Sarah Wayne Callies turned 31 on June 1st 2008 while Wenworth Miller turns 36 today, June 2nd 2008.
Happy Birthday guys.
Happy Birthday guys.
Sarah Wayne Callies - New TVGuide Interview
To steal one Fox publicist's line, "It's good to see you with your head on your shoulders."
That's very kind of you to say!
How does it feel to be promoting the show again? Who made the first overture to get you back?
I'm not sure because they called my representatives. Apparently something had been kicking around for a little while. I was actually in the process of negotiating to be on another show, and this came out of nowhere.
Especially given the circumstances of Dr. Sara's exit.
Especially given that I had not come out a-head in the third season. [Winks] Let's get all those jokes out of the way. But no, it had to do with the fans. I'm enormously grateful for their persistence.
We at TVGuide.com got so much mail....
Really?
Oh, yeah. People felt the Michael-Sara romance had been abruptly cut short.
That's interesting. I think it makes sense for me now to return and do justice to that, give it the closure it deserves.
Was Went[worth Miller] glad to see you?
That's a question for Went!
Do you have any idea where Sara will be coming from, emotionally? Is she, I could imagine, totally pissed off?
I think she's been through an enormous amount. Everybody on the show has been. But as one of the few characters who was not familiar with a life of crime before all this started, it's hitting her very hard. So I think this season for her is about negotiating the consequences of the choices she has had to make and the things that have been done to her as a result.
Jodi Lyn O'Keefe (Susan B.) told us she's dying to have scenes with you.
I've asked for them, too, but I haven't read a single script yet, so I don't know. There were so many terrific women in the third season, and I don't think I've ever had a scene with another woman....
No, just that nurse you conned into leaving the infirmary door open.
[Laughs] Yeah, and she's a lovely woman and I'd love to work with her again. But any of the [new Prison Break actresses], I would love to work with.
As a working mom now, are you happier to be filming this season in Los Angeles, versus Chicago or Texas?
It's exciting for me to not have to relocate my family, absolutely.
So for how long do we have you around for? Best case.
I think I'm here to the bitter end, but I've thought that before. So who knows!
Source: TVGuide
Nick Santora on Sarah Wayne Callies' Return
"So I am glad people are excited about Sara coming back. If you go back thru Season 3 you’ll see that we intentionally did several things that would allow us to bring the character back if it was feasible production-wise. We saw an opportunity, the talented SWC was available and now we are going to have a fun time making a 4th season. Thanks for supporting the show.
Best, Nick Santora."
Source: PBreakFans
Sara Is Back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Prison Break has officially jumped the shark, leapt on its back and ridden it rodeo-style across the ocean! Sara is coming back!
So, I take it that wasn’t Sara’s head in that box?
So, I take it that wasn’t Sara’s head in that box?
Matt Olmstead: Yeah, that wasn’t. But initially it was supposed to be her head.
What changed?
Olmstead: What changed was … once we realized that the emotional hook of Season 3 was going to be the death of Sara, when we didn’t get the actress to do it, as soon as we wrote it and shot it, we realized that there was actually a way she could still be alive. Lincoln glanced at the head in the box for a split second. That could’ve been anyone. He wasn’t about to pull it up from the hair and inspect it closely. And then we were fairly careful thereafter of references we made to that and who took credit for it and what was seen or heard, and we left it fairly [vague]. But initially when we realized that we never actually saw the character get killed, we just had that knowledge in our back pocket and moved forward with the narrative as we intended. Which was: she’s out of the picture, Michael’s [feeling guilty] and Lincoln is freaking out because if they did that to her, they could do that to his son. It really gave us a real push for the season.
Don’t you think that was a little unfair to the audience — particularly fans of Dr. Sara — to jerk them around like this? They had every reason to believe she was dead.
Olmstead: I don’t think it was unfair, because it gave us some real juice storytelling-wise — it put teeth in the antagonists. Obviously they were now capable of killing somebody. It also gave us a couple of episodes where Lincoln withheld the information from Michael, and that gave us conflict with the brothers. But also, what were we really going to do? Were we going to see Sarah Wayne Callies tied to a chair for 13 episodes? And then if she broke free, what is she really doing? It was almost a disservice to that character to keep her around last season. Certainly, we could have put her on a cruise ship and she’s off sailing away. But we felt that if we’re going to lose that character, why not get the most drama out of it? We didn’t look at it in terms of [us] trying to tell the audience to go, you know, do something to themselves.
