How about discovering all the secrets of Prison Break, which still influences a generation and continues to have cult status today? Here are 10 facts that will make you see the prison show differently.
Prison Break Banned In Some Prisons
In the United States, the TV series “Prison Break” was banned from being shown in 13 prisons due to details of the escape plans. The character Michael Scofield’s plans to escape from Fox River were very detailed and eye-catching, which could have given the prisoners the idea of escaping. For this reason, authorities restricted the broadcast of the series out of concern that similar plans might be tried in other prisons. However, the series was still shown in many prisons because these plans seemed unlikely to be implemented in the real world.
Duration And Price Of Michael Scofield Tattoo
To save his brother, Michael Scofield secretly had a complex escape plan tattooed on his body by getting a tattoo of the Fox River Penitentiary. He reflected a detailed plan that would normally take months with tattoo art in a few weeks. This was a project that required a lot of time and detail in the real world.
Last Minute Casting
Series creator Paul Scheuring initially considered different actors for the roles of Michael Scofield and Lincoln Burrows. However, shortly before shooting began, Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell unexpectedly joined the cast. The duo came together after the producers decided to make a last-minute change and played the iconic siblings of the series. “Sometimes the greatest things happen unplanned, and in this case, the energy and harmony these players brought us was amazing,” Scheuring said of the sudden change. This sudden change brought unexpected freshness and excitement to the series and led to the birth of Scofield and Burrows, who became the unforgettable characters of Prison Break.
The History Of A Real Prisoner
Stacy Keach was inspired by her own past experiences for her role on Fox River. He was arrested at London Airport in 1984 on charges of cocaine possession and use and was imprisoned. These experiences later became the inspiration for his character in Prison Break, especially the prison environment and his situation were influential in shaping his character.
The Series Almost Never Happened
When Paul Scheuring, the creator of Prison Break, first proposed the series to FOX, the proposal was initially rejected because the channel did not see it as a long-term project. At the time, after the huge success of series like Lost and 24, FOX changed its mind and allowed Prison Break to hit the screens in 2004. During this period, there was a growing demand for unique and exciting stories that would engage television audiences, and Prison Break was the perfect option to fill this gap.
A Real Prison Environment
During the shooting of the TV series Prison Break, the interior scenes, the scenes in the garden and the infirmary were shot in a real prison instead of a studio. A prison in Illinois called Joliet Correctional Facility was used for these shots, adding to the realism of the atmosphere. Moreover, cast member Dominic Purcell shot some of the scenes in the real cell of famous serial killer John Wayne Gacy. These details attract the attention of the audience by adding an interesting and impressive touch to the shooting process of the series.
Sara Tancredi Should Have Died Earlier In The Series
After Sarah Wayne Callies’ character was killed and beheaded at the beginning of season 3, producers were planning to bring her back in a twist that viewers weren’t expecting. Originally, Sara Tancredi’s story was supposed to end early in season 1. However, fans’ love and popularity for the character pushed the producers to reconsider their decision.
Plans were for the character to die from an overdose in the finale, but due to fan reaction and the character’s special place, those plans were changed. During the development of the show, Sara’s story and the depth of her character grew further, allowing her to survive and take on a more prominent role in the story.
Two Brothers Filed A Lawsuit Against The American Channel
In 2006, the two brothers filed a lawsuit against FOX because they felt their life story was being used without permission. The case began when the brothers claimed that the story of the TV series “Prison Break” was based on their real lives. Donald Hughes allegedly helped his brother Robert by kidnapping him from a juvenile detention center in 1964. However, he faced an unfair accusation and was sentenced to 5 years in prison for this accusation. Afterwards, they lived a fugitive life for about 4 years. The brothers allegedly sent a script containing their experiences to FOX, but this project was rejected. This script is seen as a potential project for the TV series “Prison Break” that emerged before it aired.
One Of The Actors Actually Went To Jail During The Broadcast
Lane Garrison, who played the character Tweener in the second season of “Prison Break”, went to prison in real life shortly after his character’s death. In 2007, he was involved in a traffic accident while driving under the influence of alcohol and was sentenced to 40 months in prison after being accused of killing a passenger in the accident. Garrison was released from prison in 2009. This tragic event surprised fans of the series, both with the death of his character in the series and his real-life prison sentence.
A Serious Injury
During the filming of Season 5, Dominic Purcell suffered a serious injury when a heavy iron bar fell on his head. He was rushed to a hospital in Casablanca and received 150 stitches. At the time of the incident, he was astonished when his stunt double came to him. Purcell: ‘What’s going on, man?’ When the stuntman replied, “Your head is split open, I can see your skull, your nose is on the other side of your face,” he thought he was face to face with death.
