Born of Norwegian and Irish descent, Dominic Purcell was a native son of England but moved with his family to Australia at the age of two. There he spent the majority of his formative years, growing up in the suburbs Down Under. In his youth, Purcell flirted briefly with a career in landscaping – a profession that was in keeping with his working class roots – but by his mid-teens, the restless Purcell had discovered a new passion: acting.
Purcell studied at The Australian Theatre for Young People and then later enrolled at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, where he studied alongside fellow actor hopeful, Hugh Jackman. In 1997, Purcell landed his first major role in an Australian television series called “Raw FM”, a Generation-X drama set at a radio station. The exposure he received from “Raw-FM” helped Purcell land other television gigs, but his real big break came in 2000, when he was cast in a small role in John Woo’s blockbuster hit “Mission: Impossible 2” starring Tom Cruise. While Purcell’s role in “M:I2” was not a particularly meaty one, the film did set the actor’s career on the right path and was significant enough to garner him the attention of American casting directors, who took notice of the actor’s brooding good looks and strong, able delivery.
Upon moving to Los Angeles, Purcell got his next big break – this time, playing the lead in the short-lived American series, “John Doe” (CBS, 2002). In it, Purcell played a mysterious man who emerges from a deserted island, possessing an encyclopedic knowledge of all things - yet with no memory of what his own name is (hence, the show’s title). Set in Seattle, the series featured Purcell’s character working with police each week, helping them solve bizarre crimes, all the while, continuing on his own quest to discover his true identity. Despite an intriguing premise and initial cult popularity, however, “John Doe” was dropped from the CBS line-up after just one season.
Following “John Doe”’s untimely cancellation, Purcell continued working in features, turning up most notably in 2004’s “Blade: Trinity” (also known as “Blade 3”.) In that film, Purcell played Drake, a modern-day reincarnation of the legendary vampire lord, Dracula. This time, however, Purcell’s performance fall a bit flat, thanks in part to a poor script and a derivative storyline. To no one’s surprise, this lackluster final installment in the “Blade” series performed only modestly at the box office, plunging a stake into the heart of the franchise – at least, for the time being. Purcell re-emerged in 2005 no worse for wear, this time cast in the highly anticipated Fox drama, “Prison Break” (2005 - ). In it, Purcell played Lincoln Burrows, a wrongly accused death-row inmate whose younger brother (Wentworth Miller) has also been incarcerated in the same facility. One of the most hyped new shows of the 2005-06 season, “Prison Break” premiered to strong critical praise and highly respectable ratings.
Also Credited As:
Dominic Haakon Myrtvedt Purcell, Dominic Purcell
Born: Dominic Haakon Myrtvedt Purcell on 02/17/70 in England
Family
Daughter: Audrey. born c. 2001; mother Rebecca
Father: Norwegian
Mother: Irish
Son: Joseph. born c. 1999; mother Rebecca
Significant Others
Wife: Rebecca Purcell.
Education
Western Australian Academy of Performing Art (WAAPA), 1996
Milestones
* 1997 Landed first acting role, playing a hip radio DJ in the Australian TV series “RAW F.M.”
* 1998 Received international recognition portraying Bulkington in the Hallmark production Of “Moby Dick,” starring alongside Patrick Stewart, Henry Thomas and Gregory Peck
* 1999 Played the lead role of ‘Troy’ in TNT’s “First Daughter” opposite Mariel Hemingway
* 2000 Made feature film debut, in the role of Ulrich in Mission Impossible 2” starring Tom Cruise and directed by John Woo
* 2000 Won a green card lottery enabling him to live & work in America
* 2002 Played a futuristic freedom fighter in “Equilibrium” with Christian Bale and Emily Watson
* 2002 Portrayed the title character of an amnesiac in the Fox series, “John Doe”
* 2004 Co-starred in the indie feature “3-Way” alongside Desmond Harrington and Joy Bryant
* 2005 Cast as Lincoln Burrows, a death-row inmate in the Fox drama “Prison Break”