Bowdoin College grad to reprise role in revival of TV drama ‘Prison Break’

The announcement that the popular television drama “Prison Break” would be returning after six years off the air has stirred speculation about which of the original actors would have the interest and availability to reprise their old roles.

Of course, stars Dominic Purcell and Wentworth Miller — who play a man framed for murder and the brother trying to clear his name, respectively — will be back.

But while a number of other actors had also been publicly announced as returning in recent months, fans of the show had to wait until this week for confirmation that one crucial player — Bowdoin College graduate Paul Adelstein — would come back.

Adelstein, 46, plays a villainous secret service agent-turned-politician who was involved in the murder conspiracy that ultimately put Purcell’s patsy character in the slammer.

“Prison Break” ran for four years, from 2005 to 2009, on Fox, which will revive the series with nine new episodes to reportedly begin filming next month.

Adelstein, a 1991 graduate of the Brunswick liberal arts college, is also well known for his roles on ABC dramas “Private Practice” and “Scandal,” as well as the new Bravo show “Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce.”

Adelstein isn’t the only Polar Bear working on the small screen. Comedian and actor Hayes MacArthur, of the class of ’99, is starring on the TBS police comedy “Angie Tribeca,” while ’09 grad Sean Kleier appears on the Bravo adaptation of the humor novel “Momzillas.”

Featured main page photo of “Prison Break” cast members and executive producer by Flickr user watchwithkristin, used under Creative Commons license.