What Happened To The Cast Of Prison Break?

The popular crime drama “Prison Break” ran for four seasons on Fox, returning for a successful revival season in 2017 and finding renewed success on Netflix. The series followed two brothers locked up in a maximum security prison looking to escape together and prove their innocence. As the story progresses, a large government conspiracy is uncovered while the brothers are on the run from the authorities. Led by series stars Dominic Purcell and Wentworth Miller, “Prison Break” boasts an impressive and extensive ensemble cast.

With so much time having passed since “Prison Break” began in 2005, its cast have since gone off in different directions in their lives and careers. Several major cast members have found even greater professional success elsewhere, while others have stepped away from acting or moved smaller projects. If you’ve been wondering what the main cast of “Prison Break” has been up to since the hit Fox series came to an end, we’ve got you covered.

“Prison Break” opens with Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell) convicted of murdering the Vice President’s brother Terrence Steadman (John Billingsley) and sentenced to death. This is revealed to be an elaborate conspiracy set up by a shadow organization known simply as The Company. After Lincoln’s younger brother Michael (Wentworth Miller) is imprisoned with him at Fox River State Penitentiary, the two break out together. Lincoln eventually clears his name and works to expose and dismantle The Company and the rogue CIA cell 21 Void.

Australian actor Dominic Purcell’s first major Hollywood productions included appearances in “Mission: Impossible 2” and “Blade: Trinity,” the latter seeing him portray master vampire Drake. Since his debut on “Prison Break,” Purcell’s cinematic roles include supporting appearances in action movies including “Killer Elite” and the 2011 “Straw Dogs” remake. Purcell’s longest-running role was as reformed supervillain Mick Rory in the Arrowverse, debuting on “The Flash” before starring in “Legends of Tomorrow.” Purcell will reunite with Miller on the planned action-drama series “Snatchback,” executive produced by Purcell and his wife Tish Cyrus-Purcell.

After his brother is sentenced to death for a crime he didn’t commit, his younger brother Michael Scofield vows to save him. Michael commits an armed robbery and is deliberately caught so he can be held in the same maximum security prison as his brother. Using his background as a structural engineer and the help of his lover and eventual wife Sara Tancredi (Sarah Wayne Callies), Michael and Lincoln successfully escape from prison. In exchange for his family’s freedom, Michael agrees to fake his death and is discovered by Lincoln years later in Yemen.

Miller joined “Prison Break” after starring in the miniseries “Dinotopia” and appearing in a memorable supporting role in the 2003 movie “The Human Stain.” After “Prison Break,” Miller reunited with Purcell in the Arrowverse as the reformed supervillain Leonard Snart in “The Flash” and “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow.” Miller is also a successful screenwriter, penning the acclaimed 2013 film “Stoker,” which he also produced. The multi-hyphenate also publicly came out as gay in 2013 and announced in 2020 he will not play heterosexual characters moving forward, effectively quelling rumors of a return to “Prison Break.”

Among the inmates that Lincoln and Michael meet inside Fox River State Penitentiary is Fernando Sucre (Amaury Nolasco), who was convicted of aggravated robbery. Fernando shares a cell with Michael and the two quickly become friends, with Michael sharing his escape plan with him. After escaping, Lincoln and Michael rely on Fernando often, especially his knowledge in how to hotwire cars. In the revival season, he’s since begun working on freighters and offers to help Lincoln rescue Michael but is gently turned down because of the danger involved.

Puerto Rican actor Amaury Nolasco has been working on-screen since 1997, with a number of smaller television and film roles. Since starring in “Prison Break,” Nolasco has had key supporting roles in “Transformers,” “2 Fast 2 Furious,” and “Street Kings.” Nolasco has also been prolifically working in television, including as a recurring character in “Rizzoli & Isles” and as a main cast member in “Hightown.”

Among the most sinister figures Lincoln and Michael encounter in prison is their fellow inmate Theodore “T-Bag” Bagwell (Robert Knepper). A white supremacist convicted on multiple counts of rape and murder, T-Bag is sentenced to life in prison at Fox River. After learning about the brothers’ escape plans, T-Ball coerces them into letting him join under threat of exposing them to the authorities. T-Bag is recaptured and sent back to Fox River where he murders Jacob Anton Ness (Mark Feuerstein), a rogue CIA operative who is responsible for the death of T-Bag’s son.

