Dominic Purcell: Prison Break's Return Will Blow You Away!

It was the season many said would never happen. Could never happen. Whereas Season 1 of Fox's Prison Break chronicled brothers Michael and Lincoln's escape from Fox River and Season 2 detailed their run from the law, Season 3 for a while there seemed improbable. But then came last April's shocking season ender, in which Michael was again incarcerated — this time in a hellhole of a Panamanian lockup — and Lincoln, for a switch, was the one on the outside. On the occasion of the Season 2 DVD release and with the show's Sept. 17 return nearing, TVGuide.com grabbed a few minutes with Dominic Purcell to preview Linc's upcoming "spy" mission.

TVGuide.com: So, when we last tuned in, Lincoln was chasing Sara, right?
Dominic Purcell: Yeah, he was chasing after Sara — and then she disappeared.

TVGuide.com: How soon after the finale does the new season pick up?
Purcell: Straight off. The first thing we see is Linc in the American consulate trying to work out how to find Sara and how to get Michael out of this lawless Panamanian prison.

TVGuide.com: Will Linc prove a resource towards helping Michael get out of this squalid clink? Or is he more on his own storyline arc?
Purcell: Well, he's doing everything he can to get his brother out, but also this year they do separate. Something happens to the brothers and at some point Michael feels that Linc has betrayed him and they go their separate ways. It's kind of been described as Linc having his own private little spy story going on.

TVGuide.com: That must be very exciting for you.
Purcell: Yeah, it is, it really is. I'm looking forward to it. Season 3 is amazing this year. Certainly for me, it's the best season thus far — and I don't say that lightly. I've seen some of the cut-together stuff and it looks incredible. Critics and everyone, when you see the third season, you'll understand what I'm saying — it's really impressive.

TVGuide.com: Will you be interacting with any of the new characters?
Purcell: Yeah, I interact with the two chicks, the two girls. And it's about time — Lincoln needs to get laid. He's under the thumb of this one lady (played by Jodi Lyn O'Keefe), so he's having to work for her. She has something on him and Michael and their family, what have you. And there's a connection between Lincoln and the new character of Sofia (Danay Garcia).

TVGuide.com: Where is the bulk of the shoot this season?
Purcell: The bulk of it is in Dallas, but we're doing exteriors actually in Panama. And we're going to Florida.... It's a lot of moving around for me. Everyone else gets to stay in Dallas, but I get to move around [because of the story].

TVGuide.com: What sort of Season 2 DVD extras can we look forward to?
Purcell: There's a lot more in goof reels this year. And I think we all sit down at some point and explain how much we hate each other. [Laughs]

TVGuide.com: You must have appreciated how toward the end of the Season 2 finale, Lincoln ultimately gained the upper hand with Mahone.
Purcell: Oh, of course. That's one of the delicate balances of a great drama. The writers have to be careful about undermining certain characters. They give the characters a certain status, but then you have to make allowances. That was certainly an allowance I had to make last year — I had to kind of pull back because Mahone was driving a lot of the story toward the end of last year. That was all about being accepting and mature about it, and not crying like a baby. But like you say, Linc got the upper hand in the end.

TVGuide.com: As a performer, how did you compare the Season 2 experience to Season 1?
Purcell: Well, in Season 1 the character was very introverted and very heady, and in Season 2 Linc was out and about. Season 2, we struggled a bit with storyline toward the end, and Lincoln and Michael had to service the plot, but we're past that now. Season 3 is going to be amazing because it really is a different dynamic all together from Season 1 and Season 2. People are going to be blown away.

TVGuide.com: What can you tell me about the film you just wrapped, Town Creek?
Purcell: Well, it's a Nazi psychological thriller — how's that? The first 10 minutes are set in the '30s, and the rest of the movie is set in present day. I play a soldier who is coming back from the war and is captured by this cult that has ties to the Nazis. I get tortured and then I escape and I come back and I get my brother and we kick some ass. Joel Schumacher directed it, and it's an awesome movie. I learned a lot working with Joel. There's great buzz about it, so we'll wait and see what happens.

TVGuide.com: Last question: How did the film Platoon make you want to get into acting?
Purcell: It was a combination of that and the Mad Max movies. It wasn't like I watched Platoon and said, "That's what I want to do." It was more, "What is it that these guys are doing? It looks like fun. Oh, they're actors. Uh-huh." It was like that.

TVGuide.com: And from there, there was no turning back?
Purcell: Not really, man. I did it all myself. And here I am now, talking to you!

"Escape" with some Prison Break clips, courtesy of our Online Video Guide.

The Sept. 3 issue of TV Guide features loads of NFL previews, as well as sneak peeks at many of your favorite returning shows. Try four risk-free issues now!

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