Robert Knepper and Robert Wisdom in the TV Guide Photo Booth at the Fox Fall Party!
Petition Seeks Top Sentence for Garrison
A petition bearing 3,600 signatures asking a judge to sentence Prison Break actor Lane Garrison to prison for nearly seven years for killing a teenager in a drunken driving crash was refused by a Superior Court bailiff Wednesday in Beverly Hills.
Friends and classmates of the dead teen gathered signatures after school, at football games, in front of stores and by going door to door, Lee said.
A bailiff explained the petition could not be accepted in court, but it would be accepted at the hearing if it was submitted through the district attorney's office, said James Lee, a spokesman for the teen's family.
The Los Angeles County district attorney's office had not received the petition Tuesday but spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said it was not unusual for prosecutors to submit such private communications.
"Generally, if people have letters for the judge, they many, many times submit it to the prosecutor and the prosecutor presents it to the court," she said.
"Obviously, there's a sense that people want closure and they want justice and they want an appropriate punishment," Lee said. "We're talking about the loss of a life, here."
Garrison, 27, was driving a 2001 Land Rover on Dec. 2 when he lost control and rammed a tree. The crash killed his passenger Vahagn Setian, a Beverly Hills High School student. Two 15-year-old girls in the car survived.
UPDATE: Lane Garrison was sentenced to 3+ years in jail, Wednesday, October 31st. The judge also ordered Garrison to pay $300,000 in restitution to the victims and their families.
Friends and classmates of the dead teen gathered signatures after school, at football games, in front of stores and by going door to door, Lee said.
A bailiff explained the petition could not be accepted in court, but it would be accepted at the hearing if it was submitted through the district attorney's office, said James Lee, a spokesman for the teen's family.
The Los Angeles County district attorney's office had not received the petition Tuesday but spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said it was not unusual for prosecutors to submit such private communications.
"Generally, if people have letters for the judge, they many, many times submit it to the prosecutor and the prosecutor presents it to the court," she said.
"Obviously, there's a sense that people want closure and they want justice and they want an appropriate punishment," Lee said. "We're talking about the loss of a life, here."
Garrison, 27, was driving a 2001 Land Rover on Dec. 2 when he lost control and rammed a tree. The crash killed his passenger Vahagn Setian, a Beverly Hills High School student. Two 15-year-old girls in the car survived.
UPDATE: Lane Garrison was sentenced to 3+ years in jail, Wednesday, October 31st. The judge also ordered Garrison to pay $300,000 in restitution to the victims and their families.
Wentworth Miller Loves Doing His Own Stunts!
It would seem Wentworth Miller loves doing his own stunts in Prison Break, according to a British paper! Check out what he had to say on the topic below:
Source: This Is Nottingham“In the average movie, there’s maybe one car chase or one gun battle,” he told National Enquirer.
“But in our show, we have those things every week. I’ve been choked, fought to the death with knives and shanks, and every other weapon you can imagine. It’s very challenging, but I do a lot of my own stunts, and there are a lot.”
Prison Break Season 2 - DVD Extras
Here is a video which compiles commentaries from the directors, producers, writers, and actors of Prison Break who discuss the differences between filming in Chicago and Dallas. The video is taken from the Prison Break Season 2 DVD Extras which is out now!
New Wade Williams Blog Update!
Splash, right back into the breach as we dive into the worst possible prison: Sona. The sick, twisted writers once again have conjured a fantastically frigged-up storyline that will rocket us through what so far is a wicked Season 3. I think this year may be our best season yet.
Yet again it is proved true that no character is sacred on this show, except for, of course, Michael and Lincoln. Bellick's still alive... and I still got a job!
So far the themes for Bellick in Season 3 have been "tighty-whities" and Tiger pants. I spent a month walking around set in my grunds... covered with dirt and dried movie blood, sweating my bare ass off in the 105-degree Texas sun. Then the writers put me in MC Hammer tiger pants with a nasty short T-shirt. If I hear one more, "They're gr-r-rreat!" or tiger growl, I'm gonna go postal.
The whole tighty-whitey thing was the writer's riff on an idea I had in the last episode of Season 2. There is a scene where Michael is walking down the hallway in Sona seeing what a dreadful place he's landed in and he sees Bellick lying on the floor beaten to a pulp, stripped almost naked. It was originally written that Bellick was on the floor beaten up, never mentioned that he was stripped down to his grunds.
That's when I had the brilliant idea: Why don't we strip Bellick naked and add makeup like he's been almost beaten to death? That'll show what a truly horrible place Michael and the cast have landed in. Kevin Hooks, the director of Episode 222, "Sona," said, "Good idea. But you can't be naked, you gotta wear something." So the wardrobe department whipped me up a nasty pair of tighty-whities. Little did I know I'd spend the next two episodes (it took a whole month to shoot them) wearing nothing but Fruit of the Looms, covered with dirt and blood, shoeless, hobbling around in the hundred-degree heat. It took two hours in the makeup chair every day to get me ready. (That's nothing compared with the four hours it takes them to do Wentworth's tattoo.)
Again it's been a battle here in Texas with the heat, and two of the sets for Sona are exterior sets and both are like working in a convection oven. One day we were shooting a scene where the military guards of Sona have entered the courtyard and all of us prisoners, including Michael, all the other incarcerated characters, and the extras, had to kneel on the clay with our hands behind our heads while this huge scene was shot. It took 10 hours to shoot. Six people went to the hospital with heatstroke. I was drinking water and finding shade every chance I could. It took me three or four days to get over the dehydration. Brutal.
I think we have some great new characters this season and a fascinating new story with Sona, the plans to escape, the ticking clock, the mysterious Whistler and the commanding Lechero. What's gonna happen? I wish I knew. I've been having a great time telling Bellick's twisted storyline. I love the dark, weird stuff the writers have written for Bellick so far this season.
I'd like to make this blog thing a little more interactive, so if you have any questions, put them in a comment and I'll do my best to answer a few each time.
It's good to be back and good to be Bellick!
Source: TVGuide
Sneak Peek: "Photo Finish" (3.06)
Here is yet another sneak peek from the upcoming 2 hour episode special of Prison Break which airs in the US on November 5th and in the UK the week after. In this clip, Michael inisits on having pictures of Sara from Lincoln. However Lincoln cannot get them. Michael asks how he can trust Susan B and says if he doesn’t have the pictures by 2:30pm, he’s not going anywhere.
Fox adding 'Prison' time for Olmstead
"Prison Break" exec producer Matt Olmstead has been sentenced to another two years of hard labor at 20th Century Fox TV, where the scribe has renewed his overall deal.
Under the new two-year pact (with the option for a third), Olmstead will continue to act as showrunner on "Prison Break." At the same time, he's also developing a "Prison Break" spinoff, although it's only in the script stage; pact also includes other development down the line.
Olmstead first came to the attention of 20th Century Fox TV via Steven Bochco Prods., where the scribe exec produced "NYPD Blue" and co-created "Blind Justice." Bochco introduced Olmstead to 20th Century Fox TV chair Dana Walden, who recruited the scribe to join the studio.
"Matt, along with Paul Scheuring, has done a phenomenal job in running an incredibly difficult show," Walden said. "The show is produced in Dallas, it was produced in Chicago, they're based in L.A. The storytelling is complicated and detailed, yet they manage to maintain an emotional core to these characters.
"He's a problem solver, and a pleasure to work with," she added.
Olmstead called 20th "a pretty damn good place to work."
"A lot of times people leave hit shows to create other shows," he said. "But my whole thing is, am I creatively happy working with the people around me? Am I supported by the studio and network? That all is happening here."
Olmstead said "Prison Break" is enough of a well-oiled machine that he'll be able to focus some of his attention on the "Prison Break" spinoff in the coming months. He's currently casting the lead, Molly, who will show up later this season on "Prison Break."
"There are a lot of people here in place to move up and help out," Olmstead said of the "Prison Break" staff. "If I was struggling on the show, I wouldn't have done it. But so many people here are carrying their own weight. I'm feeling great about it."
The "Prison Break" team are currently putting the finishing touches on the show's mid-year cliffhanger -- as the show will give way to "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" for several months. Coincidentally, that cliffhanger could double as a shortened-season cliffhanger should a strike prematurely put a halt to things this year.
Olmstead's credits also include Bochco's "Brooklyn South."
Source: Variety
More Bang & Burn Spoilers!
The Company has given Linc four days to get Whistler out of Sona, but Susan B. decides to act on her own, bypassing Michael, who finds a new ally in Sona. Meanwhile, Lechero faces a challenge from Sammy; Linc and Sucre try again to rescue LJ; Sofia learns some new things about Whistler; and Mahone, still strung out, testifies.
Source: TVGuide
New Wentworth Miller Interview
Wentworth Miller recaps on the previous seasons of Prison Break and spills on whats to come this season!
Prison Break Bad Girl's Secrets Are Revealed!
Prison Break bitch (and hottie) Jodi Lyn O'Keefe just did a really intriguing Q&A with TVGuide about her character among many other things. Below you can check out the entire interview:
Tiffani Thiessen! I knew it!TVGuide.com: I was a bit nervous readying to talk to you, but Dominic Purcell assured me you're not nearly as fierce as Susan B.
Jodi Lyn O'Keefe: No, I'm not at all. I'm actually a pretty big pushover.
TVGuide.com: How familiar were you with Prison Break before joining the series?
O'Keefe: I was a huge fan so it's pretty unnerving to be a cast member now.
TVGuide.com: Especially since this show doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to female characters and love interests.
O'Keefe: [Laughs] See, thankfully I'm not a love interest.
TVGuide.com: Yet.
O'Keefe: Yet! And Prison Break doesn't have a really good track record for its bad guys either, so.... When you look at it.... [Laughs]
TVGuide.com: Why do I get the feeling that Susan B. isn't an entirely willing part of The Company? That maybe she herself is being compelled into servitude?
O'Keefe: I think you're on the right track. Susan's not as bad as everyone makes her out to be. She has some reasons for doing what she does, and were finding out a lot more about her. Coming up there will be some flashbacks showing that Susan was a prisoner of war and she was raped and tortured, so she feels there isn't a place left for her in society anymore.
TVGuide.com: Yeah, it would take something dark to send her into this line of work.
O'Keefe: That's exactly what happened. There's more motivating her than what we've seen.
TVGuide.com: Dominic reiterated his want for some action, a horizontal hookup for Linc....
O'Keefe: [Laughs]
TVGuide.com: Might Susan B. warm up a bit and fill the bill?
O'Keefe: I don't know about that. I haven't been told that yet. I think it may have to be someone else to give Dom some action.
TVGuide.com: I half suspected that her comment about him banging her on the bar was an invitation.
O'Keefe: Well, she sort of talks to all the boys that way. You'll see that coming up. That's just her style.
TVGuide.com: You seem pretty confident wielding a gun. Is that thanks to your Nash Bridges days?
O'Keefe: That's thanks to Nash Bridges and my days on The Evidence. For some reason everyone keeps giving me a gun!
TVGuide.com: Will Prison Break give you the opportunity to display your kickboxing skills?
O'Keefe: Oh, gosh. It's been so many years..... But yeah, I do have some stunt work coming up and I do beat up some people.
TVGuide.com: What can you tease about the fall finale airing in mid-December?
O'Keefe: Oh, so much happens. I can't give it away, but I will tell you that our action sequences are absolutely incredible. We have a helicopter pilot who does things with a chopper that I have never seen before in my life.
TVGuide.com: What's one of the biggest stunts you've ever tackled yourself?
O'Keefe: I jumped off of the roof of a police car and knocked somebody down. That was for a movie I did a million years ago. They let me do my own stunt work, so I said, "Yeah!" It went pretty well.
TVGuide.com: Are you a fan at all of the spoof Not Another Teen Movie, having starred in She's All That?
O'Keefe: I am, I absolutely am. I make fun of myself all the time so anytime they want to spoof any movie I've been a part of, that's great.
TVGuide.com: Who are you most often mistaken for?
O'Keefe: Tiffani Thiessen and Yasmine Bleeth. I get their fan mail sometimes!
TVGuide.com: You and Yasmine both have these "otherworldly" eyes....
O'Keefe: Thank you, oh my gosh! They're blue, just like my mother's.
TVGuide.com: What's the craziest thing you've ever had to do for a lad mag photo shoot?
O'Keefe: The craziest thing for me is just showing a little bit of skin. I did a Maxim cover once and let's just say it wasn't my father's favorite picture. My mother asked me if I was trying to kill him. [Laughs] I wasn't naked but... You know, I'm the "baby" of the family.
TVGuide.com: Which of your previous TV series got the shortest shrift?
O'Keefe: That would have to be The Evidence. We jumped from Episode 3 to 8 and then we were off the air.
TVGuide.com: : Do you think that in a way it was before its time?
O'Keefe: Yeah, I do. It was such an amazing cast and I got to work with Martin Landau in this lifetime, which is incredible, an Orlando Jones and Rob Estes. I thought for sure it would stick around for a little.
TVGuide.com: When's the last time you played a nice girl?
O'Keefe: I don't remember! [Laughs] I was good on Nash Bridges!
TVGuide.com: Yeah, but you were like 10 years old back then.
O'Keefe: Yeah, 10 or 12... or 16.
TVGuide.com: What sort of TV do you like?
O'Keefe: I really like Comedy Central. I watch The Colbert Report and Jon Stewart....
TVGuide.com: Would you vote for Colbert for president?
O'Keefe: Immediately, of course! Sign me up for campaign manager!
Source: TVGuide
Dominic Purcell Nominated for AFI
Prison Break's Dominic Purcell has been nominated for an Australian Film Institute Award. He is up for International Award for Best Actor. Below you can see his contenders:
Eric Bana - Lucky You
Julian McMahon - Nip/Tuck (Nine Network)
Hugh Jackman - The Prestige
Dominic Purcell - Prison Break (Seven Network)
Best of luck Dom!
Eric Bana - Lucky You
Julian McMahon - Nip/Tuck (Nine Network)
Hugh Jackman - The Prestige
Dominic Purcell - Prison Break (Seven Network)
Best of luck Dom!
Sneak Peek: "Photo Finish" (3.06) / "Vamanos" (3.07)
Here is another sneak peek courtesy of AMEX from the upcoming 2 hour episode special of Prison Break which airs in the US on November 5th and in the UK the week after. In this clip, Lechero receives a visit from his wife!
(Apologies for the low quality)
Susan B. Anthony's Fate
As you may well know, according to SpoilerFix, Susan B. is shot by a new character named Molly in "Boxed In" (3.09). Below you can read the spoiler:
Michael meets a woman named Molly, who says she saw the video Michael and Lincoln made about The Company. She claims that her husband and daughter were killed and while going through his papers, she found references to The Company. Molly later holds a gun on Susan, a member of the The Company and who Molly suspects killed her family. When Susan admits to the crime, Molly pulls the trigger.
Would they seriously kill off another character at this stage? Really? If the spoiler is indeed authentic, then I can only hope Susan B. fights death and is back on her feet within episodes.
Also, I feel like im the minority when I say this but Susan B. is the only new character I have taken a liking to this season. The writers will be making a massive mistake in killing off another character, a female one at that. Maybe I'm reading too much into this. If anyone has any further information or their own theories on Susan B's fate, holla!
Also, I feel like im the minority when I say this but Susan B. is the only new character I have taken a liking to this season. The writers will be making a massive mistake in killing off another character, a female one at that. Maybe I'm reading too much into this. If anyone has any further information or their own theories on Susan B's fate, holla!