A prolific character actor, Robert Knepper has been working on-screen in film and television since 1986. Often playing antagonists, Knepper portrayed the villain in the final season of “Heroes” and the Arrowverse supervillain Clock King on “Arrow” and “The Flash.” Among Knepper’s more inspired collaborations was with filmmaker David Lynch on the revival season of “Twin Peaks.” Knepper reprised his role as T-Bag in the A&E original series “Breakout Kings,” creating a shared continuity between the two shows.

The brothers’ biggest ally on the outside during the first season is their childhood friend and attorney Veronica Donovan (Robin Tunney). Though Veronica initially believes Lincoln is guilty of murder, she learns about the conspiracy shortly after defending Michael for armed robbery. Veronica obsessively works to uncover evidence Lincoln was framed, placing her in danger and leading to the breakup of her engagement. After discovering Steadman is alive and in hiding, Veronica is killed by The Company in the second season premiere shortly after confronting Steadman herself.

Tunney has been steadily acting in television and film since 1991, with her early roles including “Encino Man,” “Empire Records,” and “The Craft.” By the late ’90s, Tunney began working in action-oriented fare, including the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie “End of Days” and the sci-fi thriller “Supernova.” Tunney’s longest-running to date is starring in the crime procedural “The Mentalist,” which ran for seven seasons from 2008 to 2015. Tunney’s recent work includes major roles in the drama television series “The Fix” and “Dear Edward.”

The most well-known criminal locked up at Fox River with Lincoln and Michael was John Abruzzi (Peter Stormare), a notorious Chicago mob boss. Because of his reputation and connections, Abruzzi enjoys more freedom and comfort than most of his fellow inmates. Abruzzi joins the brothers in their escape, providing help in exchange for Michael sharing where Otto Fibonacci (Roderick Peeples), the man who sold him out, was hiding. This vendetta leads to Abruzzi’s death, when a tip on Fibonacci’s location leads to an FBI ambush where he is gunned down when resisting arrest.

Swedish actor Peter Stormare has been working on-screen since the ’80s, gaining Hollywood attention as the murderous Grimsrud in 1996’s “Fargo.” Stormare followed this up with notable supporting roles in “The Lost World: Jurassic Park,” “The Big Lebowski,” “Armageddon,” which paired him with future “Prison Break” co-star William Fichtner. Stormare has also extensively worked in television, including in a recurring role on “Longmire” and as the star and co-creator of the comedy “Swedish Dicks.” With a prolific career as a voiceover actor, Stormare has performed in numerous video games and animated projects, including the acclaimed 2015 horror game “Until Dawn.”

When Lincoln was convicted, more than just his brother, he also left behind his estranged teenage son L.J. Burrows (Marshall Allman). Just as L.J.’s relationship with his father improves, Lincoln is convicted of murder and sent to Fox River, impacting L.J.’s life significantly. As The Company continues to victimize Lincoln, they frame L.J. for the murder of his mother and stepfather, resulting in L.J. similarly being sent to prison. L.J. is later held hostage by The Company to draw Lincoln and Michael out, with Lincoln eventually rescuing his son safely.

Marshall Allman has been working in film and television since 2003, starting out with a number of small roles and guest appearances on shows like “Malcolm in the Middle.” After “Prison Break,” Allman appeared throughout the third season of “True Blood” and had a recurring role on “Bates Motel.” Allman’s recent projects include starring in the second season of the science fiction series “Humans” and a 2024 guest-starring turn in the drama series “Chicago Med.”

The sadistic captain of Fox River’s correctional officers, Brad Bellick (Wade Williams) is a particularly brutal character that Lincoln and Michael face behind bars. Dismissed after the brothers’ escape, Bellick is determined to earn the reward money for tracking them down. T-Bag gets his revenge on Bellick in Panama, framing him for a murder of sex worker, leading to Bellick’s imprisonment. Bellick escapes with brothers from the Panamanian prison and works with them to dismantle The Company, sacrificing himself to allow the team to infiltrate The Company’s headquarters.

Working in television and film since the ’90s, Wade Williams has built an impressive list of guest-starring appearances, including roles on “Star Trek: Voyager” and “The X-Files.” Amusingly, Williams has played a number of other prison guards and police officer characters, with appearances in “Venom” and “The Dark Knight Rises.” Williams also has an extensive voice-acting career, appearing in several animated series and movies based on DC Comics properties.

