Prison Break: A look back (Sona)

This is my last time on set for season 2. This is the last episode of the season and it was a short scene for me. My time on season two has come full circle. I was approached by casting to play a Prison Guard in the Panamanian Prison, Sona. Which coincidently is the name of the episode, Sona. At first I was a little concerned about performing in that role. Simply because of how the episode in Mexico was. But of course I said yes. I mean, who would really say no here?

The scene took place in the worst of the worst prisons in the world The Federal Penitentiary of Sona, which was loosely based on the Brazilian prison Carandiru Penitentiary. “Sona Prison” was actually three locations. The old meat packing plant behind the Ft. Worth Stockyards (for the exterior shots), A child detention center off of Harry Hines Blvd. in Dallas (for the courtyard shots), & The Studios of Las Colinas (for the cells and interior shots). I arrived at base camp in the evening around six pm. Base camp this time was located in the Fort Worth Stockyards in the parking lot not far from one of my favorite BBQ restaurants Risky’s BBQ. After I parked I made my way to the casting assistant and checked in. I then made my way to wardrobe and props. I got dressed in my uniform and propped up with an AK-47 machine gun. The cool thing about this production is that the guns were real guns. Just made so that they can’t be fired.

While waiting for them to set up the cameras and everything. I was walking around and had seen Bill Fichtner walking around the parking lot. I had been a fan of his since Grace Under Fire. I had only worked with him on two other episodes of PB and he was usually so busy I didn’t want to bother him. So I didn’t want to miss an opportunity since this could be my last episode on the show. So I asked him if he would sign an autograph for me. He said “Sure do you have a photo or something”? I said it was in my car. He said “go get it and I’ll sign it before we start”. So I went to my truck and got the pic and he signed it. Luckily he signed it when he did, because right when I took it back to my truck we had to go to set.

The set wasn’t that far away and we could have easily just walked over. But we all got in the van and they shuttled us over there. It didn’t take that long to get there and we got out of the van and Kevin Hooks came over and went over the scene with us. The scene was that Scofield and Mahone (Wentworth and Bill) have been taken into custody and are being placed in Sona Prison. Right as Kevin finished talking to us in came two huge tanker trucks full of water. They parked them out of the way of the cameras and nighttime had completely fallen so it was totally dark. They hooked up the rain rig to the trucks. The scene was two different “Sona” vans pulled up. One carrying Scofield and the other Mahone. They get out and see each other. Mahone went one way and Scofield was escorted to the door. Where yours truly was waiting, machine gun in hand, to open the door and slam it behind him.

It was a very quick scene, only lasting a few hours. But let me tell you, with the “rain” pouring down, it made it feel a lot longer than it was. That water was freezing. But I did get paid more for getting wet. To help pass the time in between shots, Wentworth and I were looking inside the building. We actually only used the outside of it, so we didn’t need to go in. But while waiting to set up another angle, we went in a little to check it out. Since we weren’t filming inside, there were no lights. So you could only see as far as the outside lights would shine in. Man it was creepy. All concrete and graffiti all over the place. You get that chill coming over like someone was watching you. They set up to get the shot of Scofield going in and me slamming the steel door (wasn’t really steel. Sound effects added later lol) and then they panned up to the name of the prison above the door. Kevin did about four takes of that then we hear “Cut! Check the gate”. Shot was good. “Cut the water” he said then starts clapping. “Great job everyone”. Then they bring us all towels and we dry off as much as we can then head back to wardrobe. Another successful day.

I’ll probably only do one more of these. The next day I’m on set is for the first episode of season three and there is a pretty cool tie up of the last episode of season 2 and the first of season 3.