PBREAK featured on PrisonTube
The PrisonTube guys: Daryl, Lauren, Sara Beth and Brian kindly featured PBREAK on their videocast this week which I deeply appreciate. You can log on to their website by clicking here. Thanks guys.
Wentworth Miller - Arthelius Magazine Cover
Here is the front cover of the latest issue of Arthelius Magazine which features Wentworth Miller. The latest issue includes a special on Prison Break.
Nick Santora: "SWC is and always was, a professional"
Below Prison Break writer Nick Santora talks more about Sarah's departure from the show, blah blah blah:
Source: PBreakFansThis is actually important to me. I’ve received many emails lately about Sara Callies and how people are surmising that she was “fired” from the show. I just want to stress that Sara Callies is, and always was, a professional. She was not in any way “fired” and the suggestions and posts from some people that she “did something” to cause her departure just is not true. Sara is so incredibly talented, was such a pleasure to work with and is an asset on any film or television production that is lucky enough to have her. She isn’t on the show because a contractual agreement couldn’t be reached between her and the studio. Happens all the time in the entertainment biz and in other professions too. But to suggest, as some have, that it was something else is irresponsible. So please, those of you who have floated those absurd theories, don’t do it any more. They are plain wrong.
Prison Break - Mad World
This Prison Break video has received over 1.1 million views and is well over a year old, making it the most watched PB fan video on the Internet. It is extremely well presented therefore I had to post it. The clips are taken from the bulk of season one so check it out if you haven't done so already!
Prison Break on Blu-Ray!
Detailed info has just come in from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment about the Blu-Ray release of Prison Break Season One, scheduled to hit retail stores in November!
This Blu-Ray version of the show will feature all 22 episodes form the show’s first season in 1080p high definition, spread across six dual-layer BD-50 discs, accompanied by lossless English 5.1 DTS HD audio as well as Dolby Digital Plus tracks in English, French and Spanish. The set also includes the heart-pounding pilot directed by Brett Ratner as well as a whole slew of extras.
On Disc 1 you will find the Pilot with two Commentary Tracks. The first one featuring Paul Scheuring and Dominic Purcell, while the second one offers up Brett Ratner and Mark Helfrich. Also included are two Commentary Tracks on the episode “Cute Poison” featuring Paul Scheuring, Dominic Purcell and Wade Williams on one, and Matt Olmstead and Silas Weir Mitchell on the other. Further look for a Deleted Scene in which “Veronica Watches Surveillance Footage.”
Disc 2 comes with two Commentary Tracks for the two-part episode “Riots, Drills and the Devil.” The first one features Paul Scheuring, Dominic Purcell, Robert Knepper, Sarah Wayne Callies, Amaury Nolasco and Wade Williams while the second one allows Nick Santora and Bob Mandel to comment on the action of the first part of the episode. The second part offers a commentary by Paul Scheuring, Dominic Purcell, Wade Williams, Amaury Nolasco and Peter Stormare.
On Disc 3 you will find a Deleted Scene in which “Michael Thinks About Sara,” while Disc 4 features Commentary Tracks for the episodes “Brother's Keeper.” The first on with Paul Scheuring, Amaury Nolasco, Wade Williams, Robert Knepper and Sarah Wayne Callies, the second one featuring Greg Yaitanes and Zach Estrin.
Also included on this disc is a, Alternate Ending for “End of the Tunnel,” as well as the Deleted Scene “Sucre and Maricruz in Court.”Disc 5 contains the Deleted Scene “Michael Goes Crazy” and on Disc 6 viewers will find the Featurette “Making of Prison Break”. Further a series of other Featurettes are included on this disc, such as “If These Walls Could Speak: Profile of the Joliet Correctional Center,” “Beyond the Ink,” and “Fox Movie Channel Presents: Making a Scene - Prison Break.” Also look for a selection of TV Spots and Promos for the show on this disc.
The “Prison Break: Season 1” will take place on November 13 and you can be a part of it for $99.98
Source: DVD Review
Season 3 Interviews
Here are some awesome interviews with the latest additions to the Prison Break cast; Jodi Lyn O'Keefe, Danay Garcia, Robert Wisdom and Chris Vance. I should have posted these earlier but I only just came across them. These guys give us a great insight into Susan, Sofia, Lechero and Whistler so make sure you check them out!
Prison Break - November Spoilers!
Things are hotting up! Here are the details and spoilers for the episodes scheduled to air in November in the US and UK:
It all begins with a 2-hour episode on Monday, November 5. Check out the official "Prison Break" spoilers from FOX, after the jump.
Lincoln is forced to tell Michael about Sara's murder, leading Michael to take drastic action against a fellow prisoner and place the escape from Sona in danger in the "Photo Finish/Vamonos" double episode November 5 (8:00-10:00 PM).
On Monday, Nov. 12 (8:00-9:00 PM) in the "Bang & Burn" episode, Michael finds a surprising new ally in Sona; Susan takes the escape into her own hands; and Lincoln and Sucre race to save LJ.
In "Boxed In" (Monday, Nov. 19, 8:00-9:00 PM), Michael suffers the consequences of solitary Sona-style and a mystery woman makes her way to Panama to find Michael. (Will this be "Cherry Hill's" Molly?)
And on Monday, Nov. 26 (8:00-9:00 PM) in "Dirt Nap," a coup in Sona brings Michael's escape plan crashing down and leaves the Panamanian hellhole with one less prisoner.
There will be 3 more episodes of "Prison Break" in December (including the fall finale on December 17) and then the show takes a break through April 14, 2008 when FOX rolls out the final 9 episodes of season 3 stretching into June.
Source: Televisonista
Catching Up With Amaury Nolasco!
Here is an interview with Amaury Nolasco aka Sucre taken from my copy of Prison Break magazine. The interview is published in Issue #6 (US) and Issue #5 (UK). This interview was completed between the Season 2 and Season 3 hiatus. Check it out:
Amaury Nolasco has been a busy guy - he was working on the Transformers movie at the same time as filming Prison Break Season 2. However, he pauses to talk with us about good ol' Fernando Sucre. . .
Prison Break Magazine: Are you familiar with Prison Break magazine?
Amaury Nolasco: Oh, yes! I just read Issue 2, which is the one with my interview.
How was working in Dallas? I heard you say you were packing up your stuff to come back to LA. . .
I am going to miss it. I had a great time - that last year has gone fast, I have to say. We were having a good time - the fact that we were spread out and everybody was doing their own thing - we didn't get to work together much, so it went pretty fast and I'm going to miss that.
Have you been allowed to improvise much of Sucre's dialogue?
I kept cursing in Spanish and then they said, "No more." (Laughs)
Was the scene where Sucre is trapped under the log in the river (Season 2)one of the toughest things you've had to do so far?
I have to say, the day we shot that, it wasn't bad, because the weather was great and the water was cold, but then I had to do some reshoots on that and it was in a cold pool. So that's up there with the toughest things I've had to do. When we did the last episode of Season 1, it was freezing cold in Chicago. I'm from Puerto Rico, so anything below 70 degrees is cold for me. . .
So you're glad they relocated to Texas?
Exactly. (Laughs)
How did working on Transformers compare, physically, to working on Prison Break?
That was more grueling that anything. Two, three, four weeks of just running every single day, with combat boots, with all this gear on top of you - that was just really exhausting.
Was doing Prison Break good preperation for that?
Oh, absolutely (laughs). It was definitely boot camp.
What do you like best about the audience response to Prison Break?
You know what? I love that people come up with their own theories about Prison Break. Everybody thinks they know where the show is going. And it just thrills me, because everybody's got their own clues and they're great ideas, but [the writers] are doing a phenomenal job. I had a director tell me once, "There's nothing better than a dead writer" [because they don't object to changes]. Not in this case - I can't speak well enough about our writers. For an actor, writing is the key. And it's a roller-coaster. They take you up and down and the audience hasn't a clue [what's coming next].
Amaury Nolasco has been a busy guy - he was working on the Transformers movie at the same time as filming Prison Break Season 2. However, he pauses to talk with us about good ol' Fernando Sucre. . .
Prison Break Magazine: Are you familiar with Prison Break magazine?
Amaury Nolasco: Oh, yes! I just read Issue 2, which is the one with my interview.
How was working in Dallas? I heard you say you were packing up your stuff to come back to LA. . .
I am going to miss it. I had a great time - that last year has gone fast, I have to say. We were having a good time - the fact that we were spread out and everybody was doing their own thing - we didn't get to work together much, so it went pretty fast and I'm going to miss that.
Have you been allowed to improvise much of Sucre's dialogue?
I kept cursing in Spanish and then they said, "No more." (Laughs)
Was the scene where Sucre is trapped under the log in the river (Season 2)one of the toughest things you've had to do so far?
I have to say, the day we shot that, it wasn't bad, because the weather was great and the water was cold, but then I had to do some reshoots on that and it was in a cold pool. So that's up there with the toughest things I've had to do. When we did the last episode of Season 1, it was freezing cold in Chicago. I'm from Puerto Rico, so anything below 70 degrees is cold for me. . .
So you're glad they relocated to Texas?
Exactly. (Laughs)
How did working on Transformers compare, physically, to working on Prison Break?
That was more grueling that anything. Two, three, four weeks of just running every single day, with combat boots, with all this gear on top of you - that was just really exhausting.
Was doing Prison Break good preperation for that?
Oh, absolutely (laughs). It was definitely boot camp.
What do you like best about the audience response to Prison Break?
You know what? I love that people come up with their own theories about Prison Break. Everybody thinks they know where the show is going. And it just thrills me, because everybody's got their own clues and they're great ideas, but [the writers] are doing a phenomenal job. I had a director tell me once, "There's nothing better than a dead writer" [because they don't object to changes]. Not in this case - I can't speak well enough about our writers. For an actor, writing is the key. And it's a roller-coaster. They take you up and down and the audience hasn't a clue [what's coming next].
Robert Knepper in "Hitman"
Yeah yeah I know, off-topic, but to hell with that- this is Robert Knepper we're talking about!Here is the official brand new international poster for 20th Century Fox's Hitman, coming to North American theaters on November 21 and to the UK on November 30. The action-thriller stars Timonthy Olyphant and Prison Break's Robert Knepper and is based on the video game. Co-stars include Dougray Scott, Olga Kurylenko, Ulrich Thomsen, Michael Offei and Lost's Henry Ian Cusick.
Click here to enter the official website and to watch the trailer for the new movie. Enjoy! Make sure you check the movie out when it hits theaters to support Robert if nothing else!
Knepper Cast In New Animated Movie
Prison Break's Robert Knepper has just been cast in a new animated feature based on a Gold Key Comics Title:
NEW YORK, October 23: Classic Media has acquired the international rights to Turok: Son of Stone, an animated feature-length film based on a Gold Key Comics title, for premiere at this year’s AFM.
The film is presented by The Weinstein Company and will be released on DVD domestically by Genius Products. First appearing in comic books in 1954, Turok’s dinosaur-hunting quests have previously been turned into a video game franchise that boasts more than 5 million units sold since the first game was introduced in the mid-90s. The new film draws on the original comic book, as well as influences ranging from Frank Miller to Akira Kurosawa, to create a dark, intense, epic retelling of Turok’s origin.
Classic Media picked up the rights to Gold Key Comics titles including Turok, Magnus Robot Fighter, Doctor Solar and M.A.R.S., in 2001.
Turok: Son of Stone is directed by Tad Stones, Dan Riba, Curt Geda, and Frank Squillace, and stars the voices of Adam Beach as Turok, Robert Knepper, Irene Bedard, Cree Summer and Graham Greene.
"We’re delighted to introduce the first Turok feature at this premiere global marketplace,” said Doug Schwalbe, the executive VP of sales and co-productions at Classic Media. “AFM is the ideal venue for the world premiere of Turok: Son of Stone."
Congrats Robert!The film is presented by The Weinstein Company and will be released on DVD domestically by Genius Products. First appearing in comic books in 1954, Turok’s dinosaur-hunting quests have previously been turned into a video game franchise that boasts more than 5 million units sold since the first game was introduced in the mid-90s. The new film draws on the original comic book, as well as influences ranging from Frank Miller to Akira Kurosawa, to create a dark, intense, epic retelling of Turok’s origin.
Classic Media picked up the rights to Gold Key Comics titles including Turok, Magnus Robot Fighter, Doctor Solar and M.A.R.S., in 2001.
Turok: Son of Stone is directed by Tad Stones, Dan Riba, Curt Geda, and Frank Squillace, and stars the voices of Adam Beach as Turok, Robert Knepper, Irene Bedard, Cree Summer and Graham Greene.
"We’re delighted to introduce the first Turok feature at this premiere global marketplace,” said Doug Schwalbe, the executive VP of sales and co-productions at Classic Media. “AFM is the ideal venue for the world premiere of Turok: Son of Stone."
Source: WorldScreen
Spin Off!?
It has just come to my attention that Fox is planning a spin off to Prison Break. What the fuck?:
Fox is looking to expand its primetime prison population with a spinoff from "Prison Break."
Tentatively titled "Prison Break: Cherry Hill," the potential new series would be set at a women's prison and center on Molly, a new regular character that will be introduced on "Prison" later this season.
Fox has ordered a script of the possible spinoff, which is being written by "Prison" exec producer Matt Olmstead and co-exec producer Zack Estrin and produced by 20th Century Fox TV.
Molly is an upper-middle-class wife. After suffering a family tragedy at the hands of the Company -- the government conspiracy that framed Michael (Wentworth Miller) and Lincoln (Dominic Purcell) and put them behind bars -- she seeks them out at the hellish Panamanian prison Sona in her quest to exact vengeance.
"There is an ironic similarity between Molly and Michael -- they're both emotionally banged-up, both have lost loved ones, and both want the people responsible to pay -- so they empathize with each other," Olmstead said. (Michael's love interest Sara, played by Sarah Wayne Callies, was killed earlier this season.)
In "Cherry Hill," which would have the same tone as "Prison," Molly goes to a women's detention facility fully accepting the life sentence for her acts of revenge until she is contacted by the government with information that some of her loved ones are alive.
"In a moment's time, she is transformed from an unapologetic murderer to a motivated woman who would do anything to get out of prison and be with them," said Olmstead, who is exec producing "Cherry Hill" with Estrin and "Prison" exec producer Dawn Parouse.
Olmstead and Parouse had been talking about developing a show set at a women's prison for some time but had hit a roadblock -- how to set up and launch such a show?
"Concurrent with that, on 'Prison Break' we wanted to introduce a mystery character who brings some clues to the table and with whom Michael and Lincoln work to uncover the big conspiracy," Olmstead said. "The women's prison idea folded into the idea of introducing that character, and once we combined them, it immediately popped for us."
He approached Estrin with the idea, and he came on board right away.
A search is under way for an actress to play Molly. "Prison" producers will determine in which episode she will make her first appearance after casting the role.
If "Cherry Hill" doesn't go forward, Molly will continue on "Prison" as a regular character.
There have been several series set in women's prisons over the years, including the long-running Australian drama "Prisoner: Cell Block H" and Fox's short-lived comedy "Women in Prison."
"Cherry Hill" follows the path of ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," which spun off Dr. Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh), a character introduced on the hit medical drama, into her own series, "Private Practice."
Source: Hollywood Reporter
Sneak Peek: "Photo Finish" (3.06) / "Vamonos" (3.07)
Here is a very interesting sneak peek courtesy of AMEX from the upcoming 2 hour special of Prison Break. It is a must see for spoiler freaks!
-Apologies for the low quality in sound.