Michael’s love interest and a quick ally to the brothers is Sara Tancredi, who is introduced as the physician of the Fox River State Penitentiary. Michael meets Sara while pretending to have diabetes to gain regular access to the prison’s infirmary. By the fourth season, Sara is in a committed romantic relationship with Michael, believing him dead in the series finale while pregnant with their son. The revival seasons reveal Sara has since remarried as she raises her son, reluctant to believe that Michael has been alive in the interim.

Prior to “Prison Break,” Callies starred in The WB’s short-lived “Tarzan” series in 2003 and had one-off appearances in “Numbers” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” Shortly after the initial “Prison Break” run, Callies starred as Lori Grimes in the first three seasons of “The Walking Dead.” Since then, Callies has had main roles on “Colony,” “Unspeakable,” and “The Company You Keep,” as well as a recurring comedic role on “Letterkenny.” Outside of acting, Callies has directed episodes of the show “Fire Country” and wrote an optioned screenplay adaptation of the children’s book “Elena’s Serenade.”

One of the biggest recurring antagonists in “Prison Break” is Secret Service agent Paul Kellerman (Paul Adelstein), who works directly for The Company. Working under Vice President Caroline Reynolds (Patricia Wettig), Kellerman takes point in ensuring no one uncovers the truth behind Lincoln’s frame-up, committing blackmail and murder to maintain the secret. After helping Reynolds assassinate the President, Kellerman steadily becomes more disillusioned working for The Company and actively works against them in the fourth season. While being interrogated by T-Bag about a shadow CIA operative in the revival, Kellerman is assassinated by an unseen gunman.

After making his on-screen debut in the 1990 thriller “The Grifters,” Paul Adelstein has been working in film and television for over 30 years. Shortly after ending his regular role on “Prison Break,” Adelstein joined the main cast of “Private Practice” and remained on the show for its entire run. Adelstein has since had recurring roles on “Scandal,” “Chicago P.D.,” and “Agatha All Along,” among other television roles. Adelstein’s memorable cinematic projects include roles in the 2003 Coen Brothers’ movie “Intolerable Cruelty” and the 2022 horror comedy “The Menu.”

An Army veteran blacklisted for refusing to keep quiet about his peers torturing detainees, Benjamin Miles “C-Note” Franklin (Rockmond Dunbar) was charged with possession of stolen goods. Inside Fox River, C-Note became a master scrounger, able to get inmates illicit goods, before joining the brothers’ escape plan. On the outside, C-Note joins the Witness Protection Program after he testifies against compromised FBI agent Alexander Mahone (William Fichtner). C-Note resurfaces in the revival season, having since converted to Islam, helping Lincoln prove that Michael is alive and in hiding in Yemen.

Rockmond Dunbar has worked steadily in television and film since 1993, with a plethora of guest appearances and memorable supporting roles. Prior to “Prison Break,” Dunbar had a recurring role on the sci-fi series “Earth-2” and starred in the main cast of the drama “Soul Food.” After “Prison Break,” Dunbar had a recurring role for three seasons on “Sons of Anarchy” and reunited with “Prison Break” co-star Robin Tunney on “The Mentalist.” Among Dunbar’s more recent projects include the drama miniseries “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist” and the RZA-directed “One Spoon of Chocolate.”

After the Fox River breakout at the end of the first season, FBI agent Alexander Mahone is introduced in the second season to track down the escapees. When Mahone begins to question the circumstances behind the brothers’ conviction and why the recaptured fugitives begin dying mysteriously, The Company forces him to continue the manhunt. This leads to Mahone going rogue in Panama where he is imprisoned with Michael, learning to work together with the man he obsessively pursued. When Mahone escapes, his son is murdered by The Company, prompting him to join Michael in dismantling the shadow organization.

William Fichtner has built an entire career of playing gruff, no-nonsense characters, with early movie roles as a shady money launderer in “Heat” and a veteran astronaut in “Armageddon.” Fichtner’s other big-screen roles include a blind scientist in “Contact,” a Delta Force soldier in “Black Hawk Down,” an ill-fated fisherman in “The Perfect Storm,” and a corrupt bank manager in “The Dark Knight.” On television, Fichtner was in the main cast of the long-running sitcom “Mom,” marrying lead character Bonnie (Allison Janney), and he also starred in the drama series “The Company You Keep.” Fichtner can next be seen in “The Talamasca,” a series in the same universe as “Interview with the Vampire” and “Mayfair Witches,” which are both also finding success on Netflix.