other actors who want to act and be real strong.... I'm just enjoying the ride because it's honestly so cool."
He went on to star in Blue Like Jazz (2012) and guest-starred on shows including Justified, Longmire, Bates Motel, and Chicago Med. Outside of Prison Break, he's best known for playing Tommy Mickens on True Blood.
Allman married actress Jamie Anne Brown in 2006, and they have three children together.
Sarah Wayne Callies (Sara Tancredi)
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Sarah Wayne Callies as Sara Tancredi on 'Prison Break'; Sarah Wayne Callies poses for a photo session during the Paris Peace Forum on Nov. 11, 2023
In the years leading up to Prison Break's premiere, Sarah Wayne Callies appeared in a few episodes of Queens Supreme and had a prominent role on the short-lived WB Tarzan series. Other than that, she had only made a few guest appearances on shows like Law & Order: SVU before Prison Break. Her role as Sara, a sympathetic doctor who aids the escape, led to plenty of other opportunities.
"Prison Break was my first real job," Callies told EW in 2016. "I had only been in the business a couple of years." As for returning for the show's 2017 revival, she was motivated by a desire to once again work with Prison Break creator Paul Scheuring. "A huge part of wanting to come back was that Paul was the brain behind it, and this was always Paul's baby."
During the Prison Break hiatus, Callies began getting beefier roles on more prominent shows — including The Walking Dead, where she played Lori Grimes, wife to the brooding sheriff Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln). She also had major stints on series like Colony, Council of Dads, The Company You Keep, and more. In 2014, she starred in Into the Storm alongside Richard Armitage and Matt Walsh. Her next project is the heist thriller series Atlas King.
Callies has two children with her husband, Josh Winterhalt, whom she married in 2002.
Rockmond Dunbar (Benjamin Miles Franklin)
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Rockmond Dunbar as Benjamin Miles Franklin on 'Prison Break'; Rockmond Dunbar attends the 16th Headies Awards in Atlanta on Sept. 3, 2023
Rockmond Dunbar, who plays Benjamin Miles Franklin (a fellow prisoner who gets in over his head when blackmailing Michael), had a bit more acting experience than some of his peers when Prison Break started in 2005. He previously had major stints on shows like Earth 2 and Soul Food while also appearing on The Practice and Felicity. But, like his costars, Dunbar's career got a major boost from his time on Prison Break.
In a 2017 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he spoke about appreciating the complexities of the show. "You always have those twists and turns in Prison Break. How are they going to get out of this? How are they going to get out of that?" he recalled. "You turn the corner, and it's a sunny and beautiful day — and then it's absolute hell. How are they going to get out of this hell?"
Since the series began, "hell" is the last word we'd use to describe Dunbar's career. His most prominent role since then has been as Sheriff Eli Roosevelt on Sons of Anarchy, and he has also appeared extensively on The Mentalist, The Game, and 9-1-1. Film-wise, Dunbar directed and acted in Pastor Brown (2009) and notably appeared in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005), The Family That Preys (2008), and Straw (2025).
Dunbar married Ivy Holmes in 2003; they got divorced three years later. In 2013, he married actress Maya Gilbert, and the two are now raising four children together.
Robert Knepper (Theodore Bagwell)
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Robert Knepper as Theodore Bagwell on 'Prison Break'; Robert Knepper visits 'Hollywood Today Live' on April 3, 2017
Robert Knepper's Hollywood career stretches back to the '80s, and he quickly established himself as a skilled character actor thanks to gigs on shows like Star Trek: The Next Generation and Law & Order. He eventually landed more prominent credits for Thieves, Carnivàle, and Young Guns II (1990), but Prison Break helped kick his career into high gear. On that show, he plays Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell, the kind of menacing inmate who always threatens to undermine the protagonists.
To hear Knepper tell it, this is the kind of character he was born to play. In a 2005 interview with EW, he mentioned how he was surprised that fans didn't just outright hate Bagwell. "People looove to hate me," he said. "I never play him like a stereotypical racist or redneck. He's actually quite cunning and smart."
After Prison Break, Knepper got bigger parts in increasingly ambitious projects. He appeared in the final season of Heroes and had a recurring stint on iZombie. He also popped up on the Twin Peaks revival and in action films like Hitman (2007), Transporter 3 (2008), The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1 (2014) and Part 2 (2015), and Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016). His latest credits include the 2025 film The Lost Princess (a fantastical story set in a haunted castle) and the series Paper Empire (on which one man's greed threatens the world with a financial apocalypse).
In 2017, a costume designer accused Knepper of sexual assault during production of the 1992 film Gas Food Lodging, although the actor denied any wrongdoing. Further sexual assault allegations were leveled against the actor later that same year.
Wade Williams (Brad Bellick)
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Wade Williams as Brad Bellick on 'Prison Break'; Wade Williams attends the 'Cowboy Bebop' premiere in L.A. on Nov. 11, 2021
Speaking of Prison Break characters that fans love to hate, Wade Williams is Brad Bellick, a corrupt security guard at the penitentiary. Before landing the show, Williams was known as a character actor who could always make his appearances shine. Accordingly, he enjoyed brief arcs on series including NYPD Blue and ER; a recurring role as Father Cronin on The Bernie Mac Show; and parts in movies like Ken Park (2002). As with many of his costars, though, the sheer popularity of Prison Break helped him achieve career success like never before.