Marshall Allman at the Camp Ronald McDonald 15th Annual Family Halloween Carnival
Here is Marshall Allman aka LJ who made an appearance at the Camp Ronald McDonald 15th Annual Family Halloween Carnival on October 21st.
"Dirt Nap" (3.10) Spoiler
Episode 3.10: Dirt Nap
Airdate: December 3, 2007
Lincoln and Sofia visit two strange, very smart men and give them a large bundle of money in exchange for an explosive with a cell phone remote trigger.
Airdate: December 3, 2007
Lincoln and Sofia visit two strange, very smart men and give them a large bundle of money in exchange for an explosive with a cell phone remote trigger.
Source: SpoilerFix
Prison Break Schedule Update
Make sure you do not forget to tune into Prison Break tonight which airs at 8/7c on FOX. Note that there is no Prison Break the week after (October 29th). FOX is airing both "Photo Finish" (3.06) and "Vamonos" (3.07) as a double bill on November 5th.
I am unsure of the UK episode schedule at the moment. All I know is that this will totally screw it up what with all the breaks and such.
I am unsure of the UK episode schedule at the moment. All I know is that this will totally screw it up what with all the breaks and such.
Purcell and Williamson Seperate
According to People magazine, Dominic and his wife Rebecca Williamson have seperated:
Another one bites the dust. . . .
Prison Break star Dominic Purcell and wife Rebecca Williamson have separated, the actor's reps confirm to PEOPLE exclusively.
"The separation is completely amicable and they remain friends," his reps say. Purcell, 37, and Williamson have four kids together.
Amaury Nolasco MyFOX Interview
Great guy! This video includes a short clip from a scene in "Interference" (3.05) which is scheduled to air tonight in the US. Don't you dare miss it!
Note to writers: Bring Camille Guaty back!
"Interference" (3.05) Spoilers!
Michael and a new inmate buddy begin planning their intricate escape from Sona during this episode.
Michael's get a visitor in his cell: Captain Hurtado. The man is not happy as he thinks Michael has been watching him lately and asks if a monocular he finds in Michael's cell is a weapon. When Hurtado is about the shoot Michael to get answers, Whistler comes in and says the monocular is his. Sofia comes up to Hurtado, now next to his car, and tells him she needs a ride to go to Sona. During the ride, Hurtado compliments Sofia and he stops the car. He asks her what she is willing to do to see her prison-bound boyfriend. He even tells her he can not only allow her to see her boyfriend but also touch him... it all depends on her. But Sofia drops a bombshell, she tells Hurtado that her boyfriend is Norman Corneli, also known as Lechero. Sammy welcomes a new inmate, Andrew Ross. Sammy tries to intimidated Ross in front of everyone but the new guy doesn't want to play the game. But too late, Ross bites the dust. Ross tells another inmate that he knows Michael. As Ross cleans his wounds, Bellick warns him to not use too much water and that it's every man for himself in Sona. It looks like Bellick is trying to befriend Ross. Later, Ross runs into Mahone who asks him why he (Ross) got in jail (resisting arrest for something he supposedly didn't do). Mahone warns the guy to mind his own business. Colonel Escamilla may appear in this episode.
Pad Man (aka Kim's boss) appears in this episode.
Guest Cast: Laurence Mason as Sammy; Carlo Alban as McGrady; Curtis Wayne as Cheo; Carlos Compeon as Colonel Escamilla; Crystal Mantecon as Sister Mary Francis; F.J. Rio as Augusto; Dominic Keating as Tyge.
Source: SpoilerTV
Michael's get a visitor in his cell: Captain Hurtado. The man is not happy as he thinks Michael has been watching him lately and asks if a monocular he finds in Michael's cell is a weapon. When Hurtado is about the shoot Michael to get answers, Whistler comes in and says the monocular is his. Sofia comes up to Hurtado, now next to his car, and tells him she needs a ride to go to Sona. During the ride, Hurtado compliments Sofia and he stops the car. He asks her what she is willing to do to see her prison-bound boyfriend. He even tells her he can not only allow her to see her boyfriend but also touch him... it all depends on her. But Sofia drops a bombshell, she tells Hurtado that her boyfriend is Norman Corneli, also known as Lechero. Sammy welcomes a new inmate, Andrew Ross. Sammy tries to intimidated Ross in front of everyone but the new guy doesn't want to play the game. But too late, Ross bites the dust. Ross tells another inmate that he knows Michael. As Ross cleans his wounds, Bellick warns him to not use too much water and that it's every man for himself in Sona. It looks like Bellick is trying to befriend Ross. Later, Ross runs into Mahone who asks him why he (Ross) got in jail (resisting arrest for something he supposedly didn't do). Mahone warns the guy to mind his own business. Colonel Escamilla may appear in this episode.
Pad Man (aka Kim's boss) appears in this episode.
Guest Cast: Laurence Mason as Sammy; Carlo Alban as McGrady; Curtis Wayne as Cheo; Carlos Compeon as Colonel Escamilla; Crystal Mantecon as Sister Mary Francis; F.J. Rio as Augusto; Dominic Keating as Tyge.
Source: SpoilerTV
That's Hot!
Surely this can't be the only image? And a small one at that. Heck I'm not complaining- this is one hot photograph. Check out the interview with Maxim and the girls below:
Have you heard that female inmates known as LURDs—lesbians until release date—are huge Prison Break fans?
DG: Cool! I have no problem with that, as long as people enjoy the show.
Y’all enjoy shooting in Texas?
JO: I’ve had to learn to eat meat in 100-degree heat. At lunch the other day, our only options were three steaks, so I was like, “Let’s go—I’ll take the rib eye.”
Danay, what do you miss most about living in Cuba?
DG: The mojitos. My father worked in the bar where Ernest Hemingway drank. And I grew up smoking cigars. It’s hard to find good ones here because they’re illegal, but I have a Cuban cigar connection...
Spill it! We’re trustworthy.
DG: I can’t or I’ll get in trouble.
Afraid of getting thrown in the slammer?
DG: Yes! Though I’d do whatever it takes to get out—even seduce a guy. I like to be sexy. I used to be a model, so I’m not afraid of bikinis or lingerie.
Is it hard to put the screws to someone on the show?
JO: When they give me a gun, I get right into the ‘I’m a badass’ mind-set. On the first day of shooting, I tucked the gun into my pants, but it fell into my underwear. I asked the director for a holster, and he goes, “Holster? Jodi, you just need tighter pants.”
Source: Maxim
Danay & Jodi Do Maxim
Prison Break hotties Danay Garcia and Jodi Lyn O'Keefe are the latest television celebrities to pose for Maxim magazine. The magazine has made a list of the sexiest women of Television 2007 and Danay and Jodi both made the list for their roles in the show as Sofia Lugo and Susan B. Anthony. Hopefully some scans will turn up soon.
Dominic Purcell on Regis & Kelly
Dominic Purcell appeared on Regis & Kelly for a chat on Wednesday. Check the video out above. Dom recaps on the previous seasons and reveals that Prison Break is one of the biggest shows in the world and that 135 million people download episodes of the show every Wednesday!?
Is that just iTunes? Surely not? Nevertheless that is incredible!
Sneak Peek: "Interference" (3.05)
Here are 2 very interesting sneak peek videos of "Interference" (3.05), which is set to air next week, however this could change to stay tuned. In these clips, Michael and Lincoln plan the escape and Michael eventually tells Whistler the plan. . .
Prison Break To Return In April 2008
It has been revealed that Prison Break will return to US & UK televisions in April 2008, after it's hiatus. Keep reading for more information:
In the update to an earlier story, FOX has confirmed Prison Break will go on hiatus on December 17 and return April 14.
"The Sarah Connor Chronicles" will take over Prison Break's timeslot on January 14. The freshman drama inspired by Terminator movies will have 13 episodes and air through April 7.
Prison Break will then return April 14 and run the remaining episodes until early June (before "24"). A total of 12 or 13 episodes will have aired until mid December.
April 2008? What the fuck!?
Source: Televisonvista
New Timeslot For Prison Break?
There is now a possibility that Prison Break will lose it's currently time slot (Monday's 8/7c) and be moved to a different day and timeslot. For more information, read below:
FOX has announced premiere date for its much-anticipated “Terminator” movies-inspired midseason drama “The Sarah Connor Chronicles.” The show which was originally supposed to air on Sunday nights at 9:00 is now scheduled to take over the “Prison Break” timeslot on Mondays at 8:00 leading into the new season of “24.” The network has yet to announce what they will do with “Prison Break.”
Zap2It reported late yesterday that the new FOX drama will premiere Monday, January 14 at 8:00 p.m. leading into the third hour of the 7th season of “24.”
Unlike the past 3 years when “24″ launched in January with a 2-day 4-hour event, the 7th season premiere of the Kiefer Sutherland drama will begin with a 2-hour episode on Sunday, January 13 and then continue with a regular 1-hour episode the next day.
That means that both “Prison Break” and its low-rated lead-out “K-Ville” will disappear from Monday nights come January.
“Prison Break” averaged 9-10 million viewers in its inaugural season and then fell to 8-9 million last year.
The third season which premiered on September 17 continued that decline averaging about 7 million viewers.
Just last year, FOX couldn’t wait to put “Prison Break” back on its schedule and moved the original spring premiere date from March to January.
The decision may have affected the quality of writing in the final 9 episodes of the 2nd season, as noted even by the show stars (Dominic Purcell in TV Guide, for instance).
Whether or not that contributed to viewer erosion, it appears that this may very well be the end of the road for “Prison Break.”
FOX has yet to announce how they will reschedule “Prison Break” in 2008.
One alternative could be putting “Prison Break” on hiatus during the winter (FOX did that in the first 2005/06 season) and then bring it back into the same Monday night timeslot in March, of course if “The Sarah Connor Chronicles” fails.
This has me worried. Are FOX now realising Prison Break should have not have been given a 3rd season? If they are, they better not screw it up just for the sake of it. I demand that Prison Break is left untouched till it runs it's course.
Got A Question For Amaury?
Got a burning question to ask Amaury Nolasco aka Sucre from the show? Well today is your lucky day. . . .
Click here for more information and the email address to submit your questions!TV Fodder is scheduled to interview Amaury Nolasco, better known as Sucre from Fox’s Prison Break. Got a question for him? Drop me an email…
If we choose your question, you may win a copy of Prison Break: Season 2 on DVD!
Submit questions via email; questions must be received by 11:59 p.m. (EST/PST) on Wednesday, October 17, 2007. Winners will be notified by the end of this week. Anyone can submit questions, but you must have a U.S. mailing address to win one of the DVD sets.
Jodi Lyn O'Keefe is the Shiz
It's official, Jodi Lyn O'Keefe is the shiz! Well in my book anyway. Am I the only one who thinks she kicks major ass on the show? She is freaking delivering I'll tell you that. Susan B. Anthony is sexy, sophisticated and ignorant (with a little bit of a soft touch and rage to her) Props to the casting for them choosing Jodi, she is perfect in this role.
I imagine it won't be long until she slowly decides to befriend The Company and join forces with Michael and Lincoln. It's bound to happen, right? Finally, who else cracked up at the line she delivered in "Call Waiting" (3.03): "You've got a better chance of banging me on that bar that talking to her (Sara)". Freaking hilarious! Here's to hoping she isn't written out of the show just yet.
Agree? Disagree? Talk to me Prison Break lovers!
New Nick Santora Interview
Prison Break writer discusses Sarah Wayne Callies' departure from the hit show - taken from the Official Prison Break Magazine Issue 7 on sale November 2007.
How long have you known that Sarah Wayne Callies was not returning to the show? Is that something that has been planned since last season?
Nick Santora: We didn’t know it was definite until sometime in the summer, so we just had to change our storylines and come up with something that was jarring, emotional, and would still drive our characters and make it clear that even though Dr. Sara Tancredi is gone from this world, she is not gone from the heart, mind, and soul of Michael Scofield.
I know some people were saying she can’t be gone because the network and studio released statements that she plays an integral part in season three. Well, she does. She is a motivation for Michael who is thinking of her constantly. So Sara is still kind of alive.
Sara is ultimately beheaded as a warning to Michael and Linc. What kind of conversations did you have about her fate?
Nick: Once we realized we didn’t have the actress, and hence didn’t have the character, we just bandied around a bunch of ideas which we thought were creatively satisfying. The one thing that was never an option was recasting her with a completely different actress so that there would be someone who looked nothing like Sarah Wayne Callies, running through Panama pretending to be Dr. Tancredi. We couldn’t do that or insult our audience so we knew we had to figure out a way to explain why she wasn’t on camera.
Michael has dealt with a lot of loss lately. Will Sara’s murder finally push him over the edge?
Nick: You are going to see a side of Michael you’ve never seen before, but it is not going to be Here’s the straw that broke my back. I can’t take it anymore. It is going to be Michael turning around and saying, Enough is enough! I am going to go out there and get my pound of flesh now!
And Michael Scofield is going to do things you never imagined he could do. It is going to flip a switch. He is still going to be the same character, people are still going to love him, but we are going to sympathize with him and know where he is coming from.
Source: PrisonBreakBuff
How long have you known that Sarah Wayne Callies was not returning to the show? Is that something that has been planned since last season?
Nick Santora: We didn’t know it was definite until sometime in the summer, so we just had to change our storylines and come up with something that was jarring, emotional, and would still drive our characters and make it clear that even though Dr. Sara Tancredi is gone from this world, she is not gone from the heart, mind, and soul of Michael Scofield.
I know some people were saying she can’t be gone because the network and studio released statements that she plays an integral part in season three. Well, she does. She is a motivation for Michael who is thinking of her constantly. So Sara is still kind of alive.
Sara is ultimately beheaded as a warning to Michael and Linc. What kind of conversations did you have about her fate?
Nick: Once we realized we didn’t have the actress, and hence didn’t have the character, we just bandied around a bunch of ideas which we thought were creatively satisfying. The one thing that was never an option was recasting her with a completely different actress so that there would be someone who looked nothing like Sarah Wayne Callies, running through Panama pretending to be Dr. Tancredi. We couldn’t do that or insult our audience so we knew we had to figure out a way to explain why she wasn’t on camera.
Michael has dealt with a lot of loss lately. Will Sara’s murder finally push him over the edge?
Nick: You are going to see a side of Michael you’ve never seen before, but it is not going to be Here’s the straw that broke my back. I can’t take it anymore. It is going to be Michael turning around and saying, Enough is enough! I am going to go out there and get my pound of flesh now!
And Michael Scofield is going to do things you never imagined he could do. It is going to flip a switch. He is still going to be the same character, people are still going to love him, but we are going to sympathize with him and know where he is coming from.
Source: PrisonBreakBuff
Has Wentworth & Prison Break Got This To Thank?
According to E!News, Wentworth certainly seems to think so. If you're unfamilar with this music video, where the fuck have you been? This is basically what boosted Wentworth's career for the short 30 seconds he appears in the video. Click here to watch behind the scenes footage of "It's Like That" with Wentworth.
"Season 3 is having a degrading effect on the memories of the first two seasons"
Neil Wilkes, an editor for British entertainment site Digital Spy gave a summary of the good and bad points of Prison Break Season 3. Below you can read what he has to say. I have highlighted the interesting parts:
Good points? William Fichtner is a joy to watch as the increasingly-troubled Mahone -look out for the return of one of his season two victims (albeit in spirit form) in the next episode - while it's nice to see the hitherto-underdeveloped character of LJ getting a little bit more screentime. T-Bag is on fine form, as always.
Bad points? Where to start? The ridiculously contrived setup is key to all of the problems with this season. Fox should either have cut the show loose at the end of season two or pushed for a significantly different storyline for season three. As it stands, this is just a rehash of season one but without the spark of originality. What's worse, it's having a degrading effect on the memories of the first two seasons.
