126 Fun Facts About Prison Break

Who is the death-row older brother Michael Scofield gets himself locked up in Fox River to break out?

Lincoln Burrows, Michael's older brother, sits on Fox River's death row for a murder he did not commit; Michael gets himself arrested there to break him out before the execution.

Which real Illinois prison, closed in 2002, stood in for Fox River State Penitentiary's exteriors?

Joliet Correctional Center is the same prison that gave 'Joliet' Jake Blues his nickname; it opened in 1858 and took its last prisoner in 2002.

Who created the television series 'Prison Break'?

Paul Scheuring created Prison Break for Fox and returned to run the 2017 revival.

What was Michael Scofield's profession, the one that gave his firm access to Fox River's blueprints?

Michael was a Structural Engineer at Middleton, Maxwell and Schaum, the firm that handled Fox River's retrofit, which is how he came to study the prison's blueprints in detail.

For which crimes is Theodore 'T-Bag' Bagwell serving time at Fox River?

T-Bag is serving life at Fox River for six counts of kidnapping, rape and first-degree murder of Alabama teenagers, which is why the other inmates treat him as the block's most dangerous predator.

Which Fox River prison doctor falls for Michael Scofield?

Sara Tancredi, the Fox River infirmary doctor and the Illinois governor's daughter, treated Michael daily and finally left the infirmary door unlocked on the night of the escape.

What year did 'Prison Break' originally premiere on Fox?

The pilot aired on August 29, 2005, and the show ran four seasons before a 2017 revival.

Which of the 'Fox River Eight' did Alexander Mahone kill in Season 2?

The Chicago mob boss was killed by the FBI agent after refusing to surrender.

How does Michael Scofield carry the blueprints of Fox River Penitentiary on his body?

The design took around five hours to apply to Wentworth Miller; when only his forearms showed, only those pieces were put on.

Which FBI agent leads the manhunt for the Fox River Eight and ends up an uneasy ally of the brothers?

Alexander Mahone, played by William Fichtner, hunts the escapees while secretly working for The Company, then switches sides.

Who is Michael's cellmate in Fox River, a loyal friend and part of the escape team?

Fernando Sucre, a kind-hearted inmate, became Michael's cellmate and one of his most trusted allies in the escape from Fox River.

What shadowy organization framed Lincoln Burrows in Prison Break?

The Company framed Lincoln because of his father Aldo Burrows, a former insider, and it stays the brothers' enemy for the whole series.

Who is the warden of Fox River during the first season?

Warden Henry Pope, played by Stacy Keach, has Michael help build a model of the Taj Mahal in his office as an anniversary gift, an arrangement Michael exploits on the night of the escape.

Which real-estate lawyer and ex-girlfriend of Lincoln fights to prove his innocence in Prison Break's first season?

Veronica Donovan is a real-estate lawyer, not a criminal one, yet she defends Michael at his trial and then chases the conspiracy that framed Lincoln.

What is the prison nickname of the character Benjamin Miles Franklin?

Franklin, played by Rockmond Dunbar, is inside for possession of stolen goods; by season five he has converted to Islam and joins Lincoln in Yemen.

Which actor plays the role of Lincoln Burrows?

Dominic Purcell portrays Lincoln Burrows, one of the two central brothers in the series.

How many episodes are in the first season of 'Prison Break'?

Season one has 22 episodes: Fox's initial order was 13, extended by nine on the strength of the autumn 2005 ratings.

Who is Fernando Sucre's girlfriend, the woman he breaks out to marry?

Maricruz Delgado is Sucre's pregnant girlfriend; he joins the escape to reach her before she marries his cousin Hector, and the pair reunite in Mexico in season two.

Which character is known for having a prosthetic hand after an incident during the Fox River escape?

John Abruzzi took T-Bag's left hand off with an axe right after the breakout; in season five he is fitted with a prosthetic that works like the real thing.

In Season 4, 'Scylla' is thought to be The Company's 'black book'. What does it really hold?

Everyone from Don Self to Michael's own mother Christina wants Scylla so they can sell the technology to the highest bidder.

In what country is the prison Sona, featured in Season 3, located?

The notorious prison Sona, where Michael Scofield is incarcerated in Season 3, is located in Panama.

Who plays FBI agent Alexander Mahone, who becomes entangled with Michael and Lincoln?

