The cast of Hulu’s upcoming Prison Break reboot has expanded, with Sam Trammell and Robin Weigert among the new additions.
The new series, which tells a different story set within the same universe with a new cast and characters, will follow an ex-soldier turned corrections officer who “takes a job at one of the deadliest prisons in America to prove just how far she’ll go for someone she loves”, according to the official synopsis.
Trammell, who’s perhaps best known for his role as Sam Merlotte in the HBO fantasy series True Blood and has also starred in HBO’s Euphoria, will play Jarrod Boggs in the new show, a powerful figure with deep roots in West Virginia.
Weigert, who audiences will recognise for her role as therapist Dr Amanda Reisman in Big Little Lies and Calamity Jane in Deadwood, will star as Chaplain Bannon, the prison chaplain.
Other new additions to the cast include Sean Bridgers (Deadwood), who is set to play Hollis, a devoted family man, Chris Coy (Black Rabbit) who’s set to portray a dangerous inmate called Mule and Kerry Bishé (Halt and Catch Fire), who has joined the cast as Mary Smith, a dangerous female inmate.
Robin Weigert. Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty Images
Jean Louisa Kelly (Uncle Buck) has also joined the fray as Margaret, the new matriarch of a power-brokering political family.
The new cast join previously announced actors Emily Browning, Drake Rodger, Lukas Gage, Clayton Cardenas, JR Bourne, Georgie Flores, Kelli Berglund and Myles Bullock.
The original Prison Break series premiered on Fox in 2005 and ran until 2009, starring Wentworth Miller as a man who deliberately gets himself incarcerated in order to break out his wrongfully convicted brother (Dominic Purcell). A sequel series was released in 2015 which ran for one season.
In 2020, Miller, who is gay, ruled out a return to Prison Break, announcing that he’s done playing heterosexual characters on the small-screen, while also claiming that the show would not be returning for a highly speculated sixth series – which it never did.
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He wrote in an Instagram post: “I’m out. Of PB. Officially. Not [because] of static on social media (although that has centred the issue). I just don’t want to play straight characters. Their stories have been told (and told).”
Purcell responded to the post: “It was fun mate. What a ride it was. Fully support and understand your reasoning. Glad you have made this decision for you health and your truth. Keep the posts coming. …. love ya brother.”
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