Summary: The good news is that every episode of the season is successively better than the previous, and there are occasional reminders of what made the show so compelling in the first place (Lincoln's surprise-in-a-box in episode four is a case in point), however there's a real struggle to muster enthusiasm for the brothers' new adventure."
My Opinion On Sara's Death
I finally saw "Good Fences" (3.04) last night (late I know) and I was actually really disappointed in the way the writers had gone about writing Sara out of the show. Within the first 15 minutes we had learnt what was in the box, Sara's head obviously. And then it felt as if she had been forgotten midway through the episode. It was as if the writers couldn't wait to get rid of her and focus more on Michael's escape.
However, what kind of made up for Sara's exit was when Susan stormed in and shot the gravedigger. Her expressions were hilarious.
R.I.P. Sara.
Season 3 In Jeopardy?
According to this article, a possible writer’s strike may take place causing Season 3 to stay at a stand still until something can be worked out. Oh shit:
North Texas feels the love on ‘Prison Break’ DVD
11:24 AM CDT on Monday, October 15, 2007
By JOE O’CONNELL / Special Contributor
A map in the Prison Break production office shows where the television fugitives have ended up around the country, but it’s likely they need a second, smaller map of North Texas to track the production itself. That’s good news for local cast and crew awaiting the fallout of a potential writers strike.
For the currently filming third season, Prison Break is packing up and shooting more outside of the area, but the show’s second season was almost entirely shot here, and the producers have included a little North Texas love letter on the season two DVD box set via a featurette called “Turning Dallas Into America.”
“We knew we had to play a number of different locales across the country,” executive producer and writer Paul Scheuring says in the featurette. “We needed to have desert, a big city and a bayou. We needed to have wide-open plains and also parts of Latin America and New Mexico.”
Show producer Garry Brown, who knew Dallas from working on Walker, Texas Ranger, suggested taking a look at North Texas. “My first thought was Dallas has only one look,” Mr. Scheuring says on the DVD. “It’s like J.R. and people with tall hats. I was quite wrong.”
The kicker was the ability to travel 30 to 45 minutes in any direction and find the right look, even Panama, which was accomplished by taking a set used to portray Iraq in the television film Saving Private Lynch and adding some palm trees.
However, third-season filming may halt if the Writers Guild of America decides to go on strike Nov. 1 when its latest contract expires. The last time a strike occurred was in 1988. The WGA threatened a similar strike in 2004, teaming up with the Screen Actors Guild (whose contract expires in July 2008). This led to a flurry of filming followed by a lull and a glut of unscripted reality-television programs. Many believe the WGA will delay a strike, if it occurs at all, until January or later to pull in SAG again. But the threat is enough to send the film-television industry scurrying.
Janis Burklund, head of the Dallas Film Commission, is courting a lot of film projects aiming at January starts, but she expects the strike could lead to more North Texas reality shoots. “Those folks tend to like Dallas,” she says of reality producers, “but we won’t know for a while.”
11:24 AM CDT on Monday, October 15, 2007
By JOE O’CONNELL / Special Contributor
A map in the Prison Break production office shows where the television fugitives have ended up around the country, but it’s likely they need a second, smaller map of North Texas to track the production itself. That’s good news for local cast and crew awaiting the fallout of a potential writers strike.
For the currently filming third season, Prison Break is packing up and shooting more outside of the area, but the show’s second season was almost entirely shot here, and the producers have included a little North Texas love letter on the season two DVD box set via a featurette called “Turning Dallas Into America.”
“We knew we had to play a number of different locales across the country,” executive producer and writer Paul Scheuring says in the featurette. “We needed to have desert, a big city and a bayou. We needed to have wide-open plains and also parts of Latin America and New Mexico.”
Show producer Garry Brown, who knew Dallas from working on Walker, Texas Ranger, suggested taking a look at North Texas. “My first thought was Dallas has only one look,” Mr. Scheuring says on the DVD. “It’s like J.R. and people with tall hats. I was quite wrong.”
The kicker was the ability to travel 30 to 45 minutes in any direction and find the right look, even Panama, which was accomplished by taking a set used to portray Iraq in the television film Saving Private Lynch and adding some palm trees.
However, third-season filming may halt if the Writers Guild of America decides to go on strike Nov. 1 when its latest contract expires. The last time a strike occurred was in 1988. The WGA threatened a similar strike in 2004, teaming up with the Screen Actors Guild (whose contract expires in July 2008). This led to a flurry of filming followed by a lull and a glut of unscripted reality-television programs. Many believe the WGA will delay a strike, if it occurs at all, until January or later to pull in SAG again. But the threat is enough to send the film-television industry scurrying.
Janis Burklund, head of the Dallas Film Commission, is courting a lot of film projects aiming at January starts, but she expects the strike could lead to more North Texas reality shoots. “Those folks tend to like Dallas,” she says of reality producers, “but we won’t know for a while.”
No Prison Break In UK Until November 5th
According to Sky One, no new episodes of Prison Break will air in the UK until November 5th since FOX screwed up the airing by post-poning the "Interference" (3.05) air date and pushing it back. Therefore "Interference" (3.05) will air in the UK of Monday November 5th due to the World Series in the US.
New Wentworth Interview With Sky One
Here is a brand new interview with Wentworth for Sky One. Went talks about Michael's ways & his physcology, the themes of the show and the relationship between Michael and Lincoln. Click here to watch the video!
"Boxed In" (3.09) Spoilers!
Michael’s rebound girl arrives…
Michael meets a woman named Molly, who says she saw the video Michael and Lincoln made about The Company. She claims that her husband and daughter were killed and while going through his papers, she found references to The Company. Molly later holds a gun on Susan, a member of the The Company and who Molly suspects killed her family. When Susan admits to the crime, Molly pulls the trigger.
Matt Olmstead gave Ausiello a preview of the character:
“She has a background that also involves loss - and a recent loss at that,” he says. “So the cool thing is they’re both emotionally banged up and they can empathize with each other. But they’re not going to be jumping into bed together, because they both recently lost someone dear to them.” Of course, Olmstead doesn’t rule out such shenanigans down the road. “Yeah, but that’s a long way down the road,” he insists. “But, certainly, anything’s possible.”
Source: SpoilerFix & PrisonBreakBuff
Michael meets a woman named Molly, who says she saw the video Michael and Lincoln made about The Company. She claims that her husband and daughter were killed and while going through his papers, she found references to The Company. Molly later holds a gun on Susan, a member of the The Company and who Molly suspects killed her family. When Susan admits to the crime, Molly pulls the trigger.
Matt Olmstead gave Ausiello a preview of the character:
“She has a background that also involves loss - and a recent loss at that,” he says. “So the cool thing is they’re both emotionally banged up and they can empathize with each other. But they’re not going to be jumping into bed together, because they both recently lost someone dear to them.” Of course, Olmstead doesn’t rule out such shenanigans down the road. “Yeah, but that’s a long way down the road,” he insists. “But, certainly, anything’s possible.”
Source: SpoilerFix & PrisonBreakBuff
Wade Williams Diary: Chapter I
Wade Williams interviews the cast and crew of Prison Break for Sky One (UK). Funny stuff. Check it out!
Wentworth Miller on Jensen's Talkshow
This is from last month but I wanted to post it anyway. This is Wentworth Miller being interviewed by Robert Jensen. Went was interviewed in Dallas, TX in front of some fans from Holland. Check it out. Awesome interview.
More From Nick On Michael's Rebound Girl!
Seems a lot of internet fans are realy jumping forward with their thinking that Michael is about to fall right into a “love” relationship with someone — people seem to have read A LOT into Matt Olmstead’s quotes in that TV Guide interview. I assure you, we wouldn’t make the Scofield character look that dumb and insensitive. There are lots of bonds a man and a woman can have that bring them together other than sex/love … bonds like “vengeance” perhaps? I’m just saying …
Source: PBreakFans
Mahone's Ghosts: Santora reveals all! (well not all)
Nick Santora has posted a new entry on PBreakFans about Mahone's recent ghosts in Sona. Check out what he had to say below:
Mahone is seeing Haywire because the “ghosts” of what he has done have always haunted Mahone (remember Shales caused him to start taking the drugs) but Haywire was the most “paranoid” of all the people he killed (remember how Haywire acted around Michael - “It’s a maze, it’s a maze”, the guy was a nut) — so when Mahone started going through real bad withdrawal and started becoming paranoid himself, the most paranoid ghost of those he killed came back to haunt him, though he haunted him through his mind. Haywire’s personality best personified how Mahone was feeling through most of Good Fences.
Source: PBreakFans
Mahone is seeing Haywire because the “ghosts” of what he has done have always haunted Mahone (remember Shales caused him to start taking the drugs) but Haywire was the most “paranoid” of all the people he killed (remember how Haywire acted around Michael - “It’s a maze, it’s a maze”, the guy was a nut) — so when Mahone started going through real bad withdrawal and started becoming paranoid himself, the most paranoid ghost of those he killed came back to haunt him, though he haunted him through his mind. Haywire’s personality best personified how Mahone was feeling through most of Good Fences.
Source: PBreakFans
New Robert Knepper Interview!
Here is a new awesome interview with Prison Break's Robert Knepper, courtesy of Crave Online. Check it out below:Crave Online: Were you worried they’d extradite T-Bag back to the states?
Robert Knepper: No, I gotta tell you, the writers are great. I think they would have let me know a couple weeks ahead of time at least. When I didn’t get any word of that at hiatus, I thought, “Yeah, he’s probably back.”
Crave Online: Will we find out why he was left in a Panamanian prison?
Robert Knepper: I don’t know if that’s resolved yet or not. We’re on episode seven. It seems pretty explained I think. “Well, you know, we had a red flag go off. You’re stuck down here. We’re not letting you out.” I don’t know if there’ll be any more talk about that or not. He’s just there and that’s it. He’s got to figure out if he’s going to live or die in that place.
Crave Online: Has he set his sights on any new prison buddies?
Robert Knepper: It’s funny because I went off to shoot something else over hiatus and I talk a lot about the show and I talk a lot about T-Bag. I got back thinking, “I don’t know how I’m going to be able to play this part because I’ve been talking about it so much that I’m going to be too objective now. I’m not going to be able to slip into the shoes.” The great thing about changing it up, to not have T-Bag be in a prison that he was the cock of the walk kind of “I Own This Part of the Prison, these are my boys, this is the guy that holds my pocket,” the great thing about it for the actor is that it’s okay to go off to shoot something else and talk about this character for a long time because he’s not in his shoes anymore. He’s not in a place that he knows. Just like after the first season of breaking out and the fact that we didn’t stay in Chicago which I really lamented because I love that town. It was my old stomping ground. To go to Dallas which was a totally new town, I’d never been there before, T-Bag’s out with all the other guys trying to survive. He’s living, he’s racing away from the cops, from the authorities. It was life imitating art because I was thinking, “I don’t know where anything is in Dallas. I got to set up a home for my family.” It was all juts part of the craziness. I’m driving in the morning to the set going, “I can’t find the set and I’m going to be late.” It would always feed into the work. Now, I’m in this prison. I got to figure out, no one’s going to hold my pocket, I don’t want anybody to hold my pocket in this prison. T-Bag’s kind of particular about the color of the skin he likes to hang around with. So all of those elements are great. There’s so much taken care of for me that all I have to do is be uncomfortable. I’ve spent the last six episodes trying to find out how to literally walk in these sandals, these Panamanian shoes that I had at the end of last season. All that new stuff is great. The fact that he’s unsettled is a good thing for me.
Crave Online: Do you speak any Spanish?
Robert Knepper: Yeah, I learned Spanish in high school. I don’t remember a lot of it for two reasons. I had a very, very cute Spanish teacher named Ms. Berman. Back in the ’70s, she wore the tightest pants that I think I’ve ever seen on a woman and I was 13 years old going blblblblblblblbl. She called me Robertito. I was her little Robertito. The second reason I don’t remember a lot of it is because I took French after that. I get it all mixed up, Spanish and French. But my little boy is actually teaching me more Spanish now than I ever thought I would know. Uno, dos, tres.
Crave Online: And your hair has gone back to normal?
Robert Knepper: Pretty much. Yeah, I think we sort of said, “You know what? The blonde was good while we were out on the run. But now he’s back in prison.” He could have it bleached. He could have it done but he’s got other more important things on his mind than doing his hair. I think actually I got a little bored with it myself.
Crave Online: Has the fake hand gotten easier to work with?
Robert Knepper: Yeah, we’re still waiting on the last hand to come in, the one that will go a little bit higher so who knows? Maybe T-Bag will eventually wear a T-shirt. Say the hell with it, I’m just going to expose the fact that I had my hand cut off. I’m in prison, who the hell cares? Right now the hand is still kind of short so I have to turn down. In big fight scenes, I’m always like, “Keep the hand over here” so I don’t have to expose it.
Crave Online: You can’t hit anyone with that piece of plastic.
Robert Knepper: Oh, you’d be surprised. I’ve got something planned. He’s going to give somebody a good wallop. It’ll be more like an embarrassing thing, just see him go badadada.
Crave Online: Has T-Bag been called to the yard yet?
Robert Knepper: He’s about to be. He’s about to be and he doesn’t want to be called because the guy that wants to fight him, you don’t want to fight this guy. He’s worse than T-Bag. When I first started the show, they said, “Beware the little guy.” The little guy in Cook County Jail, that was the guy who’d just walk right into razor blades. He wouldn’t care. The big guys are smart. They’ve had more history of fighting. T-Bag was always the scrapper probably. This guy in the prison, he’s also a scrapper so T-Bag knows, “Nah, I don’t want that.”
Finale Spoilers!?
A visitor of PrisonBreakBuff.com wrote in to inform PB fans about a possible finale spoiler. Check what he has to say below:
"Just got some new info from someone ‘close to the inside’ on filming here in Dallas.
It looks like the excitement will continue to build with each episode on Prison Break and they’ve beefed up security around the sets. It appears they’re trying to keep the shows more of a secret and it’s possible they may be filming two different versions for an ending, each totally different, and it could be a tight lipped secret on which version airs. Cast and crew may not even know until the final episode airs.
One version rumored…… everyone dies….. but Michael ……. "
Source: PrisonBreakBuff
It looks like the excitement will continue to build with each episode on Prison Break and they’ve beefed up security around the sets. It appears they’re trying to keep the shows more of a secret and it’s possible they may be filming two different versions for an ending, each totally different, and it could be a tight lipped secret on which version airs. Cast and crew may not even know until the final episode airs.
One version rumored…… everyone dies….. but Michael ……. "
Source: PrisonBreakBuff
Chris Vance Escapes
He hasn't managed to break out of prison yet, but at least Aussie actor Chris Vance will get a brief break at home.
The one-time All Saints star who plays the mercurial Whistler in the third series of Prison Break, is making a mad dash to our western shores to take part in the Perth Telethon this weekend.
Despite the jetlag he'll be popping up alongside Andrew O'Keefe and Samantha Armytage on Weekend Sunrise tomorrow before turning around heading back to the US after just 48 hours in his homeland to continue filming alongside fellow Aussie Dominic Purcell.
Sadly there's no definite word yet on when spunky Purcell will next be heading Down Under.
The one-time All Saints star who plays the mercurial Whistler in the third series of Prison Break, is making a mad dash to our western shores to take part in the Perth Telethon this weekend.