William Fichtner joined the cast in Season 2 as Alexander Mahone, a brilliant but troubled FBI agent tasked with tracking down the Fox River Eight.

What crime does Michael Scofield deliberately commit to get himself sent to Fox River?

Michael commits armed robbery, firing a gun into a Chicago bank's ceiling and pleading no contest so the judge will send him to Fox River, the prison whose retrofit his firm had handled.

Which Company operative arrives in Season 3 under the alias 'Susan B. Anthony'?

Gretchen Morgan, played by Jodi Lyn O'Keefe, is the Company handler who poses as 'Susan B. Anthony' to pressure Lincoln in season three; she returns in season four as a player in the Scylla hunt.

In Season 1, L.J. Burrows goes on the run after Company agents frame him for what?

Agents Kellerman and Hale set the teenager up, and he flees to the secret cabin used by Veronica Donovan and Nick Savrinn.

Which character works in the laundry at Fox River and is a cousin to Fernando Sucre?

Manche Sanchez, Sucre's cousin, works in the Fox River laundry and joins the breakout at the last minute; the guards seize him at the wall on escape night, so he never makes it out with the Fox River Eight.

What agency does Paul Kellerman initially work for?

Paul Kellerman is initially introduced as a Secret Service agent working for The Company, tasked with ensuring Lincoln Burrows' execution.

Which Season 4 antagonist, a Company hitman, murders Alexander Mahone's young son Cameron?

Mahone eventually gets his revenge, chaining Wyatt to a cinder block and pushing him off a pier.

What is the codename of the CIA handler who erased Michael's identity in season five?

Poseidon is the codename of the rogue CIA operative who recruited Michael for covert missions under a new identity, then framed him for a murder and had him 'disappeared' into a Yemeni prison.

Which production company is listed as a joint producer for 'Prison Break'?

20th Century Fox Television produced the series alongside Neal Moritz's Original Film; the studio and the Fox network that aired the show shared the same parent company.

What is the total number of episodes in the entire 'Prison Break' series, including the revival season?

The series totals 90 episodes: 22, 22, 13 and 22 across the four original seasons, the two-part Final Break, and nine in the 2017 revival.

Which Fox River corrections officer later becomes a bounty hunter and then an inmate at Sona?

Bellick is fired after Roy Geary testifies against him, teams up with Geary as a bounty hunter, then is set up for murder by T-Bag and lands in Sona himself.

Which actor, known for playing Michael Scofield, also reprised his role in the revival season?

Wentworth Miller returned as Michael Scofield for the nine-episode 2017 revival, shot largely in Morocco, eight years after the character's apparent death in The Final Break.

Before being imprisoned, what was Lincoln Burrows accused of doing?

Murdering the Vice President's brother, Terrence Steadman, is the charge, and Steadman turns out to be alive.

In which city is Scylla kept at the start of season four?

Scylla sits in a vault beneath The Company's Los Angeles headquarters; Michael's team tunnels toward it from the basement of the neighbouring GATE building.

In which season does Michael Scofield attempt to break out of a prison in Yemen?

The revival finds Michael alive in Sanaa under the alias Kaniel Outis, a name linked to terrorism, as Yemen slides into civil war.

What is the name of the character played by Mark Feuerstein in Season 5, who is Sara's new husband?

Jacob Anton Ness, played by Mark Feuerstein, marries Sara and helps raise Michael's son, all while secretly being the rogue CIA handler who had Michael locked away in Yemen.

The theme music for 'Prison Break' was composed by whom?

Ramin Djawadi composed the iconic theme music for 'Prison Break', earning a Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 2006.

Which member of the original Fox River escape team hid money in Utah?

Fox River's longest-serving inmate, Westmoreland is widely believed to be the hijacker D. B. Cooper and keeps a tabby cat named Marilyn thanks to a grandfather clause.

What is the name of the prison Michael Scofield is held in during Season 5?

In Season 5, Michael Scofield is found to be alive and imprisoned in Ogygia, a prison in Yemen.

Which convicted hacker is added to Michael's Scylla team in season four?

Roland Glenn is the hacker the Homeland Security handler forces onto the team; his device copies the cardholders' data at close range, and he is shot by Wyatt after trying to sell the team out.