What role did the fan response to Dr. Sara’s death play in her return?
Olmstead: It factored in. It was kind of a confluence of events. We saw on the message boards that a lot of fans were wondering if she really was dead. And then that led to conversations of, “Well, what if she isn’t?” But then we put that on the back burner and moved forward with what we had to do, because it wasn’t anything that could be dealt with right then. And then when we came back after the strike and we realized that we were not going to finish Season 3… we creatively decided to blow it all out, jump forward in the timeline and get a fresh start. And so, when we pitched that, a lot of those elements remained, but we were still looking for that emotional core for Michael. We were kind of exactly where we were in the beginning of Season 3, which led to her demise, quote unquote. So we went back and revisited [the idea of bringing her back to life]. And once we started talking about it, it was mentioned again that fans are still wondering about her. And when people who are fans of the show — and of Sarah — are asking, “Is she really dead?”, what they’re saying, essentially, is, “I hope she’s not dead.” And then it became a kind of groundswell.
But then you have to get the actress to agree to return, which I assume was no easy task given the bad blood that seemed to exist last season.
Olmstead: There wasn’t bad blood on our side. It was a business decision. I understood where she was coming from in that she was given a provisional assurance that she was going to be a part of Season 3, but we had to revisit Season 3 a couple of times in the pitch stage in order to get it picked up. Fox was still looking for that emotional hook. Once we came up with the idea of her character going away, that gave us what we needed to push things over the edge. And although we were comfortable with it, she wasn’t. I also understand on a personal level how it factored in. She was pregnant at the time and looking forward to giving birth, and this wasn’t something she was interested in doing.
What changed for her that she’s willing to come back now?
Olmstead: She and I spoke a couple of days ago at length about what we have come up with creatively for her character…. We’re jumping ahead a little bit in the timeline. There’s a little bit of a mystery period for all of these characters in terms of how they got where they are and what happened to them. And we have some interesting things for her, and she responded to them creatively. We won’t just be picking up where we left off with her character. And she won’t be a damsel in distress waiting for her hero to return. There are some complicating factors involved with her character and things that she’s looking forward to. So we spoke about it, she thought about it, and we made a deal.
No hard feelings, then? Everyone’s moving on?
Olmstead: Moving on. She’s a very smart lady, and we’re all adults here. It was never personal. It was a business and creative decision, and we’re absolutely moving on.
Can you say how she’ll be reintroduced next season?
Olmstead: It’s going to be about figuring out what happened to her during that mystery period [between the end of Season 3 and the start of Season 4], and how she and Michael deal with it.
How much time will have lapsed?
Olmstead: About a month. Enough to jump past expected events that we left hanging at the end of Season 3, answering those things, but also moving forward.
And Sarah is onboard for the entire season?
Olmstead: Yes.
Holy shit! This is awesome!
Source: TVGuide
Olmstead: What changed was … once we realized that the emotional hook of Season 3 was going to be the death of Sara, when we didn’t get the actress to do it, as soon as we wrote it and shot it, we realized that there was actually a way she could still be alive. Lincoln glanced at the head in the box for a split second. That could’ve been anyone. He wasn’t about to pull it up from the hair and inspect it closely. And then we were fairly careful thereafter of references we made to that and who took credit for it and what was seen or heard, and we left it fairly [vague]. But initially when we realized that we never actually saw the character get killed, we just had that knowledge in our back pocket and moved forward with the narrative as we intended. Which was: she’s out of the picture, Michael’s [feeling guilty] and Lincoln is freaking out because if they did that to her, they could do that to his son. It really gave us a real push for the season.
Don’t you think that was a little unfair to the audience — particularly fans of Dr. Sara — to jerk them around like this? They had every reason to believe she was dead.
Olmstead: I don’t think it was unfair, because it gave us some real juice storytelling-wise — it put teeth in the antagonists. Obviously they were now capable of killing somebody. It also gave us a couple of episodes where Lincoln withheld the information from Michael, and that gave us conflict with the brothers. But also, what were we really going to do? Were we going to see Sarah Wayne Callies tied to a chair for 13 episodes? And then if she broke free, what is she really doing? It was almost a disservice to that character to keep her around last season. Certainly, we could have put her on a cruise ship and she’s off sailing away. But we felt that if we’re going to lose that character, why not get the most drama out of it? We didn’t look at it in terms of [us] trying to tell the audience to go, you know, do something to themselves.