Despite the jetlag he'll be popping up alongside Andrew O'Keefe and Samantha Armytage on Weekend Sunrise tomorrow before turning around heading back to the US after just 48 hours in his homeland to continue filming alongside fellow Aussie Dominic Purcell.
Sadly there's no definite word yet on when spunky Purcell will next be heading Down Under.
Source: The Daily Telegraph (AU)
Prison Break Will Not Air Next Week!
Calling all Prison Break fans!
The previously announced of PRISON BREAK episode "Interference" (3.05) will air on October 22nd 2007.
The previously announced of PRISON BREAK episode "Interference" (3.05) will air on October 22nd 2007.
Another Cast Member To Be Axed This Season
Paul Scheuring has apparently made a comment about one of the Prison Break characters not surviving to the mid-season hiatus. He didn’t say who it was but he did give us a clue by stating the quote below:
“Lets just say he could’ve used Walgreens.”
“Lets just say he could’ve used Walgreens.”
This gets me worried as T-Bag said that very line in season one. I swear if they get rid of Robert Knepper, I will eat my hat! Hopefully it could be to do with Mahone as well, what with his medication problems. However writers may insinuate certain things to cause alarm with PB fans. Time will only tell. . .
Source: Wikipedia & PrisonBreakBuff
Source: Wikipedia & PrisonBreakBuff
Camille Guaty On Her New Role
The ultra hot Camille Guaty recently spoke to OK! magazine about her new role in "Las Vegas". Check out the snippet below:
Source: OK!
"Any girl, single or married, would dream of spending a day on the set of either Prison Break, with the likes of Wentworth Miller and Amaury Nolasco, or Las Vegas, with Josh Duhamel and James Lesure. For Camille Guaty, that is just a regular day at the office! She may have left the scruff and roughness of Prison Break for the clean-cut boys of Las Vegas, but Camille likes her man somewhere in the middle. “I like a guy who takes care of himself, but doesn’t take longer to get ready than I do,” this single gal tells OK!
Even though this Jersey girl was super sick on her first day, Camille is a pro in every sense. Having gotten her start on PopStars on the WB and most recently being in the Nine and Prison Break, she proves she is a talent that can get the job done, sniffles or not. “My mom said to not go and call in sick,” Camille says. “I was like, ‘Call in sick, wow Mom, that would be a genius idea,’ let me just hold down production!’ ”
She did listen to mom and dad about going to college though. “My parents always thought acting was a hobby of mine, and they didn’t want me to major in it,” this Boston University grad explains. “When I graduated, I said, ‘Here is the diploma for you guys, and I’m off to do my dream.’"
New Love Interest For Michael? The Latest From Ask Ausiello
Question: I think I speak for almost everyone when I say that Michael shouldn't get a new love interest so soon after Sara's death on Prison Break. Don't the writers have a little respect for Michael's true love — who was just decapitated!? — Isabelle
Ausiello: Actually, they do, which is why I hear the arrival of Michael's potential rebound gal has been pushed back. But she is coming, and I know this because executive producer Matt Olmstead gave me a preview of the character, who's name will be Molly. "She has a background that also involves loss — and a recent loss at that," he says. "So the cool thing is they're both emotionally banged up and they can empathize with each other. But they're not going to be jumping into bed together, because they both recently lost someone dear to them." Of course, Olmstead doesn't rule out such shenanigans down the road. "Yeah, but that's a long way down the road," he insists. "But, certainly, anything's possible."
Question: Got anything on Prison Break that doesn't have to do with a certain decapitated doctor? — Gary
Ausiello: Last I checked, Mahone was neither headless or an MD, so this should do the trick: "A couple ghosts from [Mahone's] past enter his life and make certain deals," Olmstead reveals. "He clearly wants out of there and [was certainly] successful in leveraging his way onto the escape, but then a competing offer comes in that initially looks legitimate." Mahone's drug-dependency issues will further complicate matters. "You have a guy who really starts to spiral. This is a guy who is absolutely getting taxed and pushed to his limits. We'll see how he gets out of it."
Source: TVguide
Ausiello: Actually, they do, which is why I hear the arrival of Michael's potential rebound gal has been pushed back. But she is coming, and I know this because executive producer Matt Olmstead gave me a preview of the character, who's name will be Molly. "She has a background that also involves loss — and a recent loss at that," he says. "So the cool thing is they're both emotionally banged up and they can empathize with each other. But they're not going to be jumping into bed together, because they both recently lost someone dear to them." Of course, Olmstead doesn't rule out such shenanigans down the road. "Yeah, but that's a long way down the road," he insists. "But, certainly, anything's possible."
Question: Got anything on Prison Break that doesn't have to do with a certain decapitated doctor? — Gary
Ausiello: Last I checked, Mahone was neither headless or an MD, so this should do the trick: "A couple ghosts from [Mahone's] past enter his life and make certain deals," Olmstead reveals. "He clearly wants out of there and [was certainly] successful in leveraging his way onto the escape, but then a competing offer comes in that initially looks legitimate." Mahone's drug-dependency issues will further complicate matters. "You have a guy who really starts to spiral. This is a guy who is absolutely getting taxed and pushed to his limits. We'll see how he gets out of it."
Source: TVguide
Wentworth Miller arrives at Entertainment Weekly's 5th Annual Pre-Emmy party in Los Angeles
These images of Wentworth Miller were taken at Entertainment Weekly's 5th Annual Pre-Emmy party in Los Angeles on September 15th. I know they are a month old but I wanted to start posting more cast appearances.
(Click to enlarge)
(Click to enlarge)
Behind the Scenes Video (3.08)
This is allegedly for episode 3.08 Bang & Burn (I posted images from the set last week). The scene was shot on top of the old Juvenile Justice Center on Harry Hines Boulevard. It shows Whistler flagging down the helicopter then Michael and him engaging in a fist fight.
Kristin Interviews Wentworth, Dominic & Amaury
Kristin from E!Online asks Wentworth, Dominic & Amaury for their opinions on Sara's shocking death.
The Real Story Behind That Prison Break Death
If you're still in denial about the horrific turn of events on tonight's Prison Break, well, stop reading, 'cause a stone-cold reality check is coming your way: That was definitely Sara Tancredi's decapitated head staring up at Lincoln from that box. No ifs, ands or red herrings about it. Michael's long-suffering soul mate is dead and she ain't comin' back.
Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. And now prepare yourself for another sobering piece of news. Yes, my friends, it gets worse. The sad truth is, it didn't have to end this way. It wasn't supposed to end this way.
As Prison Break executive producer Matt Olmstead explains in this exclusive interview, the violent nature of Sara's death was the culmination of long and fruitless negotiations between the show and new-mom Sarah Wayne Callies. It's enough to make your head spin. (Sorry. Poor taste.) Stick around after the Q&A for Callies' response. And then feel free to assign blame wherever you feel it's warranted.
Last January, after it was announced that Sarah was pregnant, your colleague, Paul Scheuring, assured fans that he had no intention of killing off her character. What changed?
Matt Olmstead: What changed is that our initial pitch to the network was [rejected], so we had to go back to the drawing board. I remember we were sitting in the room thinking, "How do we unlock Season 3, motivation-wise?" Since we're not a procedural, we have to keep everyone moving forward. We have to evolve. And given what Michael's been through, how do you keep him going? And then it was tossed out, "What happens if Sara gets killed as an extension of what we already had planned for Season 3?" We knew that would work. But clearly it was a big conversation. And when we pitched the network, they wanted to know if there was any way we could avoid that, because everyone loved Sarah's work. But in order to make the season work, we really didn't have any other motivation for Michael. We determined that this was the right thing to do in order to really jolt the series.
Did you ever stop to consider that this might be a slap in the face to fans who had invested two years in the Michael-Sara relationship?
Olmstead: We took everything into consideration. Our initial idea was to have [Sarah/Sara appear in] the first 13 episodes, so she and Michael could have a proper goodbye. There were going to be some really emotional scenes where he tried to save her from dying, but she ultimately passed. So then we whittled it down to 11 episodes, then 10 episodes, then nine episodes, then four episodes…. Then we suggested flying to her — she was pregnant [at the time] and living in a remote part of Canada — and bringing a camera crew to her house, but that wasn't accepted. We then whittled it down to just a phone conversation, and that was turned down, too. We were really looking forward to paying off that relationship. But [when] it became evident that that wasn't going to happen, we made lemonade out of a lemon.
So, as a result, you were forced to kill her off sooner than you had planned?
Olmstead: Much sooner. We used the story to our advantage in that she was being held hostage. [Sarah] was gracious enough to let us use her image, which really helped. I totally get it, personally. She was, at the time, pregnant and living in a remote part of Canada and nesting; [she] kind of looked at the options and didn't want to go forward. No hard feelings whatsoever. The show is an ensemble. The show moves forward. There are very few untouchable actors on the show.
Wasn't Sarah under contract? Didn't she have to return?
Olmstead: That's a business-affairs question.
[At this point, 20th Century spokesperson Chris Alexander interjects: "We had to either pick her up for the entire season of 22, according to her contract, or we had to make a new contract with her. We determined in May that we didn't plan to use her for the full 22, so we chose not to renew our existing contract with her. And so, to get her back for the 13 or 14 that we wanted, we had to make a new deal, and she declined."]
What was your understanding as to why she didn't want to come back? It seems strange that she refused to return in any capacity. Doesn't it seem strange to you?
Olmstead: It looked like a pretty good deal on the face of it. We definitely came up in money. Thirteen episodes would have allowed the character to have a proper exit. We were willing to push the start date back [to accommodate her maternity leave], which would have meant her coming in [around] Episode 10, but that wasn't accepted. So then we offered to come up [to Canada] before she gave birth and film at her house. Pretty good money and she wouldn't even have to leave her house. That wasn't accepted. So it was a little curious to me and to others why she was taking such a hard stance. [Maybe] she felt that she was made certain assurances about being part of the show this season. And in fairness to her, those assurances were given, because she was such a valuable member of the show…. Also, she's up [in Canada]. She's comfortable. She's starting a family. Maybe she didn't want to have to fly down and have to do this stuff. Or maybe she felt like she wanted to be part of the show [full time], not just half the season. Perhaps she felt a little jilted. Our [original] plan was to definitely keep her for [all of] Season 3, but after a couple of times of getting it kicked back from the network, we had to come up with a new idea and that necessitated her character being killed.
Did you ever get an inkling that she wasn't happy working on the show?
Olmstead: No. I've worked in TV for 10 years. I've been around difficult actors. I've definitely been around malcontents. She was none of those. Great actress. Very smart. Good suggestions. And an asset to the show.
Sarah was recently quoted in a French magazine saying that she was "sad," "shocked" and felt "deceived" by the decision to kill off the character. Presuming this is what she actually said, does this surprise you?
Olmstead: Not really. She was invested in the character and wanted to be a part of the show. We felt the same way.
Let's discuss the way you killed her off. Some might view it as you guys exacting revenge on Sarah for not returning.
Olmstead: We really had no way of using her image other than the existing images that we had. Those Polaroids we used are old wardrobe shots from Season 1 and 2. She didn't give us any new photos. So [we had to devise a way to] kill her [and still] show a body…. Obviously she wasn't going to fly down and be a DOA for us. We just wanted to go with the most dramatic way to do it, a way that you could do it and not need the actress. Also, what it does is it helps put teeth into the antagonist of the show, the Susan character. Because a lot of times with [villains], they're constantly wagging their finger, "You better do this, you better do that or this is going to happen" and it becomes hollow after a while. So, this absolutely dramatizes that when Susan issues a cautionary to Lincoln and that goes unheeded, this is the result.
So Sarah's refusal to return essentially limited how you could kill her?
Olmstead: Yeah, basically. Could you have seen a [body] double's feet being shoved into a meat grinder? Sure. Could you see a wide shot of a female body being dumped in an ocean? Probably. But dramatically, this allowed us to get the most out of what little we had to work with…. We used her not coming back to our advantage. When the bomb finally drops for Michael — and he finds out that she has been killed — it's an unbelievable sequence between him and Lincoln. And it really lays a huge motivation on him.
Response from Sarah Wayne Callies
Although Callies declined multiple interview requests, last Friday the actress sent me the following statement via her spokesperson.
"As hard as we all tried, the Prison Break powers that be and I were unable to find a way to meet both the needs of the story and the needs of my family. We parted wishing each other well. I had a wonderful time working with the creative team and have a world of respect for all of them; they took great care of Dr. Sara. I'm also enormously grateful to the fans. They've been so gracious and supportive, and I hope they continue to enjoy the show."
So, there you have it. Michael and Sara's love story was cut short over a frakkin' contract dispute. Assuming you're already in the anger phase of your grieving process, let the blame game begin in the comments section below. Also, don't forget to check out this week's Ask Ausiello for scoop on the next chapter in this unbelievable tale: Michael's rebound relationship!
Source: TVguide
Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. And now prepare yourself for another sobering piece of news. Yes, my friends, it gets worse. The sad truth is, it didn't have to end this way. It wasn't supposed to end this way.
As Prison Break executive producer Matt Olmstead explains in this exclusive interview, the violent nature of Sara's death was the culmination of long and fruitless negotiations between the show and new-mom Sarah Wayne Callies. It's enough to make your head spin. (Sorry. Poor taste.) Stick around after the Q&A for Callies' response. And then feel free to assign blame wherever you feel it's warranted.
Last January, after it was announced that Sarah was pregnant, your colleague, Paul Scheuring, assured fans that he had no intention of killing off her character. What changed?
Matt Olmstead: What changed is that our initial pitch to the network was [rejected], so we had to go back to the drawing board. I remember we were sitting in the room thinking, "How do we unlock Season 3, motivation-wise?" Since we're not a procedural, we have to keep everyone moving forward. We have to evolve. And given what Michael's been through, how do you keep him going? And then it was tossed out, "What happens if Sara gets killed as an extension of what we already had planned for Season 3?" We knew that would work. But clearly it was a big conversation. And when we pitched the network, they wanted to know if there was any way we could avoid that, because everyone loved Sarah's work. But in order to make the season work, we really didn't have any other motivation for Michael. We determined that this was the right thing to do in order to really jolt the series.
Did you ever stop to consider that this might be a slap in the face to fans who had invested two years in the Michael-Sara relationship?
Olmstead: We took everything into consideration. Our initial idea was to have [Sarah/Sara appear in] the first 13 episodes, so she and Michael could have a proper goodbye. There were going to be some really emotional scenes where he tried to save her from dying, but she ultimately passed. So then we whittled it down to 11 episodes, then 10 episodes, then nine episodes, then four episodes…. Then we suggested flying to her — she was pregnant [at the time] and living in a remote part of Canada — and bringing a camera crew to her house, but that wasn't accepted. We then whittled it down to just a phone conversation, and that was turned down, too. We were really looking forward to paying off that relationship. But [when] it became evident that that wasn't going to happen, we made lemonade out of a lemon.
So, as a result, you were forced to kill her off sooner than you had planned?
Olmstead: Much sooner. We used the story to our advantage in that she was being held hostage. [Sarah] was gracious enough to let us use her image, which really helped. I totally get it, personally. She was, at the time, pregnant and living in a remote part of Canada and nesting; [she] kind of looked at the options and didn't want to go forward. No hard feelings whatsoever. The show is an ensemble. The show moves forward. There are very few untouchable actors on the show.
Wasn't Sarah under contract? Didn't she have to return?
Olmstead: That's a business-affairs question.
[At this point, 20th Century spokesperson Chris Alexander interjects: "We had to either pick her up for the entire season of 22, according to her contract, or we had to make a new contract with her. We determined in May that we didn't plan to use her for the full 22, so we chose not to renew our existing contract with her. And so, to get her back for the 13 or 14 that we wanted, we had to make a new deal, and she declined."]