In which state is Veronica Donovan shot dead in the season-two premiere?

Veronica Donovan is shot by Terrence Steadman's Company guards at his guarded house in Blackfoot, Montana, moments after telling Lincoln by phone that she has found Steadman alive.

After Prison Break, the actor behind T-Bag played villain Samuel Sullivan in the final season of which series?

Robert Knepper, Prison Break's T-Bag, played carnival leader Samuel Sullivan in the fourth and final season of NBC's Heroes, which aired in 2009-10.

What is the nickname for David Apolskis?

Tweener is the name T-Bag hangs on David Apolskis, a white teenager who adopts Black street culture and is stuck 'in between'; the young inmate later turns informant for Bellick.

Who directed the pilot episode of Prison Break?

Brett Ratner directed the pilot; he had already cast Wentworth Miller in two Mariah Carey videos he directed in 2005, 'It's Like That' and 'We Belong Together'.

Which US vice president's brother was Lincoln Burrows convicted of murdering?

Caroline Reynolds, the Vice President who later becomes President, is Terrence Steadman's sister; the murder Lincoln was convicted of was staged, and Steadman was kept alive in hiding by The Company.

Which illness does Michael fake to get daily access to the Fox River infirmary?

Michael fakes Type 1 diabetes, taking a drug called PUGNAc to spoof his blood-sugar readings, so that the daily insulin shots give him regular time in the infirmary.

Why did The Company frame Lincoln, according to season one?

Lincoln was chosen because of his father's old ties to the group: Aldo Burrows had walked out on The Company, so framing his son served as both leverage and punishment.

How did the Fox River Eight physically get out of the prison in the season one escape?

They used their prison privileges to reach the line in the penultimate episode.

Paul Scheuring described season two as which classic film 'times eight'?

Scheuring called season two 'The Fugitive times eight', with the escapees scattering across the country, and also compared it to the second half of The Great Escape.

Whose trial testimony exonerates Lincoln and Sara at the end of season two?

Paul Kellerman, by then cut loose by The Company, testifies at Sara's trial that the Steadman murder was staged, which frees Sara and overturns Lincoln's conviction.

Why is Sona guarded only from the outside in season three?

After a riot a year earlier the guards pulled out of Sona entirely; they ring the perimeter and drop in food and water, and the inmates run the place themselves.

Whom does The Company want Michael to break out of Sona?

James Whistler is the target, and Gretchen Morgan holds L.J. and Sara hostage to make Michael do it. Sona is run by its own inmates.

Which Homeland Security agent recruits the team to steal Scylla in season four?

Don Self, the Homeland Security agent who assembles the Scylla team and promises them exoneration, turns out to be a double-crosser who grabs Scylla to sell it himself.

Which health problem afflicts Michael during season four?

A brain tumor gets Michael onto The Company's operating table, and it is after the surgery that he learns his mother Christina is alive.

Who kills Christina Scofield in the season four finale?

Sara shoots Christina Scofield dead in the finale as Christina is about to kill Michael; that shooting is the charge that sends Sara to prison in The Final Break.

In which US city does the four-season Company storyline finally end?

The storyline ends in Miami, where Michael hands over Scylla in exchange for the group's exoneration and the General is arrested; the closing flash-forward shows the survivors at Michael's grave.

Under which false name is Michael imprisoned in Yemen in season five?

Michael is held as Kaniel Outis, an identity his CIA handler built for him that is tied to terrorist activity; 'Outis' is the Greek 'Nobody', the name Odysseus gives the Cyclops.

What is the name of C-Note's young daughter?

C-Note's daughter is Dede; when she falls ill while the family is on the run in season two he risks taking her to a hospital, and his wife Kacee is arrested.

Which two characters are the only ones to appear in every episode of the series?

Michael and Lincoln are the only characters who appear in every episode across all five seasons; Scheuring said killing off other regulars keeps viewers fearful for the leads.

How soon before production began was Dominic Purcell cast as Lincoln?

Dominic Purcell was cast just three days before production started, the last of the original leads to sign on.

Michael's surname Scofield comes from where?

Scofield is his mother's maiden name: Michael took Christina Rose Scofield's surname rather than his father's, which is why the brothers carry different last names.

Robert Knepper likened T-Bag to which author 'without a degree'?

