Alcatraz Cast and Characters in the TV Show

The new Alcatraz TV show centres around the mysterious disappearance of the Alcatraz prisoners over 50 earlier.

The general public believes Alcatraz was shut down because of rising running costs but the truth is very different. The truth is that the prisoners of Alcatraz disappeared, along with the staff members who were working at the time. No one knows what exactly happened that fateful evening on Alcatraz but now these criminals are returning and they haven't aged a day. A team is assembled to hunt these criminals and also to determine where they have been and why they are coming back.

There are lots of characters in Alcatraz mainly because the show switches back and forth between what is happening present day versus what happened when Alcatraz was used as a prison. There are over 300 missing inmates and approximately 40 missing guards. We haven't met all of these characters yet, and I am not saying we will, but it can get pretty confusing. Hopefullly this guide on the Alcatraz cast and characters will clear the confusion and will be updated as we meet more of the returning prisoners.

Please continue reading if you would like more information on the Alcatraz cast and characters and some of their motives.

Sam Neill plays Emerson Hauser.

Emerson Hauser is a FBI agent who works for a small secretive team who are in charge of recapturing the Alcatraz prisoners that disappeared in the 1960's. Emerson leads the team as he was originally a guard on Alcatraz. He was young and inexperienced and was the guard that raised the alarm that something was wrong at Alcatraz.

Present day Emerson is grouchy and generally impatient. However, his younger self is happier and was in love with Dr. Lucy Banerjee. They had a relationship.

However, Hauser clearly knows more than he is sharing. He keeps most of his team in the dark and is unwilling to share all the information or theories he has. It is unclear why he is keeping them at arms length, but hopefully it will become clearer as the show continues.

Sam Neill has been in so many productions that it's beyond belief. His most memorable roles have included Cardinal Thomas Wolsey in The Tudors, Merlin in the Merlin two part TV series, the crazy Doctor in Event Horizon and of course his reoccurring role in the Jurassic Park movies.

Sarah Jones plays Rebecca Madsen.

Rebecca Madsen was a homicide detective in San Francisco and lost her Partner while on the job. While searching for the criminal who killed her Partner she comes across an interesting murder case, where she is given the brush off by Emerson Hauser. Undetered, she follows the clues and uncovers the Alcatraz conspiracy. Hauser is forced to bring her into his team, where he will have more control over her actions.

Rebecca is an orphan and was raised Ray Archer. She soon finds out that he is actually her Great Uncle and that his brother, her grandfather, was actually a convict imprisoned in Alcatraz. Her whole life Rebecca was told her grandfather was an Alcatraz guard. She also recognizes her grandfather as the man responsible for the death of her Partner.

Madsen slowly chips away at the clues and comes to realize that Hauser isn't telling them everything. She begins to wonder if she is a member of the secret team because she is a descendant of Tommy Madsen or if it's a way for Hauser to get closer to Ray.

Sarah Jones has appeared in a number of TV shows including Sons of Anarchy, The Riches and Big Love.

Jorge Garcia plays Dr. Diego Soto, but everyone calls him Doc.

Doc is the third member of the secret team hunting the returning Alcatraz prisoners. Although he has no formal police training he is integral to the team, since he wrote 2 novels concerning the inmates of Alcatraz. He knows each criminals history intimately which makes it easier for him to recognize a crime that is likely to have been committed by a former Alcatraz inmate. He works closely with Rebecca to track and apprehend them.

Doc is easily excitable, but is normally fairly timid. He loves comic books and runs a comic book store. Sometimes people ignore his thoughts and opinions as he acts like he's in another world and has a lot of crazy theories. However, he is generally very helpful and is a nice guy, but could benefit from standing up for himself more frequently.

Doc was also kidnapped as a child. This has had an effect on his personality and gives him insight into criminals and how their minds work.

Jorge Garcia had his breakout role in the long running TV series Lost, where he played Hurley; a man obsessed with the numbers.

Jeananne Goossen plays the Medical Examiner called Nikki.

Nikki is a friend of Rebecca's and also carries out autoptsies to find out how or why people died. She comes in regular contact with Rebecca and Doc and is also a big fan of comics and comic book characters. When she takes off her work clothes she usually has a t-shirt on with a comic book character on the front.

Nikki is beginning to wonder exactly what Rebecca and Doc's team investigate.

Nikki could well be a possible love interest for Doc and she has already asked him out on a date.

Jeananne Goossen has been in a number of TV cop drama's including NCIS and CSI: NY. She is most known for her role in sci-fi thriller Riverworld.

Parminder Nagra plays Lucy in both the past and the present.

In the past, she was known as Doctor Sengupta and treated the criminals in Alcatraz. She is a psychiatrist and tried to help them as much as she could. A lot of her work was cutting edge and different from the normal methods emplyed at the time.

In the present, she is known as Lucy Banerjee and is a member of Hauser's team until she is shot, sending her into a coma.

Lucy also hasn't aged and is still in love with Hauser. However, he's not the same man after all these years have passed.

Parminder Nagra's break out role came from playing the lead role in Bend It Like Beckham. She's grown up a lot since then and was in ER for over 5 years, where she also played a Doctor.

Leon Rippy plays Doctor Milton Beauregard.

Doctor Beauregard is an old man at Alcatraz that is the head physician. He stitches the prisoners back up and is upset when Doctor Sengupta begins working at Alcatraz.

He follows the orders of the Warden and very rarely questions those orders. He is a relatively simple man and continues to work with Hauser in the present day in the new Alcatraz like facility. He also has no idea as to what happened or how he has not aged. Then again, if he had aged he would have been dead by now.

The Doctor has realized that the returning prisoners have colloidal silver in their blood that gives them special healing properties.

