“This isn’t just a Hollywood production, it’s a worldly show,” actor Rockmond Dunbar tells EUR/Electronic Urban Report about the “rebirth” of the hit FOX series “Prison Break.”
The new event series is back with original stars Wentworth Miller, Dominic Purcell, Sarah Wayne Callies, Amaury Nolasco, Robert Knepper and Paul Adelstein. This all-new adventure spans the globe and features the signature thrills and cliffhangers that were hallmarks of the original series when it aired from 2005-2009.
The original action drama centered on Michael Scofield (Miller, “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow”), a young man determined to save his convicted brother, Lincoln Burrows (Purcell, “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow”), from death row by hatching an elaborate plan to escape from prison. In the new series, filmed on location in Morocco, clues surface that suggest a previously thought-to-be-dead Michael may be alive. So Dunbar’s character C-Note is pulled back into the game by Lincoln, who needs his help.
Created by Paul T. Scheuring, the original “Prison Break” garnered Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Television Series – Drama and Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama (Miller). The original producing team, including Scheuring, Neal Moritz, Marty Adelstein and Dawn Olmstead, return to executive-produce the new series.
Dunbar, who stars as “Detective Abe Gaines,” opposite Aaron Paul, Michelle Monaghan and Hugh Dancy, in the streaming drama series “The Path,” chopped it up with EUR about what fans can expect with this new series. Check out our Q&A with the actor below.
READ RELATED STORY: Cory Hardrict Talks ‘Bronzeville’ Podcast and ‘Magnetic’ Tupac Biopic [EUR Exclusive]
Without spoiling too much, what’s going to surprise viewers about this reboot?
RD: I wouldn’t use the word reboot, it’s actually a rebirth. This show is definitely different and fresh and new in a way, and you don’t have to watch season one through four in order to understand what’s going on. For the old fans, don’t think about season one through four, try to look at it with new fresh eyes and no judgement and don’t try to compare because I’m telling you, if you compare it to season one and two, the quality stands up for sure. There are actors from around the world that came to be a part of this show. So this isn’t just a Hollywood production, it’s a worldly show. It belongs to the entire world because there are so many different nationalities, colors and creeds of people who came to help and be a part of such an incredible process.
Where will viewers find C-Note when this new series kicks off? And talk a bit about the ride he’s going to take us on, along with brothers Michael and Lincoln.
RD: It’s a very interesting storyline. Paul Scheuring pulled together a different character for C-Note. C-Note is a very, you know… if you watched the first two seasons, he’s just been a man that’s trying to find his happiness, get his family together and be in a place where he’s safe with his family. Well now he has found that place, and he’s found a place of happiness and he’s found a place that he can respect and feel good about moving forward. He’s in a place where he is only doing the right thing. He wants to do the right thing and live the right way and but of course it’s interrupted when Lincoln finds him and requests his help. And he obviously wants to do the right thing and he goes along for the ride, and does as best as he can, to help out the situation at hand.
Was there anything particularly challenging about bringing this character back to life?
RD: I wouldn’t necessarily say challenging. There’s some things that are different that kinda… basically, perks me up. I will be speaking in a different tongue for a little bit. I had some great help on set with hitting the words right and getting the meaning and everything together. So hopefully the fans and the people who, that is their natural tongue, will respect my attempt to bring the respect and dignity that the language deserves.
How did filming in such an exotic locale like Morocco help drive the narrative?
RD: You know, I have to tell you, we started filming in Vancouver. We were filming with two different crews at the same time. When I first heard that we were going to go to Morocco to shoot on location for about a month, I have a family, my wife is back home with the kids, and I’m thinking, “Gosh, why can’t we just shoot in Vegas, just go to the desert.” And as soon as I landed in Morocco, I had to find Paul Scheuring and the rest of the producers and apologize for even thinking that Vegas could even bring the type of standard that they were trying to find, which they did find in Morocco. It’s such a beautiful place. The people are warm and welcoming. The food was amazing. The heat was the only issue that I found to be a little bit of a challenge. But the locations that we have for this storyline really uplift the storyline. It brings it to that standard of quality that we had for the first and second season. I think the fans are just gonna be overwhelmed with excitement with the action and the locations. It was just a beautiful situation. I’ll go back to Morocco in a heartbeat to shoot.
Fans love how action packed this series is — how grueling is your shooting schedule?
RD: The days aren’t really challenging. It becomes hard when you’re working with people who don’t want to be there. There’s a great love affair on ‘Prison Break.’ We had actors come from all around the world to help us put this show together. I loved working on this project. I have friends that I’ll absolutely have for a lifetime. So that made everything easy. It made it a pleasure to go on set and work in 115 degree weather. The background artists who were helping out in Morocco were the best I’ve ever worked with. It was a pleasure all a way around.
Any guest stars you can name drop?
RD: I was told not to say too much, you see I’m like…dancing around most of the questions without being too specific, (laughs).
Lastly, audiences have come to know you from some of your roles on many amazing drama series. What is it about the drama genre that appeals to you the most as an actor?
RD: It’s something from my childhood, I guess. It wasn’t the best childhood. It was a lot of drama, so I can relate to that. I know where it comes from. My instrument can tap into those emotions very quickly, but quiet as kept, I think I have a great eye for comedy, just really haven’t been offered the right role to showcase the talent, that’s all.
Catch Rockmond Dunbar on “Prison Break” Tuesdays at 9/8c on FOX.
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