Knepper described T-Bag as 'Truman Capote without a degree', a sharp Southern talker, and refused to play him as a stereotypical racist or redneck.

What is Paul Kellerman's job in the season-four finale's flash-forward?

Four years on, Paul Kellerman has become a congressman, rewarded for brokering the group's exoneration; in season five he is working for the State Department when he is killed.

Why did Wade Williams initially not want to play Brad Bellick?

As the father of a four-year-old he hesitated until his manager pushed him to audition.

Which Sona prisoner rules the jail as a dictator and Panamanian drug kingpin?

Lechero, played by Robert Wisdom, runs Sona from his own quarters with a gang of enforcers, taxing the other inmates and deciding who lives.

What is the name of the Yemeni fixer who helps Lincoln in season five?

Sheba, played by Inbar Lavi, is the Sanaa fixer who helps Lincoln navigate the city in season five; she gets out of Yemen with the group and is seen with Lincoln at the end of the season.

What is Whip, Michael's season-five cellmate, revealed to be?

Whip, played by Augustus Prew, is revealed to be T-Bag's illegitimate son, David Martin; T-Bag learns the truth late in season five, shortly before Whip is shot dead.

Which producer first suggested the premise of a man getting jailed to break someone out?

Producer Dawn Parouse pitched Scheuring the bare idea of a man who gets himself jailed to break someone out; Scheuring supplied the 'why' by inventing the wrongfully convicted brother.

Which director was briefly interested in Prison Break as a 14-part miniseries?

Steven Spielberg was briefly attached to a 14-part miniseries version after Fox first passed; he moved on to War of the Worlds and the miniseries was shelved.

Which two serialized hits persuaded Fox to back Prison Break in 2004?

Fox had passed in 2003, but the success of serialized hits 24 and Lost persuaded the network to back Prison Break in 2004.

Which serial killer had allegedly occupied the Joliet cell used as Lincoln's on the show?

The cell used for Lincoln was said to have held John Wayne Gacy when he passed through Joliet; at least one crew member refused to enter it, believing it haunted.

Roughly how much did Prison Break spend per episode in Illinois during season one?

Prison Break spent about $2 million an episode in Illinois during season one, roughly $24 million in the state across 2005.

Which Texas city became the main filming base for season two?

Season two was based in Dallas, which the producers chose because it offered rural and urban settings within a 30-minute radius of the base.

Which Florida city stood in for Panama in the last three episodes of season two?

Pensacola, Florida, doubled for Panama in the final three episodes of season two, each of which took about eight days to shoot.

Which trance producer remixed the Prison Break theme as the 'Breakout Mix' in 2006?

Djawadi's theme was nominated for a Primetime Emmy in 2006.

About how long did it take to apply Michael's full body tattoo for filming?

The full tattoo took around five hours to apply; designed by Tom Berg and made by Tinsley Transfers, it was applied only to the forearms for T-shirt scenes.

Roughly how many viewers watched the Prison Break premiere in August 2005?

The August 29, 2005 premiere drew about 10.5 million viewers, Fox's best summer Monday numbers since Melrose Place and Ally McBeal in 1998.

After joining Netflix in July 2024, where did Prison Break land in Nielsen's charts?

Prison Break went to No. 1 in Nielsen's streaming rankings and held it for several weeks; one August 2024 week logged 1.6 billion minutes viewed, with Hispanic viewers nearly a third of the audience.

Which UK broadcaster paid £500,000 an episode to take over Prison Break from season three?

Sky One bought the UK rights from season three at a reported £500,000 an episode, taking the show over from Five, which had aired the first two seasons.

Prison Break was the first TV show that Fox released on which format, in November 2007?

Season one arrived on Blu-ray Disc in November 2007, the first Fox television series on the format; Fox had backed Blu-ray over the rival HD DVD.

Which social network streamed past season two episodes during a 2006 baseball hiatus?

Fox streamed season two's past episodes on MySpace during the October 2006 baseball hiatus; News Corporation owned both the network and the social network.

Which car maker sponsored the mobile-phone spin-off Proof of Innocence?

Each two-minute episode plugged the Toyota Yaris in a 'Yaris vs. Yaris' campaign.

What was the abandoned spin-off about a housewife behind bars to be called?

The planned spin-off Prison Break: Cherry Hill would have followed Molly, a housewife sent to a women's prison; the 2007-08 writers' strike killed plans to introduce her in season three.