What was your understanding as to why she didn't want to come back? It seems strange that she refused to return in any capacity. Doesn't it seem strange to you?
Olmstead: It looked like a pretty good deal on the face of it. We definitely came up in money. Thirteen episodes would have allowed the character to have a proper exit. We were willing to push the start date back [to accommodate her maternity leave], which would have meant her coming in [around] Episode 10, but that wasn't accepted. So then we offered to come up [to Canada] before she gave birth and film at her house. Pretty good money and she wouldn't even have to leave her house. That wasn't accepted. So it was a little curious to me and to others why she was taking such a hard stance. [Maybe] she felt that she was made certain assurances about being part of the show this season. And in fairness to her, those assurances were given, because she was such a valuable member of the show…. Also, she's up [in Canada]. She's comfortable. She's starting a family. Maybe she didn't want to have to fly down and have to do this stuff. Or maybe she felt like she wanted to be part of the show [full time], not just half the season. Perhaps she felt a little jilted. Our [original] plan was to definitely keep her for [all of] Season 3, but after a couple of times of getting it kicked back from the network, we had to come up with a new idea and that necessitated her character being killed.
Did you ever get an inkling that she wasn't happy working on the show?
Olmstead: No. I've worked in TV for 10 years. I've been around difficult actors. I've definitely been around malcontents. She was none of those. Great actress. Very smart. Good suggestions. And an asset to the show.
Sarah was recently quoted in a French magazine saying that she was "sad," "shocked" and felt "deceived" by the decision to kill off the character. Presuming this is what she actually said, does this surprise you?
Olmstead: Not really. She was invested in the character and wanted to be a part of the show. We felt the same way.
Let's discuss the way you killed her off. Some might view it as you guys exacting revenge on Sarah for not returning.
Olmstead: We really had no way of using her image other than the existing images that we had. Those Polaroids we used are old wardrobe shots from Season 1 and 2. She didn't give us any new photos. So [we had to devise a way to] kill her [and still] show a body…. Obviously she wasn't going to fly down and be a DOA for us. We just wanted to go with the most dramatic way to do it, a way that you could do it and not need the actress. Also, what it does is it helps put teeth into the antagonist of the show, the Susan character. Because a lot of times with [villains], they're constantly wagging their finger, "You better do this, you better do that or this is going to happen" and it becomes hollow after a while. So, this absolutely dramatizes that when Susan issues a cautionary to Lincoln and that goes unheeded, this is the result.
So Sarah's refusal to return essentially limited how you could kill her?
Olmstead: Yeah, basically. Could you have seen a [body] double's feet being shoved into a meat grinder? Sure. Could you see a wide shot of a female body being dumped in an ocean? Probably. But dramatically, this allowed us to get the most out of what little we had to work with…. We used her not coming back to our advantage. When the bomb finally drops for Michael — and he finds out that she has been killed — it's an unbelievable sequence between him and Lincoln. And it really lays a huge motivation on him.
Response from Sarah Wayne Callies
Although Callies declined multiple interview requests, last Friday the actress sent me the following statement via her spokesperson.
"As hard as we all tried, the Prison Break powers that be and I were unable to find a way to meet both the needs of the story and the needs of my family. We parted wishing each other well. I had a wonderful time working with the creative team and have a world of respect for all of them; they took great care of Dr. Sara. I'm also enormously grateful to the fans. They've been so gracious and supportive, and I hope they continue to enjoy the show."
So, there you have it. Michael and Sara's love story was cut short over a frakkin' contract dispute. Assuming you're already in the anger phase of your grieving process, let the blame game begin in the comments section below. Also, don't forget to check out this week's Ask Ausiello for scoop on the next chapter in this unbelievable tale: Michael's rebound relationship!
Source: TVguide
New Robert Knepper Interview
At FOX’s fall press junket, BuddyTV had the opportunity to sit down with Robert Knepper for an awesome interview. Check it out below:
Hi, this is John from Buddy TV, and I’m here with Robert Knepper from the hit FOX show Prison Break. Hi, Robert.
Hey, man.
That was easy. Now, do you enjoy playing such a bad character, just a complete villain?
I do. I enjoy the response I get from when I finish a take, and I see the camera guy, Billy Nielsen go, “Yeah, OK.” I crack ’em up or I scare ’em or something. But I gotta tell you, I don’t set out to play him being a villainous character, I set out to just fulfill the objective that the character’s trying to do in the moment. If he’s, say now in the third season, if he’s trying to figure out how he’s gonna climb up the ladder in Lechero’s world here at Sona prison, that’s his objective. He’s gonna do anything and everything to make Lechero trust him, and make him realize that he can be a confidant. I mean he’s basically going to be an Iago for Bob Wisdom’s Othello, so he’s gotta get Othello to believe that he’s trustworthy. That’s what I play, I don’t play, “Hmm, I’m gonna snarl and I’m gonna do these things.”
You don’t play him good?
No, I’m trying to play him bad. Although you know, I think T-Bag is smart enough to know that he’s doing something really dastardly. So the audience is kind of in on the whole thing of watching the machinations of this guy’s mind, so that’s kind of crazy to watch.
And in the second season, your character, when everyone was freed from prison they kind of got away. And you were off doing, and your character was doing your own thing. Do you enjoy the third season, kind of coming back to a prison setting and getting to work with like, the core group of actors all the time?
Two things: I love being back with my buddies, it’s reminiscent of that first season when we were all, two things were happening. We were discovering these characters, and we were celebrating the newfound success of this show. And that was great, to be able to share with fellow actors. “Hey, I got this letter. Oh, did you hear about our numbers last night? Can’t you wait to go to the People’s Choice Awards?”
I mean, all this stuff was happening the first year, it was really great. And the third year now, to sort of say, “Oh man, we’re back together.” I mean not all of us are together, some guys are still on the outside. Like Amaury is on the out, Sucre’s character or Sucre is on the outside, and I miss him. But luckily I get to see him at night a lot of the time.
But yeah, I also think the second level is good storytelling to have us all come back in that kind of environment we’re at in the first season. It’s not a safe environment, it’s not a clean environment. But it’s a prison and it’s a grittier reality than that first year’s prison, it’s also good that it’s not the same thing.
And on the set, if you’re not filming or you have some downtime, how do you fill up that time on the set? What do you do to relax?
You know that’s funny, the third season is even more a sense of family. Second season I’d hang out in my trailer a lot, if I didn’t have the chance to read or pay bills, I would hang out in the trailer. Now I gotta tell you that I love hanging out with my bros. Not just the acting bros, but the camera bros, the sound people, the hair and makeup department. We are all, we’ve known each other now, some of us for almost three years.
And it’s a great feeling to just be able to hang out, even if we’re just sitting in video village behind the monitors with the directors, who also again we know, because most of them have been there now for the second, third, sometimes fourth time around. You know, so, “Hey man, how you’ve been? What’ve you been doing the last several months that we haven’t seen each other?”
And talk with the camera guys, we have parties weekend. Willie is one of our favorite focus pullers shows up at the party, he’s got this white hat on, this kind of little gangster hat. He’s wearing sunglasses and one of the waitresses at this restaurant up on the lake says, “Hey everybody look, it’s Wentworth. Wentworth showed up at the party.” And it’s not Wentworth, it’s Willie, who is… we’re all great buddies.
Willie like Amaury is also Puerto Rican, just got this beautiful color of his skin, but he looks a little like Wentworth. And the lady there, the waitress turns to Billy Nielsen, the camera operator who’s helped throw the party and says, “You know, he looks a lot cuter on television, he looks a lot better.”
And I just know when we go to the set, when I get back on the set, everybody’s gonna rib Willie about this. And Willie’s a stud, man, he’s a gorgeous man to be compared to. And Went is amazing, beautiful on camera. So that kind of joking and that camaraderie, that’s gonna be fodder for several days.
Hi, this is John from Buddy TV, and I’m here with Robert Knepper from the hit FOX show Prison Break. Hi, Robert.
Hey, man.
That was easy. Now, do you enjoy playing such a bad character, just a complete villain?
I do. I enjoy the response I get from when I finish a take, and I see the camera guy, Billy Nielsen go, “Yeah, OK.” I crack ’em up or I scare ’em or something. But I gotta tell you, I don’t set out to play him being a villainous character, I set out to just fulfill the objective that the character’s trying to do in the moment. If he’s, say now in the third season, if he’s trying to figure out how he’s gonna climb up the ladder in Lechero’s world here at Sona prison, that’s his objective. He’s gonna do anything and everything to make Lechero trust him, and make him realize that he can be a confidant. I mean he’s basically going to be an Iago for Bob Wisdom’s Othello, so he’s gotta get Othello to believe that he’s trustworthy. That’s what I play, I don’t play, “Hmm, I’m gonna snarl and I’m gonna do these things.”
You don’t play him good?
No, I’m trying to play him bad. Although you know, I think T-Bag is smart enough to know that he’s doing something really dastardly. So the audience is kind of in on the whole thing of watching the machinations of this guy’s mind, so that’s kind of crazy to watch.
And in the second season, your character, when everyone was freed from prison they kind of got away. And you were off doing, and your character was doing your own thing. Do you enjoy the third season, kind of coming back to a prison setting and getting to work with like, the core group of actors all the time?
Two things: I love being back with my buddies, it’s reminiscent of that first season when we were all, two things were happening. We were discovering these characters, and we were celebrating the newfound success of this show. And that was great, to be able to share with fellow actors. “Hey, I got this letter. Oh, did you hear about our numbers last night? Can’t you wait to go to the People’s Choice Awards?”
I mean, all this stuff was happening the first year, it was really great. And the third year now, to sort of say, “Oh man, we’re back together.” I mean not all of us are together, some guys are still on the outside. Like Amaury is on the out, Sucre’s character or Sucre is on the outside, and I miss him. But luckily I get to see him at night a lot of the time.
But yeah, I also think the second level is good storytelling to have us all come back in that kind of environment we’re at in the first season. It’s not a safe environment, it’s not a clean environment. But it’s a prison and it’s a grittier reality than that first year’s prison, it’s also good that it’s not the same thing.
And on the set, if you’re not filming or you have some downtime, how do you fill up that time on the set? What do you do to relax?
You know that’s funny, the third season is even more a sense of family. Second season I’d hang out in my trailer a lot, if I didn’t have the chance to read or pay bills, I would hang out in the trailer. Now I gotta tell you that I love hanging out with my bros. Not just the acting bros, but the camera bros, the sound people, the hair and makeup department. We are all, we’ve known each other now, some of us for almost three years.
And it’s a great feeling to just be able to hang out, even if we’re just sitting in video village behind the monitors with the directors, who also again we know, because most of them have been there now for the second, third, sometimes fourth time around. You know, so, “Hey man, how you’ve been? What’ve you been doing the last several months that we haven’t seen each other?”
And talk with the camera guys, we have parties weekend. Willie is one of our favorite focus pullers shows up at the party, he’s got this white hat on, this kind of little gangster hat. He’s wearing sunglasses and one of the waitresses at this restaurant up on the lake says, “Hey everybody look, it’s Wentworth. Wentworth showed up at the party.” And it’s not Wentworth, it’s Willie, who is… we’re all great buddies.
Willie like Amaury is also Puerto Rican, just got this beautiful color of his skin, but he looks a little like Wentworth. And the lady there, the waitress turns to Billy Nielsen, the camera operator who’s helped throw the party and says, “You know, he looks a lot cuter on television, he looks a lot better.”
And I just know when we go to the set, when I get back on the set, everybody’s gonna rib Willie about this. And Willie’s a stud, man, he’s a gorgeous man to be compared to. And Went is amazing, beautiful on camera. So that kind of joking and that camaraderie, that’s gonna be fodder for several days.
Rey Gallegos Joins "Prison Break"
According to Variety, actor Rey Gallegos ("Bad Boys II") has booked a recurring role on Fox's Prison Break.
His credits include the upcoming "John Rambo" as well as "American Wedding" and guest roles on "Without a Trace" and "CSI: NY."
Wentworth & Dominic For Batman?
It was recently announced by Warner Bros that the company plan to release a big budget movie based on the Justice League of America comics. Prison Break's very own Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell are a select few of actors being considered for Batman!
"Batman. Also know as The Dark Knight and the World’s Greatest Detective. His secret identity is billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne and is one of the most popular super heroes in the world. He has no super powers; however he is trained to his physical and mental peaks. He has been played by six actors on screen, with Christian Bale as the current Batman. There’s been a lack of rumours for the Dark Knight as the general consensus is that actors do not want to step on Bale’s toes whilst he is in such a heavy role. However potential candidates for the role could be Dominic Purcell (Prison Break, Equilibrium), Wentworth Miller (Prison Break, The Human Stain) and Jake Gyllenhaal (Donnie Darko, Zodiac".
"Batman. Also know as The Dark Knight and the World’s Greatest Detective. His secret identity is billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne and is one of the most popular super heroes in the world. He has no super powers; however he is trained to his physical and mental peaks. He has been played by six actors on screen, with Christian Bale as the current Batman. There’s been a lack of rumours for the Dark Knight as the general consensus is that actors do not want to step on Bale’s toes whilst he is in such a heavy role. However potential candidates for the role could be Dominic Purcell (Prison Break, Equilibrium), Wentworth Miller (Prison Break, The Human Stain) and Jake Gyllenhaal (Donnie Darko, Zodiac".
Michael's Tats & Why The Company Kills: Revealed!
Nick Santora just spoke on PBreakFans about Michael’s tattoos and why The Company kill. Read what he has to say below. . .
1) The tats are a HUGE process — expensive, time consuming, there are production issues, etc. Since the tats haven’t been a big part of the story this season, we just can’t afford to show them alot. But I’m pretty sure you’ll get a glimpse of them here and there this season. We know fans like the tats, we like them too, it’s just a very involved process.
2) Killing characters shows how serious the threat is to our heroes. If you think about it, it just wouldn’t make sense for the company to have someone in their clutches and then just let them go, or to just beat them up a bit … nope, the company kills. That is the threat to all of our guys all the time. If they mess up, they will be killed. Period. Without it, we don’t feel there will be the right stakes and/or tension. Fans have every right to disagree, we just like doing it this way.
Best,
Nick
1) The tats are a HUGE process — expensive, time consuming, there are production issues, etc. Since the tats haven’t been a big part of the story this season, we just can’t afford to show them alot. But I’m pretty sure you’ll get a glimpse of them here and there this season. We know fans like the tats, we like them too, it’s just a very involved process.
2) Killing characters shows how serious the threat is to our heroes. If you think about it, it just wouldn’t make sense for the company to have someone in their clutches and then just let them go, or to just beat them up a bit … nope, the company kills. That is the threat to all of our guys all the time. If they mess up, they will be killed. Period. Without it, we don’t feel there will be the right stakes and/or tension. Fans have every right to disagree, we just like doing it this way.
Best,
Nick
Sneak Peek: "Good Fences" (3.04) #2
Here is a another sneak peek at a clip from Good Fences (3.04) which airs on Fox (US) on Monday and on Sky One (UK), the following Monday. Check it out!
Sneak Peek: "Good Fences" (3.04)
Here is a sneak peek at a clip from Good Fences (3.04) which airs on Fox (US) on Monday and on Sky One (UK), the following Monday. Check it out!
Jodi Lyn O'Keefe Talks Susan
Crave Online recently got a few words with Prison Break bitch Jodi Lyn O'Keefe. Although short, the interview is actually rather neat:
Crave Online: So you're a bad guy, right? There's no possible ambiguity here?
