‘Prison Break’ Stars: “The Show Should End in Catastrophe”

By: Jen Smith
Fancast.com

Prison Break is one of TV’s most heart-stopping, action-packed dramas. And while the ratings in season four are half of what they were in the first season, the cult-like following of the show has transformed it into the must-watch series of the season.

But sometimes the show can get a bit confusing. So what’s a fan to do with a show that seems to raise more questions than it answers? Thankfully, the Paley Center for Media stepped in and held a panel, where the executive producer, Matt Olmstead, answered questions, along with a few of its stars, including: Wentworth Miller (Michael), Sarah Wayne Callies (Sara), Amaury Nolasco (Fernando), Robert Knepper (T-Bag), and Wade Williams (Brad).

With an auditorium full of the most dedicated fans, the event started with an advanced screening of next week’s episode. The gasps, laughter, and cheering emitted from the crowd was enough to convince anyone that this episode is worth TIVO-ing. Without further ado, Fancast presents some of the best questions answered by stars of this gripping production.

Each year has had a clear theme—”The Great Escape,” “The Fugitive,” etc). Is that hard to pull off?

Williams: It’s always great. It challenges your character—we’ve had incarnations every year.
Nolasco: We’ve had to prove ourselves. We broke out of prison the first year—now what? We’re fugitives the second year—now what? But we’re still going strong. I feel like U2… we’re just reinventing ourselves.
Knepper: Each episode we find out we’re all dispensable!

Are there any hidden clues in each episode alluding to what will happen in the future?

Olmstead: For the most part, we only know week to week.
Callies: We’re just flying by the seat of our pants. But, if I’m having problems with a scene that will have significant impact on any character, the writers will help me figure it out.

Do you have any favorite moments from the series?

Nolasco: Season One was my favorite. The whole “great Escape” thing and living in those tiny cells…
Knepper: To watch all of us physically and mentally change makes me as proud of our ensemble. There are so many favorite moments, but they’ve all added up to an amazing experience.

During the casting process, was everyone cast according to how well they meshed together?

Olmstead: We chose them individually and lucked into the fact that it worked.
Williams: I think it’s one of the things that make the show so good. When you work well with another actor, it helps you create your character.
Knepper: It’s tricky with characters because there’s so much history between them. For example, we (Wentworth and I) have to pretend that don’t like each other.

This is one of those non-stop excitement kind of shows. Does it get exhausting?

Knepper: I totally forget about the fake hand sometimes… it’s exhausting having to remember to use it.
Olmstead: I remember seeing the Jodie Foster movie The Brave One in the theater… it was a very dark film. I remember wondering what it must feel like to film something like that for three months straight. Then I remembered “oh yeah.” We deal with such heavy material, but we try to keep it as light as possible on the set.
Williams: We just have a good time on set. The last few years, I’d go home and be twitching. Then the writer’s strike happened and I stopped twitching. On this show, I’ve been in my tighty whities, raped by a prisoner and now—(edited for spoilers!). My character goes through so much!

What’s the biggest challenge you face with your characters?

Miller: The show is indebted to its actors. We have iconic villains. The show is only as good as its antagonist. It has to be balanced, so it’s my job to stand there and watch them do cartwheels around me. Sometimes I do get jealous!
Callies: A lot of it came from the first season, working the addiction. I had an interesting conversation with a journalist who was in recovery herself. She was happy I hadn’t blown [the portrayal] yet.
Nolasco: I can’t really find any challenge. I’ve had a great time! I get asked all the time how my character and I are the same, and I say we’re not! I’m not that stupid! It’s been a fun ride, a great character. I love the relationship he’s got with Michael. We’re the Odd Couple of this century.
Knepper: The hardest scenes for me are the ones with little kids. There was one scene I filmed that made me want to vomit.
Williams: I was always getting in fights so I was spending hours in makeup getting bruises put on… and then there were those MC Hammer pants.

Why does Prison Break use flashbacks so often, even flashbacks about things that happened in the same episode?

Olmstead: I think it works because it establishes everyone’s point of view. It helps everyone’s memories. It helps reinforce it, but we try not to overdo it too much.

Did you always intend on bringing Sara back?

Olmstead: Uhh… yes. We intended to kill the character for motivation for the Michael character. Then we realized that we never actually saw her get shot, so we brought it back up. So we said f**k it, she’s not dead. We had a lot to bring to the character.

Do you have any thoughts on how the last episode will be? Do you want it to be happy or sad?

Miller: I’ve actually been pitching my ending on set. I think it should end in catastrophe—explosions, car crashes, characters you love are dying. Then we freeze frame and start rewinding through all the seasons, all the way back to the first episode. We see Lincoln choose the kill the vice president’s brother, so you never even see Michael. I think that would be a cool way to go.