Leon Rippy is a well known actor. His most recent roles have included Leverage, Saving Grace and Deadwood.

Robert Forster plays Ray Archer.

Ray Archer was a guard at Alcatraz and raised Rebecca Madsen after her parents died. He told Rebecca that he was close with her grandfather Tommy Madsen and that they were guards together at Alcatraz.

The truth is Ray is actually Tommy's younger brother and is therefore actually Rebecca's Great Uncle. Ray changed his name from Madsen to Archer so he could work at Alcatraz as a guard. He never believed that Tommy was guilty and had a plan to break him out of Alcatraz. However, plans don't always work out the way you think they will.

Modern day Ray is a bar tender and refuses to join Hauser's team.

I was scratching my head trying to figure out from where I recognized Robert Forster. He played the evil father, Arthur Petrelli, of Nathan and Peter Petrelli in Heroes. He has had a long career in TV and film.

Jason Butler Harner as the Deputy Warden, E.B. Tiller

E.B. pretty much runs Alcatraz under the guidance of the Warden. He is sneaky and sly and sticks his nose in everywhere. He thinks the Warden is easy to fool, which results in him getting his knuckles wrapped every so often. He thinks he can outsmart the Warden. He has no idea what the Warden is really up because while E.B. is playing the short game, he's ignorant that there is a long game.

In the present day, the Deputy Warden has retired. He is not one of the missing inmates. One of the first returning inmates ends his retirement rather abruptly.

Jason Butler was in Changeling and has been in a number of TV and movies.

Jonny Coyne plays Edwin James.

He is the Warden of Alcatraz before the inmates disappear and he seems to be the only one that actually knows what's fully going on. On the surface, he seems a soft touch. he encourages some inmates while he tortures others. He also seems unaware of events, but this isn't the case. He's aware of everything that goes on at Alcatraz, he just doesn't show his cards until he can make use of them.

The Warden of Alcatraz has a set of keys that he never lets out his sight. The keys are the only way to gain access to a secret door under the prison facility.

The Warden seems to be behind everything that is happening at Alcatraz. He is playing the long game and no one else has figured out what that game is yet.

Jonny Coyne is also a British actor and was a cast regular in The Bill for over 10 years.

Jeffrey Pierce plays Jack Sylvane.

Jack is one of the missing Alcatraz convicts and is the first one to be apprehended by Hauser and his team.

Before Jack is taken into custody he kills someone and steals a key. The key looks like one of the two keys that the old Warden of Alcatraz never let out of his sight. Jack has no idea why he killed the man with the key or even why he was there.

Jack has not aged in the intervening years since his disappearance from Alcatraz and this is the case with all the prisoners that disappeared.

Jack is being held in a secret Alcatraz like facility by Hauser. He is questioned but he has no idea what happened that night at Alcatraz or how he hasn't aged. He has no idea where he has been either, but is aware he has missed his whole life.

Jeffrey Pierce has been in a number of shows including CSI, NCIS, Castle and The Nine. He also does a lot of voice overs for computer games and computer game characters.

David Hoflin plays Tommy Madsen.

Tommy Madsen is imprisoned in Alcatraz for killing his wife. His brother doesn't believe that he did it and he might be right.

Strange things are happening to Tommy in Alcataraz. He is constantly in the infirmary having his blood taken. No-one will tell him why his blood is being taken and he knows he isn't sick. Even the doctors don't know why it's so important to take his blood, but continue to follow the Warden commands.

Fast forward to the present and Tommy seems to be on a mission. He kills his grand-daughters police partner and keeps popping up at what initially seems to be random events. Tommy knows more than the task force who are trying to find him, but he's not an easy man to find.

David Hoflin is Australian and is well known as Oliver Barnes in Aussie Soap, Neighbours. Other TV shows he's been a regular in include Ocean Girl and Head Start.

Steven Grayhm as Harlan Simmons.

Harlan Simmons seems really young to be an inmate of Alcatraz. He uses his youthful appearance to con more experienced convicts in Alcatraz and becomes the go to person for contraband. When the Warden finds out about how he played other hardened criminals he brings him into the fold and shows him what's behind the secret door in the dungeon.

The Warden then manages to get Harlan out of Alcatraz early on parole, in exchange for a favor in the future. Harlan agrees, but fails to meet his end of the bargain when it counts.

Since Harlan was released early from Alcatraz, we can only assume that he has aged liked the rest the population. However, we have never met him in the present and he seems to have the right people's ear.

He owns a Bank and is a very affluent man. Although Hauser would love to question him, he has been unable to do so. Harlan has connections to the military and the President of the United States. If Harlan doesn't want to see you, then you have no chance of seeing him.

Steven Grayhm has appeared in Hellcats, Seven Deadly Sins and Smallville.

Each episode of Alcatraz has developed the storyline and mystery further. More characters are introduced in the form of returning criminals, Alcatraz staff or related family members.

As we get deeper into the story the tale deepens and becomes more mysterious. The Alcatarz cast and characters are the ones who make the audience interested in this mystery and make us want to continue.

Although Alcatraz is a science fiction TV show, it is mostly character driven. So far there haven't been aliens or other wacky science stuff. The mystique has surrounded the characters of Alcatraz and what has motivated their actions and what the Warden's end game is.

Many of the cast and characters won't survive to see the end game revealed, that is clear. A number of the returning criminals have already met a grizzley end. However, there are still plenty of returning inmates to find, so there are lots of new characters to meet and to keep the storyline moving.

There are two characters that we have failed to see so far in the present, and those are the two characters that seem to know the most about what is actually going on. Until we see the return of the Warden and Harlan Simmons, we won't get any further into what is really going on.

Sadly, none of your favorite Alcatraz convicts will be returning to our screens as Alcatraz is on the list of cancelled TV shows 2012.