Dominic Purcell is an Australian actor known for playing strong, tough-guy roles in film and television. Purcell was born Dominic Haakon Myrtved Purcell in Wallasey, Merseyside, England, on February 17, 1970. He has an Irish mother and a Norwegian-English father. When he was 2 years old, Purcell’s family moved to Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. As such, Purcell has triple citizenship, being British by birth, Irish from his mother, and Australian by naturalization.
Purcell, whose acting career began in 1991, has stayed active, starring in several film and television productions. However, his role as Lincoln Burrows in Prison Break was a turning point for the actor’s career. Here are 8 things you didn’t know about Prison Break‘s Dominic Purcell.
1. The TV Shows You Know Dominic Purcell From
Dominic Purcell was no stranger to television before appearing in Prison Break. He had starred in several Australian and American TV shows. However, one that stood out was playing the lead role in Fox’s science fiction drama Joe Doe from September 20, 2002, to April 25, 2003. Purcell played the titular character and appeared in all 21 episodes before the show was canceled.
Prison Break became the biggest role of his career, playing Lincoln Burrows in the show’s 5 seasons. Although Purcell announced through his official Instagram page for a season 6 comeback, with Wentworth Miller’s unwillingness to continue with the show, not much has been heard of it ever since. After Prison Break, Purcell was cast alongside Wentworth Miller in The Flash as Mick Rory/Heat Wave. Purcell reprised the character in four other different TV shows, Superhero Fight Club (2015), Legends of Tomorrow (2016–2021), Supergirl (2017), and Arrow (2017).
2. Dominic Purcell Attended Arts School With A Famous Actor
With Dominic Purcell’s family moved to Australia when he was 2 years old, Purcell spent all of his growing years in Australia. After his time in High School, Purcell attended Australian Theatre for Young People. Purcell soon became classmates with Hugh Jackman after he enrolled at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.
3. Dominic Purcell’s Work Before Becoming An Actor
Long before Dominic Purcell desired to become an actor, he worked as a landscape gardener in Australia. Seeing prospects in the landscaping business at the time, Purcell dropped out of High School to form a gardening venture with friends. Purcell became interested in acting after watching Oliver Stone’s 1986 war film Platoon. He also loved to surf, a hobby he still engages in today.
4. Other TV Shows Dominic Purcell Was In
Dominic Purcell made his TV debut in the Australian TV soap opera Home and Away in 1991 when he played Constable Rogers in 3 episodes. Purcell’s next appearance on television came six years later as Granger Hutton in 13 episodes of the Australian TV series Raw FM. Purcell guest-starred in House (2004), Castle (2011), and several TV movies.
5. Other Movies Dominic Purcell Was In
Dominic Purcell’s film debut was in 2000 with Mission: Impossible 2, where he played the role of Ulrich. Filming of Mission: Impossible 2 was done in Australia, and with Purcell already a popular face on TV for playing Granger Hutton, it was easy to get cast to play Ulrich. Purcell won the American Green Card Lottery in 2000 and eventually moved to the United States.
Purcell played Seamus in Kurt Wimmer’s science fiction Equilibrium (2002). Then became a popular face in American films after portraying Drake in Blade: Trinity (2004). Purcell played Berg, the leader of the plane hijacking group in the German action horror thriller Blood Red Sky (2021). Purcell also plays Adrian in the 2023 science fiction action Assassin. Purcell’s upcoming movie is Confidential Informant, and he plays Tom Moran, with the movie also starring Mel Gibson.
6. Dominic Purcell’s Work As A Producer
Dominic Purcell is credited as a producer in five works in film and television. Purcell’s first work as a producer was in the 2004 crime drama thriller Three Way, which he also starred in. Purcell produced the short film I Choose in 2014 and executive produced the movie Isolation in 2015. Purcell’s last work as a producer was in 2017, when he produced 9 episodes of Prison Break.
7. Dominic Purcell Has Dated Career Co-Workers
Dominic Purcell married Rebecca Williamson in 1998. The couple had four children before divorcing in 2008. In 2011, Purcell began dating actress AnnaLynne McCord. The couple broke up in 2014 but got back together a year later. The actress ended the relationship again in 2018, but Purcell announced they had rekindled their love in 2020. The two split up again and chose to stay separated.
Purcell began dating Tish Cyrus in November 2022. He proposed to Cyrus in April 2023, with the two making plans for their marriage. Tish Cyrus is a producer and manager, popularly known as the mother to Miley Cyrus and separated (filed for divorce) wife of Billy Ray Cyrus.
8. The Nominations & Awards Dominic Purcell Has Received
Dominic Purcell was honored by the Australian Film Institute for his work in Prison Break. Purcell won the 2007 AFI International Award for Best Actor. Purcell’s only other nomination came in 2009 as a producer. Dominic Purcell was nominated alongside other producers for Best Feature Film at the IF Award for the movie Balibo.
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