Jodi Lyn O’Keefe: You can't really skirt around it. I'm the new bad guy. I have big shoes to fill.
Crave Online: Susan B. Anthony's not her real name, right?
Jodi Lyn O’Keefe: Oh, absolutely not. She just makes it up as she goes along. I'm sure she won't be Susan B. Anthony for long. In fact, I've already been given a new name and I can't tell you because it hasn't aired yet.
Crave Online: Will it change each week, like an ongoing gag?
Jodi Lyn O’Keefe: I think whenever she feels for it, whenever anyone asks who she is, she may just give a new name.
Jodi Lyn O'Keefe Interview
Here is a great interview with Prison Break's Jodi Lyn O'Keefe when preparing to film scenes for the hit FOX show.
Sneak Peek: "Visitation"
Here is a very interesting sneak peek at an upcoming episode entitled Visitation. Check it out!
Behind The Scenes - "Bang and Burn" (3.08)
Here are some behind the scenes pictures taken on October 3rd 2007 at Harry Hines Blvd. & Motor St in Dallas, Texas. These are allegedly scenes for episode "Bang and Burn" (3.08).
Upcoming Season 3 Spoilers From Nick Santora!
Nick Santora has just posted some upcoming spoilers on PBreakFans! As some of you may not want to be spoiled, I have not highlighted the biggest spoilers from the batch below. If you're not bothered about being spoiled, keep on reading. . . . .
1) If I comment on whether or when SWC is coming back, I am, in effect answering questions about whether Dr. Tancredi comes back. That seems very clear and logical. I’m sorry if some of you can’t understand that.
2) We will see all sides of T-Bag again this season.
3) Lincoln’s hotel isn’t expensive. We saw food get delivered to the prison in prior episodes and saw that only prisoners in “untouchable” status are denied food. Lechero runs the prison - we as a writing team assumed viewers would be sophisticated enough to connect the dots and figure out that Lechero and his crew assign rooms. Just don’t think it is very dynamic to see Sammy tell Michael “You get cell #12″. Linc gets money when necessary from the company/Susan and why assume he was telling the truth when he told Sucre he only had $50. I have to say that some concerns regarding where people sleep and how they found their beds are a bit mundane, but you have every right to express them — but we as writers would rather spend the very short period of time we have to tell our story exploring character relationships and plot and avoid boring details.
4) Samantha is right that people can post critiques of the show. Absolutely. I don’t need, and none of the writers need, to have our egos stroked. But Samantha is wrong when she says this board is for “suggestions.” I stated clearly on day one that I cannot hear nor read suggestions from fans regarding the show for legal reasons. So please, keep any suggestions to yourself. But if you want to say: “I didn’t like the episode because Michael was mean to Bellick” or something like that, no problem. But suggested story lines or plot lines, etc. will be ignored by me and not read for the aforementioned reasons.
5) Each season of PB is basically a brand new show. This year we had to introduce all new characters, establish them, explain a new world, a new set of rules, etc. That takes time - it can’t be established in one episode or two or more. For those of you who wanted Michael to instantly start breaking out in episode 1 of this season, that is not where we wanted to go - it would play false and make Sona too easy to break out of. Michael is stumped. He can’t figure a way out. That is dramatic to us as writers. But things might change soon … he might start making plans, figuring things out. The relationship between the brothers might be put to its biggest test yet. We might see Sara again real soon. We might find out what is in the box. We might see some of our friends from Fox River put themselves in grave danger. We might … in fact we will. I promise. You just need to watch each week and see. This upcoming episode is killer. And I stand by my thoughts on episode six … a great episode and one of the best ending to an ep ever! and it is just 2 1/2 weeks away.
Goodnight,
Nick.
2) We will see all sides of T-Bag again this season.
3) Lincoln’s hotel isn’t expensive. We saw food get delivered to the prison in prior episodes and saw that only prisoners in “untouchable” status are denied food. Lechero runs the prison - we as a writing team assumed viewers would be sophisticated enough to connect the dots and figure out that Lechero and his crew assign rooms. Just don’t think it is very dynamic to see Sammy tell Michael “You get cell #12″. Linc gets money when necessary from the company/Susan and why assume he was telling the truth when he told Sucre he only had $50. I have to say that some concerns regarding where people sleep and how they found their beds are a bit mundane, but you have every right to express them — but we as writers would rather spend the very short period of time we have to tell our story exploring character relationships and plot and avoid boring details.
4) Samantha is right that people can post critiques of the show. Absolutely. I don’t need, and none of the writers need, to have our egos stroked. But Samantha is wrong when she says this board is for “suggestions.” I stated clearly on day one that I cannot hear nor read suggestions from fans regarding the show for legal reasons. So please, keep any suggestions to yourself. But if you want to say: “I didn’t like the episode because Michael was mean to Bellick” or something like that, no problem. But suggested story lines or plot lines, etc. will be ignored by me and not read for the aforementioned reasons.
5) Each season of PB is basically a brand new show. This year we had to introduce all new characters, establish them, explain a new world, a new set of rules, etc. That takes time - it can’t be established in one episode or two or more. For those of you who wanted Michael to instantly start breaking out in episode 1 of this season, that is not where we wanted to go - it would play false and make Sona too easy to break out of. Michael is stumped. He can’t figure a way out. That is dramatic to us as writers. But things might change soon … he might start making plans, figuring things out. The relationship between the brothers might be put to its biggest test yet. We might see Sara again real soon. We might find out what is in the box. We might see some of our friends from Fox River put themselves in grave danger. We might … in fact we will. I promise. You just need to watch each week and see. This upcoming episode is killer. And I stand by my thoughts on episode six … a great episode and one of the best ending to an ep ever! and it is just 2 1/2 weeks away.
Goodnight,
Nick.
Wentworth: "Michael Is Twisting in the Wind"
TVguide.com writer Arnold Wayne Jones just did a great interview with Wentworth about the new season, how he keeps up with the villains and the possibility of a happy ending. Read the interview below:
TV Guide: What's it like being back in jail after a season on the run?
Wentworth Miller: I think it adds something to the show. The first season had a claustrophobic feel, an intimacy — like a space you wanted to break out of. The second season, you never knew what you were going to get, which served the series.
TV Guide: Is it hard being on a show that reinvents itself each season?
Miller: That's the good news. I love shows like Law & Order and The Closer, procedural dramas where the only thing that changes week to week is how the victim dies. They're self-contained and there is justice meted out in the end. But if I were on one, I might get burned out after a few seasons. We pride ourselves on taking risks, but they are risks — you might turn your show into something no one wants to watch.
TV Guide: How does this instability affect Michael?
Miller: Michael has come a long way. He's lost a lot of his bravado, his arrogance. He's more suspicious, less trusting. He's twisting in the wind, but up to more tricks and likely to make more enemies.
TV Guide: And that gives you a lot of fun bad guys to play against, right?
Miller: That's the danger of working with these veteran character actors — they really know what they're doing. It's a battle not to get blown off the screen. Our show does villains really well, and I get stuck with the exposition. To be the one who's always earnest, always sincere, is not glamorous, but it is absolutely necessary.
TV Guide: There's an adage that you can never step in the same river twice. Does Michael's life seem that way — like he'll never be able to undo what he's done?
Miller: His journey is very much about how many times a good guy can cross the line before he can no longer call himself good. He's taken responsibility for letting people like T-Bag free, and being in prison again is helping him atone for his sins. He isn't about self-preservation so much as self-sacrifice. He is self-destructive. As much as he planned all this, he's never been very good at it. He did it to save his brother. It's always about love and loyalty. At its core, this is a show about brothers.
TV Guide: Do you think there's a happy ending for the brothers?
Miller: I'm not sure. Prison Break is inherently a tragic story. Every murder T-Bag committed in the second season is on Michael's conscience. I think if both brothers get out of this alive, we'd call it a happy ending. But living happily ever after? I don't know. I can see them opening a scuba shop.
TV Guide: What's it like being back in jail after a season on the run?
Wentworth Miller: I think it adds something to the show. The first season had a claustrophobic feel, an intimacy — like a space you wanted to break out of. The second season, you never knew what you were going to get, which served the series.
TV Guide: Is it hard being on a show that reinvents itself each season?
Miller: That's the good news. I love shows like Law & Order and The Closer, procedural dramas where the only thing that changes week to week is how the victim dies. They're self-contained and there is justice meted out in the end. But if I were on one, I might get burned out after a few seasons. We pride ourselves on taking risks, but they are risks — you might turn your show into something no one wants to watch.
TV Guide: How does this instability affect Michael?
Miller: Michael has come a long way. He's lost a lot of his bravado, his arrogance. He's more suspicious, less trusting. He's twisting in the wind, but up to more tricks and likely to make more enemies.
TV Guide: And that gives you a lot of fun bad guys to play against, right?
Miller: That's the danger of working with these veteran character actors — they really know what they're doing. It's a battle not to get blown off the screen. Our show does villains really well, and I get stuck with the exposition. To be the one who's always earnest, always sincere, is not glamorous, but it is absolutely necessary.
TV Guide: There's an adage that you can never step in the same river twice. Does Michael's life seem that way — like he'll never be able to undo what he's done?
Miller: His journey is very much about how many times a good guy can cross the line before he can no longer call himself good. He's taken responsibility for letting people like T-Bag free, and being in prison again is helping him atone for his sins. He isn't about self-preservation so much as self-sacrifice. He is self-destructive. As much as he planned all this, he's never been very good at it. He did it to save his brother. It's always about love and loyalty. At its core, this is a show about brothers.
TV Guide: Do you think there's a happy ending for the brothers?
Miller: I'm not sure. Prison Break is inherently a tragic story. Every murder T-Bag committed in the second season is on Michael's conscience. I think if both brothers get out of this alive, we'd call it a happy ending. But living happily ever after? I don't know. I can see them opening a scuba shop.
Sarah Wayne Callies Update
According to a visitor of PrisonBreakBuff.com, the recent interview where former Prison Break star Sarah Wayne Callies claims she was forced to quit the show by FOX, is "tweaked". He said:
I want to tell you that the “Tele Star” interview you published is not to be taken too seriously, this magazine is famous in France for its gossips and they tend to tweak interviews to get so-called headlines.
Now, here is the exact transcript of some parts of the interview that appeared on Sunday’s swiss “Tele Top Matin” (sorry I thought it was TV guide):
TTM: Sarah, the producers didn’t scream when they learned you were pregnant?
SWC: No, not at all, they’ve been great! 10 or 20 years ago, an actress who got pregnant would have lost her job but luckily this is not the case anymore, they find solutions.
TTM: The character you play, Sara, is missing from the new season’s first episodes. Will you be back?
SWC: You must ask this to the show’s writers. I don’t want to hang on if there isn’t an interest in Michael’s life for Sara anymore. I’ve been very clear: I’d prefer my character to be killed rather than just appear from time to time because they don’t want to fire me.
TTM: Would leaving the show be hard for you?
SWC: I don’t fear for the future, I’ve played in many shows before Prison Break, I remain optimistic.
TTM: What is your favorite scene with Sara?
SWC: I loved the moment when we learned she used to be a drug addict. This girl seemed so perfect! That gave the character another dimension.
I want to tell you that the “Tele Star” interview you published is not to be taken too seriously, this magazine is famous in France for its gossips and they tend to tweak interviews to get so-called headlines.
Now, here is the exact transcript of some parts of the interview that appeared on Sunday’s swiss “Tele Top Matin” (sorry I thought it was TV guide):
TTM: Sarah, the producers didn’t scream when they learned you were pregnant?
SWC: No, not at all, they’ve been great! 10 or 20 years ago, an actress who got pregnant would have lost her job but luckily this is not the case anymore, they find solutions.
TTM: The character you play, Sara, is missing from the new season’s first episodes. Will you be back?
SWC: You must ask this to the show’s writers. I don’t want to hang on if there isn’t an interest in Michael’s life for Sara anymore. I’ve been very clear: I’d prefer my character to be killed rather than just appear from time to time because they don’t want to fire me.
TTM: Would leaving the show be hard for you?
SWC: I don’t fear for the future, I’ve played in many shows before Prison Break, I remain optimistic.
TTM: What is your favorite scene with Sara?
SWC: I loved the moment when we learned she used to be a drug addict. This girl seemed so perfect! That gave the character another dimension.
Interesting.
10 reasons why Lincoln is better than Michael in "Prison Break"
Although I actually think Michael is the better character on Prison Break, Kristen Sample from TVSquad.com, however believes Lincoln triumphs over Michael. Here is what she had to say:
"1. He's got a really nice body (one that is tan and muscular and often sweaty). If Grey's Anatomy has "McDreamy" and "McSteamy," then Prison Break has "McBeefy."
2. He's one of the few actors I have ever seen that looks good with five o'clock shadow ... on his whole head.
3. He's the main reason for the plot of the show. (If he was never set-up by the company, Michael would never have had to get sent to Fox River and bust him out. You can't really call it Prison Break if the main characters don't need to escape from a prison. Oh wait, unless it's season two of Prison Break.)
4. He gets into good fight scenes. (I seem to remember an awesome head butt in season one as he protected a newbie guard from T-Bag and his cronies. Anyone who uses a head butt is cool.)
5. He's got all ten toes. (I seem to remember a certain mob boss cutting a toe off of Michael's foot. Did that ever get reattached?)
6. He's a good older brother. (In season three so far, Lincoln has encouraged a forlorn Michael to continue on his quest to get Whistler out and save Sara and LJ. Lincoln even went so far as to say that he wished that they could change places. Lincoln would gladly take Michael's place in Sona, the deadliest prison in Panama.)
7. He's tougher than Michael. (Michael may have the MacGyver smarts but he is so whiny at times. It often takes a brother who has been on death row to readjust Michael's perspective.)
8. Have I mentioned the muscles?
9. He's clever. Michael is obviously the one with more creativity and ingenuity but Lincoln's resourcefulness is on the rise. (This season he is proving to be a valuable asset to Michael outside the prison. He tricked Susan B. Anthony by buying a second bird book and keeping the original for himself and Michael. Also, he figured out that Sara was pointing at a clue in the photos taken by the kidnappers.)
10. His love story with Veronica Donovan (Robin Tunney) totally trumps the Michael and Sara Tancredi (Sarah Wayne Callies) plotline. (The one tender moment in the prison cell that Lincoln and Veronica is better than all the lovey-dovey-makey-outey moments that Michael and Sara have. I just can't get into them.)"
Wentworth: "I'm Not Gay"
InStyle Germany interviewed Wentworth Miller last month and PBreak.org has the entire transcript in English. In the interview, Wentworth is once again quizzed on the gay rumours.
Q: You do everything to get your brother out of jail in "Prison Break". Are you a family guy in real life?
Wentworth: I would give my life for my family but I wouldn't go as far and become a criminal like the character I play. It's not necessary really, my sisters Gillian and Leigh are lawyers.
Q: You're considered as the new sex symbol…
Wentworth: I'm just an average guy who got lucky. I've been to 500 auditions and got turned down plenty of times. With a bit of luck I got mini jobs on a TV series or in music videos like Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together". I worked in a book shop to pay my rent. My life was less than glamorous so I find the hype a bit disturbing. Everyone invites me to parties. Women slip me their phone numbers.
Q. How many of them did you call back?
Wentworth: None. I'm far too shy.
Q: There are rumors that you prefer men.
Wentworth: I'm not gay, but that rumor can't be killed. I'd like to have a girlfriend and a family. But I haven't met the right one yet. Until then I'm focusing on my job. I had to wait so long for this chance I savor every second on set even if it means 14 hours of shooting a day.