Williams has mastered the art of keeping his head down and getting the job done. In a 2006 interview with the Chicago Tribune before season 2, he was asked about the challenges of moving the shooting location from Chicago to Texas. While he said he would miss the Windy City, the actor was unfazed: "My mantra is, it's nice to have a gig."
Once he started portraying Brad on Prison Break, things have been quite "nice" for Williams due to an abundance of jobs. He has since made appearances on the shows Criminal Minds, Bones, and Longmire, and he had a more extensive part on Mercy Street. He played another prison warden character in The Dark Knight Rises (2012) and has lent his voice to numerous DC animated productions, including movies like Superman: Unbound and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 (2012). Williams was also in the 2013 crime-action film Gangster Squad alongside Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, and Emma Stone, and in the 2022 Western The Last Manhunt with Jason Momoa and Lily Gladstone.
Paul Adelstein (Paul Kellerman)
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Paul Adelstein as Paul Kellerman on 'Prison Break' Paul Adelstein attends the NYC premiere of 'The Menu' on Nov. 14, 2022
Paul Adelstein had a growing body of diverse parts going onto Prison Break. Before being cast as a Secret Service agent sent to witness Lincoln Burrows' execution, Adelstein had major gigs on relatively obscure shows like Turks, Cupid, and Hack. He had occasional film appearances in movies such as My Best Friend's Wedding (1997), Bedazzled (2000), and Intolerable Cruelty (2003), but it was Prison Break that gave his career a major boost.
This is somewhat ironic because, as Adelstein told The New York Times in 2007, his initial audition went poorly, mostly because he was auditioning for the role of Lincoln Burrows. After giving an overly mournful line delivery for that character, Adelstein ended up reading for Kellerman because he's "more of a character guy." The vulnerability that felt out of place for Lincoln was perfect for Paul Kellerman, and he ended up getting the part.
After Prison Break became a mainstream hit, Adelstein got a long-running role as Cooper Freedman on Private Practice, the show for which he is arguably best known. In 2009, he voiced an astronaut in the Will Ferrell film Land of the Lost. He would later land credits for shows like Scandal, Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce, and Chicago P.D., all while making appearances in movies such as The Menu (2022) and miniseries like Agatha All Along.
Adelstein married actress Liza Weil in 2006. They had one child together before divorcing in 2017.
William Fichtner (Alexander Mahone)
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William Fichtner as Alexander Mahone on 'Prison Break'; William Fitchner attends the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival on May 26, 2023
William Fichtner always seems to land very intense roles. On Prison Break, for example, he plays the relentless FBI agent Alexander Mahone, who is tasked with hunting the main characters down. Despite previously making appearances on shows including As the World Turns, Grace Under Fire, and MDs, Fichtner was mostly known for playing very cut-throat characters in films like Armageddon (1998), Black Hawk Down (2001), and Crash (2005).
This kind of résumé is what made his role in Prison Break feel so natural. As he later told EW in 2007 while looking back on his performance in the show, "I love playing characters like this — everybody is afraid of me!"
He also felt that his character was a large part of the alchemy that helped the show become a success. "That's what makes Prison Break work — the dysfunctional, twisted folk are so real with their own problems," he said. "That's certainly what attracted me to it."
Since his time on Prison Break, Fichtner has had major parts on Entourage, Crossing Lines, and Mom, and he continues to make appearances in notable films such as The Dark Knight (2008), Drive Angry (2011), Elysium (2013), and even Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014). Fichtner will appear on AMC's TV adaptation of Anne Rice's Talamasca: The Secret Order and in the second season of Netflix's Emmy-winning series Beef.
Fitchner has been married to actress Kymberly Kalil since 1998, and they have one child together. He also shares another child from a previous marriage.
Peter Stormare (John Abruzzi)
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Peter Stormare as John Abruzzi on 'Prison Break'; Peter Stormare attends the L.A. premiere of '1923' on Dec. 2, 2022
When Peter Stormare joined the Prison Break cast as John Abruzzi — the head of the Chicago Mafia — he had already shocked audiences by feeding Steve Buscemi to a woodchipper in Fargo (1996). He also appeared in The Big Lebowski (1998) and big-budget films like The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), Armageddon (1998), Minority Report (2002), Bad Boys II (2003), Constantine (2005), and The Brothers Grimm (2005). Still, his time on Prison Break helped him win over a new generation of fans.
While people have theorized that the veteran character actor disliked his time on the show, Stormare has rarely commented on the matter. And when he does so, it's rather oblique. During a Reddit AMA, a fan asked what his favorite Prison Break filming memory was. Stormare responded, "The final day, when I was shot and killed."
Whether he loved or hated his time on Prison Break, it led to more prominent projects. He later nabbed roles on shows like The Blacklist, Black Widows, Longmire, and American Gods, all while appearing in big films like John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017). He also became a prolific voice actor, lending his talents to series such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Castlevania as well as to videogames like Destiny 2: The Witch Queen. He will be reprising his fan-favorite Lucifer character for the movie sequel Constantine 2.
Stormare married actress Karen Sillas in 1989. They had one child and later divorced in 2006. The actor got married again in 2008 to Toshimi Stormare.
on Entertainment Weekly
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