What role did the fan response to Dr. Sara’s death play in her return?
Olmstead: It factored in. It was kind of a confluence of events. We saw on the message boards that a lot of fans were wondering if she really was dead. And then that led to conversations of, “Well, what if she isn’t?” But then we put that on the back burner and moved forward with what we had to do, because it wasn’t anything that could be dealt with right then. And then when we came back after the strike and we realized that we were not going to finish Season 3… we creatively decided to blow it all out, jump forward in the timeline and get a fresh start. And so, when we pitched that, a lot of those elements remained, but we were still looking for that emotional core for Michael. We were kind of exactly where we were in the beginning of Season 3, which led to her demise, quote unquote. So we went back and revisited [the idea of bringing her back to life]. And once we started talking about it, it was mentioned again that fans are still wondering about her. And when people who are fans of the show — and of Sarah — are asking, “Is she really dead?”, what they’re saying, essentially, is, “I hope she’s not dead.” And then it became a kind of groundswell.
But then you have to get the actress to agree to return, which I assume was no easy task given the bad blood that seemed to exist last season.
Olmstead: There wasn’t bad blood on our side. It was a business decision. I understood where she was coming from in that she was given a provisional assurance that she was going to be a part of Season 3, but we had to revisit Season 3 a couple of times in the pitch stage in order to get it picked up. Fox was still looking for that emotional hook. Once we came up with the idea of her character going away, that gave us what we needed to push things over the edge. And although we were comfortable with it, she wasn’t. I also understand on a personal level how it factored in. She was pregnant at the time and looking forward to giving birth, and this wasn’t something she was interested in doing.
What changed for her that she’s willing to come back now?
Olmstead: She and I spoke a couple of days ago at length about what we have come up with creatively for her character…. We’re jumping ahead a little bit in the timeline. There’s a little bit of a mystery period for all of these characters in terms of how they got where they are and what happened to them. And we have some interesting things for her, and she responded to them creatively. We won’t just be picking up where we left off with her character. And she won’t be a damsel in distress waiting for her hero to return. There are some complicating factors involved with her character and things that she’s looking forward to. So we spoke about it, she thought about it, and we made a deal.
No hard feelings, then? Everyone’s moving on?
Olmstead: Moving on. She’s a very smart lady, and we’re all adults here. It was never personal. It was a business and creative decision, and we’re absolutely moving on.
Can you say how she’ll be reintroduced next season?
Olmstead: It’s going to be about figuring out what happened to her during that mystery period [between the end of Season 3 and the start of Season 4], and how she and Michael deal with it.
How much time will have lapsed?
Olmstead: About a month. Enough to jump past expected events that we left hanging at the end of Season 3, answering those things, but also moving forward.
And Sarah is onboard for the entire season?
Olmstead: Yes.
Holy shit! This is awesome!
Source: TVGuide
"The Art of the Deal" (3.13) Finale Spoiler!
The "Whistler for Sofia and LJ" exchange happens. Mahone meets up with someone unexpected in a bar. Sucre ends up in Sona while McGrady gets a happy ending. Sara appears in a flashback.
Source: SpoilerFix
Source: SpoilerFix
More on Sara's short return?
Someone over at Prison Break Buff brought this up and I thought it was pretty significant. Here is a segment of the script from next week's finale, "The Art of the Deal" (3.13):
EXT. ALLEY BEHIND HOSPITAL - DAY 11 54
As Michael and Lincoln pace in the alley, the hospital door opens. LJ emerges.
Lincoln and Michael turn to him, anxious to hear the news.
LJ
She’s gonna be okay.
Lincoln and Michael breathe a sigh of relief.
LJ (CONT’D)
Uncle Mike? I wanted to wait until we were safe to do this…
Michael turns around. LJ takes something from his pocket.
LJ (CONT’D)
I found this in the house. In the room where Sara and I were held.
LJ opens his hand… it’s the origami rose Michael gave to Sara.
LJ (CONT’D)
I thought you’d want to have it.
Michael is overcome with emotion… LJ and Lincoln step away, give Michael a moment.
It would be during this scene that a flashback of Sara would most likely take place.
Who's in the hospital you ask? Sofia? I don't see them hanging around to see if Susan was OK (for whatever reason), that's for sure.
Sarah Wayne Callies to return for Prison Break's finale?
