Dominic Purcell

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Dominic Purcell
Image:Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell.jpg
Dominic Purcell (right) with co-actor Wentworth Miller.
Born Dominic Haakon Myrtvedt Purcell
February 17, 1970 (1970-02-17) (age 38)
Flag of the United Kingdom Merseyside, England
Spouse(s) Rebecca Williamson (divorced)

Dominic Haakon Myrtvedt Purcell[1] (born February 17, 1970) is a British-born Australian actor, most active in the United States. He also holds an Irish passport by means of his ancestry. He is best known for his roles as the title character in John Doe and as Lincoln Burrows in Prison Break.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Purcell was born in Wallasey, Merseyside, England, the eldest of five children. He moved to Sydney with his family when he was two, where he was raised by his father and Irish mother, Maureen, in the Western Suburbs. Purcell attended St Dominic's College, Penrith. Purcell's father, who had previously served in the Norwegian Merchant Navy, installed air-conditioning ducts for a living, but later separated from the family.[1] Purcell's paternal grandfather, Haakon, was from Bergen, and his paternal grandmother, Martha, a New York-born Irish-American according to herself, her family and her birth certificate.[citation needed] His middle name Haakon and his other surname Myrtvedt are both Norwegian.

After quitting his high school education at Blaxland High, Purcell was employed as a landscaper.[2]

[edit] Career

Although he never contemplated being an actor, and thought that "people in the arts - actors, ballet dancers, musicians, whatever - were weird", he decided to try "that acting thing" on impulse.[1] He applied and was accepted to the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) where Purcell studied alongside fellow actors, Hugh Jackman and Frances O'Connor. After graduating in 1996, Purcell obtained his first acting role as Granger Hutton, a leading role in the Australian television series Raw FM.

After relocating to the United States, Purcell debuted on American television as the title character in John Doe in 2002. He got his first big break into mainstream stardom when he played the character of Drake in Blade: Trinity. Purcell's theatre credits include Antony and Cleopatra, Angels in America, Romeo and Juliet and The Pillars of Society.

Purcell, far left, in the Season 1 promotional photograph of the Prison Break cast.
Purcell, far left, in the Season 1 promotional photograph of the Prison Break cast.

Purcell currently has a starring role as Lincoln Burrows in the Fox network television drama series, Prison Break. He also guest-starred in a first season episode of House, "Fidelity".

[edit] Personal life

In 2000, he won a green card lottery and now resides in Los Angeles, California with his wife, Rebecca Williamson, and their four children: Joseph (b. 1999), Audrey (b. 2001), and twins Lily and Augustus (b. 2003).

In 2006 and 2007 Purcell spent the Christmas period in Louth Village, Co. Louth, in Ireland, the home area of his mother and drew considerable attention in the local press.[3] On October 21, 2007, Purcell and his wife Rebecca Williamson separated.[4]

On December 29, 2007 while driving to Strandhill, Co Sligo on Ireland's Atlantic coast to go surfing, Purcell and his brother Damien were waved down by a woman carrying a child, who was choking to death. They saved the child's life by performing CPR until the paramedics arrived. The sixteen month old baby - who made a full recovery - was choking after an onion ring became lodged in his throat.

[edit] Filmography

Year' Title Role Notes
2007 Town Creek Victor Marshall film
2007 Level Seven Millar film
2007 Primeval Tim Manfrey film
2005 - present Prison Break Lincoln Burrows TV series
2005 The Gravedancers Harris McKay film
2005 North Shore Tommy Ravetto TV episodes: 1x16-1x20
2004 House Ed Snow TV episode: Fidelity (1x7)
2004 Blade: Trinity Drake film
2003 3-way Lew film
2003 Visitors Luke film
2002 - 2003 John Doe John Doe TV series
2002 Equilibrium Seamus film
2001 Invincible Keith Grady TV movie
2001 BeastMaster Kelb TV episodes: 3x01-3x04, 3x06
2001 The Lost World Condillac TV episode: 3x02
2000 Mission: Impossible II Ulrich film
1999 Heartbreak High Todd Gillespie TV episodes: 7x38-7x40
1999 First Daughter Troy Nelson TV movie
1999 Silent Predator Truck Driver TV movie
1998 Water Rats Alex TV episodes: 3x12-3x13
1998 Moby-Dick Bulkington TV mini-series
1997 -1998 Raw FM Granger Hutton TV series

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c O'connor, B, "Break Out". Men's Fitness. December/January 2007 Issue. Retrieved on December 18, 2006.
  2. ^ Dominic Purcell biography AskMen.com. Retrieved on December 18, 2006.
  3. ^ Dundalk Democrat week ending 31 December 2006
  4. ^ Prison Break's Dominic Purcell and Wife Split - Breakups, Dominic Purcell : People.com

[edit] External links