Which A&E series saw Robert Knepper reprise T-Bag in 2011?

Knepper returned as T-Bag in a 2011 episode of A&E's Breakout Kings, a series created by Prison Break writers Matt Olmstead and Nick Santora.

Who is the playable protagonist of the video game Prison Break: The Conspiracy?

Tom Paxton, a Company agent sent into Fox River to keep watch on Michael, is the playable lead; the main cast voiced their characters except Sarah Wayne Callies.

What was the Russian adaptation of Prison Break called?

The Russian remake Pobeg ('Escape') premiered on Channel One in September 2010, copying some of the original's scenes and dialogue outright.

Which streamer ordered a Prison Break reboot pilot in December 2024?

Hulu ordered the pilot in December 2024; written by Elgin James of Mayans M.C., it is set in the same world as the original but without its characters.

Which two Moroccan cities besides Rabat hosted season five filming?

Besides Rabat, the revival shot in Casablanca and Ouarzazate, the Moroccan desert studio town, with Vancouver as the other production base.

How many episodes did Fox originally order for the revival before cutting it to nine?

Fox ordered 10 episodes for the revival in 2016 and trimmed the run to nine; the season aired from April 4 to May 30, 2017.

Which actor plays Ja, the tech-savvy inmate at Ogygia?

Rick Yune plays Ja, the brilliant, drug-addled Ogygia inmate who joins Michael's breakout crew; Marina Benedict and Steve Mouzakis play the assassins A&W and Van Gogh.

Which murderer did Mahone secretly kill and bury in his own backyard?

Oscar Shales, a killer who had eluded Mahone, was secretly shot by him and buried under the birdbath in his backyard; fear of discovery drove Mahone to end his marriage and self-medicate.

Which Fox River escapee does Mahone talk into jumping to his death from a grain mill?

Bellick had tracked Haywire there after he killed a civilian.

How does Mahone kill Wyatt, the hitman who murdered his son?

He first forces Wyatt to apologise to his ex-wife Pam over the phone.

How close to the start of season two shooting was William Fichtner cast as Mahone?

He signed for two seasons and was persuaded into a third.

Which alias does Kellerman live under after being erased from government records?

Owen Kravecki is the cover identity Kellerman falls back on after the President has him erased from the records; earlier in season two he had posed as a recovering addict called 'Lance' to befriend Sara.

Which US Army unit did Kellerman serve in before his government career?

Kellerman's backstory has him in the 75th Ranger Regiment after graduating from West Point with honours; he reached the rank of major and won a Silver Star before moving into government service.

Which partner and long-time friend does Kellerman kill in 'End of the Tunnel'?

Danny Hale, Kellerman's partner and old friend, has a crisis of conscience and arranges to tell Veronica everything; Kellerman shoots him in a park before he can.

Steadman humiliates Kellerman by revealing he did what with the vice president?

He had served the vice president loyally for 15 years.

In The Final Break, how much is the bounty the General puts on Sara's life?

The General offers a $100,000 bounty to any inmate who kills Sara; Gretchen, locked up in the same prison, is among those tempted by it.

Which prison holds Sara in The Final Break?

Sara is held at Miami-Dade State Penitentiary, where overcrowding has put jail and prison inmates in the same building and Gretchen is among the inmates.

What do the guards shoot at during Michael's decoy in The Final Break?

Mahone had fed Wheatley the parachute plan on Michael's instructions.

How does Michael die in The Final Break?

Michael dies electrocuted while shorting the lock on a steel door so Sara can get out; his farewell video reveals his illness had returned and he had been told he was dying anyway.

Which cognitive trait lets Michael notice things others miss?

Michael has low latent inhibition, a trait the Fox River psychiatrist says lets him take in details others filter out; paired with his high IQ it underpins the escape plan.

What does Lincoln place on Michael's grave in the series' final scene?

Lincoln sets an origami crane on the headstone; the folded paper cranes were Michael's signature throughout the series, used to pass messages to Sara.

What does Abruzzi have cut off Michael to extract Fibonacci's location?

Abruzzi's men hold Michael down and snip off two of his toes with garden shears; the torture fails to get Fibonacci's whereabouts, and Abruzzi joins the escape instead.