Ausiello from TV Guide just revealed that a certain someone will be returning for the season 3 finale of Prison Break which next week. He also gives his 2 cents on the future of the show. It's not looking good.
Question: I need some scoop on the future of Prison Break! Despite a lackluster season, the show was beyond awesome and suspenseful this week. Heard anything about its future? — Christy
Ausiello: All I know is that Season 3 comes to an end next Monday and the show remains on the bubble for fall. My guess? Prison Break as we know it will end, to be replaced next season with the "women in prison" spin-off that Fox has been developing. But that's just a guess.
Question: In last week's Ask Ausiello, you said that "Michael gets a special delivery from the great beyond in the season finale of Prison Break on Feb. 18. And someone I thought I'd never in a million years see on the show again turns up in a surprise cameo." Any hints as to who that "surprise cameo" is? Can you tell us if he or she was a regular on the show, or if he or she has died on the show? — Lip1
Ausiello: Yes, she was a regular. And yes, she died on the show. And although she didn't need to be present for this particular cameo, she was most definitely an integral part in making it happen.
My guess is the cameo will be Sara (Veronica was shot dead and stuffed in a bag in the premiere of season 2, so I'm pretty certain she will not be returning). The cameo will most probably be a video tape of some sort from 'the great beyond'. Still, if it is Sara, I guess you could look at it as a final farewell from the beloved character, right?
(The Ausiello report also included a picture of Sarah Wayne Callies.)
Source: TV Guide
Question: I need some scoop on the future of Prison Break! Despite a lackluster season, the show was beyond awesome and suspenseful this week. Heard anything about its future? — Christy
Ausiello: All I know is that Season 3 comes to an end next Monday and the show remains on the bubble for fall. My guess? Prison Break as we know it will end, to be replaced next season with the "women in prison" spin-off that Fox has been developing. But that's just a guess.
Question: In last week's Ask Ausiello, you said that "Michael gets a special delivery from the great beyond in the season finale of Prison Break on Feb. 18. And someone I thought I'd never in a million years see on the show again turns up in a surprise cameo." Any hints as to who that "surprise cameo" is? Can you tell us if he or she was a regular on the show, or if he or she has died on the show? — Lip1
Ausiello: Yes, she was a regular. And yes, she died on the show. And although she didn't need to be present for this particular cameo, she was most definitely an integral part in making it happen.
My guess is the cameo will be Sara (Veronica was shot dead and stuffed in a bag in the premiere of season 2, so I'm pretty certain she will not be returning). The cameo will most probably be a video tape of some sort from 'the great beyond'. Still, if it is Sara, I guess you could look at it as a final farewell from the beloved character, right?
(The Ausiello report also included a picture of Sarah Wayne Callies.)
Source: TV Guide
"Whisper" - January 26th 2008
Awhile ago I posted that Sarah Wayne Callies' straight to DVD movie "Whisper" was going to be out in stores shortly. Well now "Whisper" will be airing on TNT on Saturday January 26th at 9:00 pm in the US. Below is the synopsis of the movie:
When the ten-year-old son, David, (Blake Woodruff) of a wealthy New England socialite is abducted, his kidnapper Max Harper (Josh Holloway) and his seedy associates assume it will be a routine kidnapping in exchange for a large ransom. Unknown to the kidnappers, the shy and reserved David actually has a hidden agenda of his own, and a mysterious way of tapping into the minds of others. Soon, Max will wish that he had never kidnapped David, much less even heard of him.
The film also stars Lost's Josh Holloway.
Source: Prison Break Buff
When the ten-year-old son, David, (Blake Woodruff) of a wealthy New England socialite is abducted, his kidnapper Max Harper (Josh Holloway) and his seedy associates assume it will be a routine kidnapping in exchange for a large ransom. Unknown to the kidnappers, the shy and reserved David actually has a hidden agenda of his own, and a mysterious way of tapping into the minds of others. Soon, Max will wish that he had never kidnapped David, much less even heard of him.
The film also stars Lost's Josh Holloway.
Source: Prison Break Buff
Are the writers messing with us?
I read this over at Prison Break Buff and figured I should definitely post it.
When recapping 3.09, Zap2It.com mentioned that when LJ tells Linc that Gretchen killed Sarah — but then tells him he didn’t see it, he closed his eyes, but he heard it. Please, please, please tell me they’re not setting up some sort of bait-and-switch with the head-in-the-box.