Q: In the series, the upper part of your body is completely covered with tattoos. Do you have a tattoo?
Wentworth: No, they're painted and plastered on me. It takes four hours and sticks for two weeks. The tat shows the encrypted layout of the prison Michael and his brother want to break out of. I'd never get a real tattoo.
Q: You often act shirtless in front of a camera. Do you work out a lot?
Wentworth: I'm lazy. I hate fitness. A high school trauma. Someone broke my nose with a ball. I went to the prom with a bandage, how embarrassing. I rather jog and swim to stay fit.
Q: What do you like best about yourself?
Wentworth: I like my eyes (laughs). I read somewhere I would wear blue contacts. Nonsense! I'm comfortable with my green-brown eyes. It never mattered to me that my parents have different skin colors (note: father: African-Jamaican, mother: Russian-French). You can't tell by looking at me anyway.
Q: Please describe your fashion style.
Wentworth: Boring. Unglamorous. I don't think that much about styling. I buy my briefs in a pack of three at [the] GAP. Jeans, T-shirts and sneakers at Abercrombie & Fitch. And for events I [rent] an Armani tuxedo.
Q: How do you spend your spare time?
Wentworth: Gaming nights with friends. I enjoy it more than having a night out. I like to read 18th century English novels or to watch old episodes of "Law & Order" on DVD. I've been a fan of Angie Harmon for a long time.
Q: What's your favorite holiday destination?
Wentworth: I don't need exciting destinations. I drove from Chicago to LA in my Toyota Corolla last year, along Route 66. I met a lot of interesting, very normal people. That was nice for a change. In Hollywood, every other person is a model or an actor."
Paul Scheuring Interview - PB Magazine
Here are the scans of an awesome interview with Prison Break creator Paul Scheuring, published in issue 6 of Prison Break magazine. Check it out!
Wentworth Miller on Ellen
This interview is from the other week but I wanted to post it anyway. Ellen DeGeneres recently inteviewed Wentworth Miller on her show, and the thing is pretty funny. In the interview, Wentworth gives Ellen a 5th year anniversary present, he also talks abouts giving up smoking, the consequences former Prison Break star, Lane Garrison has paid since his drink-driving tragedy which killed and injured several teenagers and whats to come in the new season of Prison Break. Check it out.
Sarah Wayne Callies: "FOX Made Me Quit"
According to a recent interview with French magazine, Tele Star, former Prison Break star Sarah Wayne Callies was apparantly forced to quit the hit television show. At the moment, no one has come forward to correct these claims so I am assuming this is all legitimate. Too bad, I liked Sarah in the show.
Big surprise on Prison Break. We hear that you’re leaving the show in the third season. Yes, but I didn’t have the choice. I’m sad, but it’s just show business.
You weren’t expecting this? No, at the end of season 2 last year. I was sure I’d continue. It’s such a great adventure we achieved.
How did you know you were fired? I don’t want to speculate too much about this. I was shocked.
Your leaving the show was a big deal. You have to tell us more! I’ll just say this. I am sorry to let down the viewers. I have loved the support Sara Tancredi got from them. and though she was a victim of her own destiny, I liked how she made decisions by herself. But the way things ended up couldn’t have been foreseen. Again, I was deceived by the decision.
How did your fellow actors react? They told me ‘It’s too bad. I loved working with you and good luck, we hope we can work together again.’
And Wentworth [Miller]? We were so sad that we wouldn’t work together anymore. Wentworth is a gentleman. He’s gracious and full of class. And i learned a lot from him. But in a series like “Prison Break,” apart from Wentworth, anyone can go. When I took the role of Sara, I thought it’d be for only a year. Afterwards, I was so happy to get a second year.
If they call you back, will you accept? Of course! I don’t have another role right now. Right now, I need to find work.
How will Sara make her exit from the series? I don’t know. I’m not part of the team anymore and don’t have any influence on the storyline.
How is being a mom to baby Keala? It’s a rich experience and unpredictable. You can’t plan anything. (Keala was born in July 2007.)
What projects do you currently have today? I’ll rest another month in Vancouver (Canada). Afterwards, I’ll go to California for a little bit. After that, I’d like to do theater in New York. I honed my skills on the stage and I miss it.
Scheuring: "There will be some deaths, some early shockers"
Paul Scheuring dished the dirt on the new season to Sky One recently. Check out what he had to say below:
“In Season Three, we have a lot of new characters. The logic of the world is going to be a lot different. We are going to feel like the rules have been turned upside-down.”
“Michael Scofield is going to realize that his cerebral qualities are not enough in the new prison. In order to survive, he’s going to have to get in touch with the primal side of his nature.”
“We have a new antagonist that goes by the name of Susan B. Anthony. She will do things in the first couple of episodes that will absolutely shock us.”
“There will be some deaths, some early shockers.”
Source: Sky One
Prison Break
PRISON BREAK is an American award-winning serial drama television series that premiered on the Fox Broadcasting Company on August 29, 2005. The story revolves around an engineer (Wentworth Miller) who installs himself in a prison he helped design, in order to help his brother (Dominic Purcell) who is an inmate on deathrow yet insists he did not commit the crime for which he has been sentenced to death for. The brothers then embark on a long adventure to escape prison and clear their names. Which is easier said than done.
Currently, two seasons of the show have been aired. Due to its immense popularity in its key demographics, the show was renewed by Fox for a third season, even though it was originally conceived to have only two seasons. The uniqueness of Prison Break is attributed to its serialized story structure, a similar format used by Lost and 24, and to its setting, as very few television series were primarily set and filmed in a prison. Its success and recognition as a prison drama revived interest in the genre. Season 3 episodes of the hit show are currently being filmed in Dallas (TX) and air on Monday nights in the US and UK.
The original concept of Prison Break—a man deliberately getting himself sent to prison in order to help someone else escape—was suggested to Paul Scheuring by producer Dawn Parouse, who wanted to produce an action-oriented series. Although Scheuring thought it was a good idea, he was initially stumped as to why someone would embark on such a mission or how he could develop it into a viable television show. He came up with the story of the wrongfully accused brother, and began working on the plot outline and devising the characters. In 2003, he pitched the idea to the Fox Broadcasting Company but was turned down as Fox felt nervous about the long-term possibilities of such a series. He subsequently showed the concept to other channels but was also turned down as it was thought to be more suited for a film project than a television series. Prison Break was later considered as a possible 14-part miniseries, which drew the interest of Steven Spielberg before his departure due to his involvement with War of the Worlds. Thus, the miniseries never materialized. Following the huge popularity of serialized prime time television series such as Lost and 24, the Fox Network had a change of heart and backed the production in 2004. The pilot episode was filmed a year after Scheuring wrote the script and five months later, the show was picked up as a series.
Fox backed Prison Break with a large advertising campaign. The show debuted on August 29, 2005, to an estimated audience of 10.5 million viewers. Fox has not seen such success for summertime Monday numbers since Melrose Place and Ally McBeal aired in September 1998. The two-hour premiere was credited as two episodes by the network. The premiere was the seventh most watched show in America that week according to Nielsen Research, ranking first in both the 18–49 and 18–34 demographics. The strong debut performance was also matched by various positive reviews. According to The New York Times, Prison Break was "more intriguing than most of the new network series, and it certainly is one of the most original", complimenting on its ability to create a "suspenseful thriller" and its "authentic look". Entertainment Weekly has dubbed it as one of the best new shows of 2005. On the other hand, The Washington Post criticized the show for its "somber pretentiousness" and "uniformly overwrought" performances.[31] The show regularly attracted an average audience of 10 million viewers each week and led the debuts of television in the 2005 American fall season. Prison Break was originally planned for a 13-episode run, but was extended to include an extra nine episodes due to its popularity.
The premiere of the second season of Prison Break obtained an average of 9.4 million viewers, down from 10.5 million for the series premiere in August 2005. The decline was steeper among young-adult viewers with a decrease of 20 percent in the 18–49 demographic compared to its series premiere, but its household rating grew from 3.6% to 3.9% during the last half hour. A critic from USA Today commented on the "harebrained absurdities that have swamped this show", and blamed the writers for being "incredibly lazy" for the continuous use of the tattoo as an "all-purpose plot fix". Contrastingly, Detroit Free Press commended the second season premiere on matching the standard set by the first season, which delivered a "rocking good entertainment" due to its "motley crew of cellblock characters" and the "taut, ingenious storytelling of series creator Paul T. Scheuring and his staff." The second season obtained its largest audience on the original airdate of the episode, "Chicago" with an average of 10.1 million viewers. On the other hand, the season finale on its original airdate received one of the lowest audiences in the series' history with 8.01 million viewers. The premiere of the third season obtained an average of 7.5 million viewers, one of the lowest audiences in the series' history
Currently, two seasons of the show have been aired. Due to its immense popularity in its key demographics, the show was renewed by Fox for a third season, even though it was originally conceived to have only two seasons. The uniqueness of Prison Break is attributed to its serialized story structure, a similar format used by Lost and 24, and to its setting, as very few television series were primarily set and filmed in a prison. Its success and recognition as a prison drama revived interest in the genre. Season 3 episodes of the hit show are currently being filmed in Dallas (TX) and air on Monday nights in the US and UK.
The original concept of Prison Break—a man deliberately getting himself sent to prison in order to help someone else escape—was suggested to Paul Scheuring by producer Dawn Parouse, who wanted to produce an action-oriented series. Although Scheuring thought it was a good idea, he was initially stumped as to why someone would embark on such a mission or how he could develop it into a viable television show. He came up with the story of the wrongfully accused brother, and began working on the plot outline and devising the characters. In 2003, he pitched the idea to the Fox Broadcasting Company but was turned down as Fox felt nervous about the long-term possibilities of such a series. He subsequently showed the concept to other channels but was also turned down as it was thought to be more suited for a film project than a television series. Prison Break was later considered as a possible 14-part miniseries, which drew the interest of Steven Spielberg before his departure due to his involvement with War of the Worlds. Thus, the miniseries never materialized. Following the huge popularity of serialized prime time television series such as Lost and 24, the Fox Network had a change of heart and backed the production in 2004. The pilot episode was filmed a year after Scheuring wrote the script and five months later, the show was picked up as a series.
Fox backed Prison Break with a large advertising campaign. The show debuted on August 29, 2005, to an estimated audience of 10.5 million viewers. Fox has not seen such success for summertime Monday numbers since Melrose Place and Ally McBeal aired in September 1998. The two-hour premiere was credited as two episodes by the network. The premiere was the seventh most watched show in America that week according to Nielsen Research, ranking first in both the 18–49 and 18–34 demographics. The strong debut performance was also matched by various positive reviews. According to The New York Times, Prison Break was "more intriguing than most of the new network series, and it certainly is one of the most original", complimenting on its ability to create a "suspenseful thriller" and its "authentic look". Entertainment Weekly has dubbed it as one of the best new shows of 2005. On the other hand, The Washington Post criticized the show for its "somber pretentiousness" and "uniformly overwrought" performances.[31] The show regularly attracted an average audience of 10 million viewers each week and led the debuts of television in the 2005 American fall season. Prison Break was originally planned for a 13-episode run, but was extended to include an extra nine episodes due to its popularity.
The premiere of the second season of Prison Break obtained an average of 9.4 million viewers, down from 10.5 million for the series premiere in August 2005. The decline was steeper among young-adult viewers with a decrease of 20 percent in the 18–49 demographic compared to its series premiere, but its household rating grew from 3.6% to 3.9% during the last half hour. A critic from USA Today commented on the "harebrained absurdities that have swamped this show", and blamed the writers for being "incredibly lazy" for the continuous use of the tattoo as an "all-purpose plot fix". Contrastingly, Detroit Free Press commended the second season premiere on matching the standard set by the first season, which delivered a "rocking good entertainment" due to its "motley crew of cellblock characters" and the "taut, ingenious storytelling of series creator Paul T. Scheuring and his staff." The second season obtained its largest audience on the original airdate of the episode, "Chicago" with an average of 10.1 million viewers. On the other hand, the season finale on its original airdate received one of the lowest audiences in the series' history with 8.01 million viewers. The premiere of the third season obtained an average of 7.5 million viewers, one of the lowest audiences in the series' history
CAST MEMBERS
Dominic Purcell (Lincoln Burrows)
Wentworth Miller (Michael Scofield)
Amaury Nolasco (Fernando Sucre)
Wade Williams (Brad Bellick)
Robert Knepper (Theodore 'T-Bag' Bagwell)
Chris Vance (James Whistler)
Robert Wisdom (Lechero)
Danay Garcia (Sofia Lugo)
Jodi Lynn O'Keefe (Susan B. Anthony)
William Fichtner (Alexander Mahone)
Dominic Purcell (Lincoln Burrows)
Wentworth Miller (Michael Scofield)
Amaury Nolasco (Fernando Sucre)
Wade Williams (Brad Bellick)
Robert Knepper (Theodore 'T-Bag' Bagwell)
Chris Vance (James Whistler)
Robert Wisdom (Lechero)
Danay Garcia (Sofia Lugo)
Jodi Lynn O'Keefe (Susan B. Anthony)
William Fichtner (Alexander Mahone)
PREVIOUS CAST MEMBERS & GUEST STARS
Sarah Wayne Callies (Sara Tancredi)
Paul Adelstein (Paul Kellerman)
Marshall Allman (LJ Burrows)
Patricia Wettig (Vice President Caroline Reynolds)
Rockmond Dunbar (Benjamin 'C-Note' Franklin)
Lane Garrison (David 'Tweener' Apolskis)
Peter Stormare (John Abruzzi)
Robin Tunney (Veronica Donovan)
Reggie Lee (Secret Service Special Agent William 'Bill' Kim)
Muse Watson (Charles Westmoreland)
Stacy Keach (Warden Henry Pope)
Silas Weir Mitchell (Charles 'Haywire' Patoshik)
Camille Guaty (Maricruz Delgado)
John Heard (Governor Frank Tancredi)
Holly Valance (Nika Volek)
Sarah Wayne Callies (Sara Tancredi)
Paul Adelstein (Paul Kellerman)
Marshall Allman (LJ Burrows)
Patricia Wettig (Vice President Caroline Reynolds)
Rockmond Dunbar (Benjamin 'C-Note' Franklin)
Lane Garrison (David 'Tweener' Apolskis)
Peter Stormare (John Abruzzi)
Robin Tunney (Veronica Donovan)
Reggie Lee (Secret Service Special Agent William 'Bill' Kim)
Muse Watson (Charles Westmoreland)
Stacy Keach (Warden Henry Pope)
Silas Weir Mitchell (Charles 'Haywire' Patoshik)
Camille Guaty (Maricruz Delgado)
John Heard (Governor Frank Tancredi)
Holly Valance (Nika Volek)
PRODUCED BY
Adelstein-Parouse Productions in association with 20th Century Fox Television
Adelstein-Parouse Productions in association with 20th Century Fox Television
CREATED BY
Paul Scheuring
Paul Scheuring
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
Paul Scheuring
Marty Adelstein
Dawn Parouse
Matt Olmstead
Brett Ratner
Paul Scheuring
Marty Adelstein
Dawn Parouse
Matt Olmstead
Brett Ratner
CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Michael Watkins
Michael Watkins
CONTACT
Prison Break
20th Century Fox Television
Acme Productions
10201 West Pico Boulevard
Building 38, Room 125
Los Angeles, CA 90035
USA
Prison Break
20th Century Fox Television
Acme Productions
10201 West Pico Boulevard
Building 38, Room 125
Los Angeles, CA 90035
USA