Sucre was jailed for aggravated robbery after trying to rob what?

Sucre held up a liquor store and drew a sentence for aggravated robbery; his cousin Hector, who wanted Sucre's girlfriend for himself, was the one who turned him in.

How many times did Bellick reportedly fail the police academy entrance exam?

Mahone placed a badge on his suit before his body went home to his mother.

Norman St. John earned his prison nickname by disguising himself as what?

He was 13 at the time; lechero is Spanish for milkman.

Which university employs Jacob Ness as an economics professor in season five?

He and Sara married during the seven years after Michael's supposed death.

Which 1980 film opens with a character being released from Joliet Prison?

The Blues Brothers opens with 'Joliet' Jake Blues walking out of Joliet Prison in 1980; the real prison closed in 2002 and was later opened for public tours.

Which infamous 1924 murderers served their life sentences at Joliet?

Leopold and Loeb, the Chicago students who murdered Bobby Franks in 1924, were sent to Joliet; Clarence Darrow's plea spared them the death penalty, and inside they set up a school for fellow inmates.

Wentworth Miller was born in which English town?

Miller was born in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, in 1972 while his father was at Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship; the family moved to Brooklyn a year later.

Which 2013 thriller marked Wentworth Miller's screenwriting debut?

Stoker, directed by Park Chan-wook, was Miller's screenwriting debut; he had submitted the script under the pseudonym Ted Foulke so it would be judged on its own merits.

Which DC villain did Miller play opposite Purcell's Heat Wave in the Arrowverse?

Miller played Captain Cold, Leonard Snart, debuting in The Flash in 2014 before joining Purcell's Heat Wave in Legends of Tomorrow.

Which Australian drama school did Dominic Purcell attend alongside Hugh Jackman?

Purcell trained at WAAPA, the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in Perth, where Hugh Jackman was a fellow student; he grew up in Sydney after his family emigrated from England.

Which musician's mother did Dominic Purcell marry in 2023?

He wed Tish Cyrus in Malibu, becoming stepfather to Miley, Noah, Brandi and Trace.

Why was Sara Tancredi written out before season three, per producer Matt Olmstead?

Olmstead said contract disputes kept Callies out of season three even though everyone, the actress included, wanted her to stay; she was brought back for season four.

Which AMC series later starred Sarah Wayne Callies as Lori Grimes?

She has also led Colony and Council of Dads.

Sucre actor Amaury Nolasco was born on which Puerto Rican island?

Nolasco was born on Vieques, the island off Puerto Rico's east coast, on Christmas Eve 1970; he also played 'Orange Julius' in 2 Fast 2 Furious and appeared in Transformers.

John Abruzzi actor Peter Stormare first found fame in America playing Gaear Grimsrud in which film?

Fargo (1996) made Stormare's name in America as the taciturn killer Gaear Grimsrud; the Swedish actor had played Hamlet for Ingmar Bergman at Stockholm's Dramaten and later played Lucifer on screen in Constantine.

C-Note actor Rockmond Dunbar played Sheriff Eli Roosevelt on which FX drama?

The Oakland-born actor was also FBI Agent Dennis Abbott on The Mentalist and Michael Grant on 9-1-1.

Paul Adelstein, Prison Break's Agent Kellerman, played pediatrician Cooper Freedman on which ABC medical drama set in Los Angeles?

Private Practice spun Addison Montgomery off from Grey's Anatomy; Adelstein also co-created the Bravo dark comedy Imposters.

Before playing Gretchen Morgan, Jodi Lyn O'Keefe rose to fame as Cassidy on which 1990s cop show?

O'Keefe played Cassidy Bridges, Don Johnson's daughter, on CBS's Nash Bridges from 1996 to 2001; she also starred in She's All That and Halloween H20 and later played Jo Laughlin on The Vampire Diaries.

L.J. Burrows actor Marshall Allman went on to play Tommy Mickens on which vampire series?

Allman played Tommy Mickens, Sam Merlotte's shapeshifting brother, on HBO's True Blood in its third and fourth seasons.

Don Self actor Michael Rapaport was later a series regular on which Netflix comedy-drama?

Rapaport played Doug Gardner, the father, across all four seasons of Netflix's Atypical; he had earlier headlined Fox's The War at Home and recurred on Friends and My Name Is Earl.