Having not seen 3.09 myself yet, I can't really comment on this, however I honestly think they're using this as an opportunity to tease Sara fans.
Xoxo, Sarah W. Callies
I've been meaning to post this for a few days but haven't gotten around to it until now. Last week this arrived in the mail from the very kind and talented, Sarah Wayne Callies aka (the late) Sara Tancredi. Unfortuantely, I spoke to her before I started PBREAK.org so I obviously wasn't in a position to get anything 'exclusive' as I myself at that time had no plans to begin a Prison Break blog. However I may get in contact with her again in the future and try to get an interview or something so I'll keep you posted. It's times like these when I miss Sarah from the show more than ever.
Save the Good Doctor!
Now for some promotion Prison Break lovers! I've been in contact with the guys over at Save The Good Doctor, a community blog dedicated to bringing back Sarah Wayne Callies to the show. Ofcourse I agreed to help promote their campaign which I hear is doing very well. Their aim is to send letters from fans of SWC as well as hundreds of handmade origami cranes to Fox and Kristin Dos Santos (from E!) among many other companys associated with Prison Break to encourage the people that be to sort out that bloody contract and get our 'Good Doctor' back on the show. You may be thinking; "Well that is absurd, she's dead". However, there is always away around that one! Below is an email I received from one of the girls running the project:
Well this whole series started because of a fake death, right? So if the writers are creative enough, it's very easy for them to say that that was not Sara's head.
For starters, it didn't look like Sara's head. They could always say that it was the head of the woman in the morgue in episode 1.
I used to be fans of other shows were fan favorite characters have been resurrected from the dead. In Alias, Michael Vartan's character was gunned to "death", yet he came back. In 24, Tony Almeida had a lethal drug injected to his heart, and he even died in Jack Bauer's arms...yet he's now returning for season seven. If they really want to do it, they can.
I'm sure if both sides talk amicably again, they can find a way to make it work. It's just so sad that we fans will never get the happy ending that Sara (and Michael) so much deserves.
I am with them 100% and as so many people are complaining that Prison Break is not the same without Sara, then do something about it! Get writing in! I've been in contact with SWC myself and she is a fantastic person. Get her back on the show! Watch the video below to see some of the work these people have put into this campaign:
Click here to access their website!
Sarah Wayne Callies Update
She may no longer be on Prison Break but what the hell, I won't abandon her. Sarah Wayne Callies has a new movie out next week. Her straight-to-DVD movie, “Whisper”, will be released on Tuesday, November 27 through NBC Universal Home Entertainment. Sarah stars in the movie with Lost’s Josh Hollway, Psych’s Dule Hill, and Australian actor Joel Edgerton, who has been seen in the films “Smokin’ Aces” and “Star Wars III: Revenge Of The Sith”. The movie features a child, played by Blake Woodruff, who starred in the “Cheaper By The Dozen” movies. “Whisper” changed directors a few weeks into production and was made by the same producers as the 2005 thriller, “White Noise”.
In the film, Josh Holloway plays Max Truemont, a convicted felon hired to kidnap the son of a rich woman in New England. He is looking for a fresh start with his fiancé, Roxanne, played by Sarah Wayne Callies. The two decide to team up for the kidnapping, after they find that getting a bank loan with a felon on the application is near impossible. Once David is kidnapped, they take him to a remote hideout where the conspirators and kidnappers begin to turn on each other. Max begins to realize that the boy may be more than what he bargained for and not as innocent as he seems.
It's a shame the movie couldn't have been given a proper release, I'm still looking into why this is. I guess some movies don't make it that far, even with established actors. And it's times like these in which I miss SWC not being in the show.
In the film, Josh Holloway plays Max Truemont, a convicted felon hired to kidnap the son of a rich woman in New England. He is looking for a fresh start with his fiancé, Roxanne, played by Sarah Wayne Callies. The two decide to team up for the kidnapping, after they find that getting a bank loan with a felon on the application is near impossible. Once David is kidnapped, they take him to a remote hideout where the conspirators and kidnappers begin to turn on each other. Max begins to realize that the boy may be more than what he bargained for and not as innocent as he seems.
It's a shame the movie couldn't have been given a proper release, I'm still looking into why this is. I guess some movies don't make it that far, even with established actors. And it's times like these in which I miss SWC not being in the show.
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.
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
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.
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.