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{{work}}
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{{Characters need descriptions}}

Characters from ''[[{{TOPLEVELPAGE}}]]'' include:
== Main Cast ==
== Main Cast ==


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A Harvard-educated lawyer who fell to alcoholism, killing a young girl while driving drunk. Spends the first season of the show being repeatedly raped by his cellmate, which he suffers without complaint due to his belief that he deserves to be tortured this way as punishment for his crimes. However, he ultimately stands up for himself and ends up spending the rest of the series fighting to survive.
A Harvard-educated lawyer who fell to alcoholism, killing a young girl while driving drunk. Spends the first season of the show being repeatedly raped by his cellmate, which he suffers without complaint due to his belief that he deserves to be tortured this way as punishment for his crimes. However, he ultimately stands up for himself and ends up spending the rest of the series fighting to survive.
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
----
* [[The Alcoholic]]: The whole reason he is in OZ.
* [[The Alcoholic]]: The whole reason he is in OZ.
* [[Badass Pacifist]]: Later on.
* [[Badass Pacifist]]: Later on.
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An [[The Irish Mob|Irish-American career criminal]] who serves as an Iago-figure, pitting the various gangs and cliques within Oz against each other for the purposes of surviving. The embodiment of the [[Magnificent Bastard]], ANYONE is expendable in the eyes of O'Reily; {{spoiler|even his brain damaged brother Cyril, who ends up in jail after [[Murder the Hypotenuse|killing a man for Ryan]], and later sentenced to death for killing another.}}
An [[The Irish Mob|Irish-American career criminal]] who serves as an Iago-figure, pitting the various gangs and cliques within Oz against each other for the purposes of surviving. The embodiment of the [[Magnificent Bastard]], ANYONE is expendable in the eyes of O'Reily; {{spoiler|even his brain damaged brother Cyril, who ends up in jail after [[Murder the Hypotenuse|killing a man for Ryan]], and later sentenced to death for killing another.}}
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
----
* [[Abusive Parents]]: His childhood was pretty horrible.
* [[Abusive Parents]]: His childhood was pretty horrible.
* [[Affably Evil]]
* [[Affably Evil]]
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A prisoner who uses a wheelchair who also serves as the show's surrealistic narrator, breaking the fourth wall by talking to the audience about the themes of each episode (often serving as a vehicle for beliefs of the show's creator). He also introduces every prisoner, and informs us of their crime and sentence. Note that Hill the narrator is a separate entity from Hill the in-show character, as they apparently aren't the "same" person; as the last season implies that narrator-Hill is * {{spoiler|Hill's ghost, narrating the show from the afterlife after dying. In the final season, other deceased characters, including Dino Ortolani, Antonio Nappa and Jefferson Keane take turns narrating episodes as well.}}
A prisoner who uses a wheelchair who also serves as the show's surrealistic narrator, breaking the fourth wall by talking to the audience about the themes of each episode (often serving as a vehicle for beliefs of the show's creator). He also introduces every prisoner, and informs us of their crime and sentence. Note that Hill the narrator is a separate entity from Hill the in-show character, as they apparently aren't the "same" person; as the last season implies that narrator-Hill is * {{spoiler|Hill's ghost, narrating the show from the afterlife after dying. In the final season, other deceased characters, including Dino Ortolani, Antonio Nappa and Jefferson Keane take turns narrating episodes as well.}}
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
----
* [[The Atoner]]
* [[The Atoner]]
* [[Butt Monkey]]
* [[Butt Monkey]]
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The leader of the Black Muslims. Said starts out as a rabble-rouser, whose disdain for the poor treatment of blacks within society puts him at odds with the staff of the prison, but after triggering a riot that leads to many deaths within the prison, Said finds himself having to reconcile his beliefs with his faith and consequences of his shit-stirring.
The leader of the Black Muslims. Said starts out as a rabble-rouser, whose disdain for the poor treatment of blacks within society puts him at odds with the staff of the prison, but after triggering a riot that leads to many deaths within the prison, Said finds himself having to reconcile his beliefs with his faith and consequences of his shit-stirring.
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
----
* [[Achilles in His Tent]]: At one point, he actively mopes after turning to the dark side ("Adebisi Lives!"), and it takes a great deal of effort to get him back in the game.
* [[Achilles in His Tent]]: At one point, he actively mopes after turning to the dark side ("Adebisi Lives!"), and it takes a great deal of effort to get him back in the game.
* [[Affably Evil]]: Prior to his [[Heel Face Turn]].
* [[Affably Evil]]: Prior to his [[Heel Face Turn]].
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The sexually sadistic leader of the Aryans, whose incredibly heated vendetta against his former rape victim Tobias Beecher drives a lot of the conflict during the show's run.
The sexually sadistic leader of the Aryans, whose incredibly heated vendetta against his former rape victim Tobias Beecher drives a lot of the conflict during the show's run.
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
----
* [[And There Was Much Rejoicing]]: His death during the play is met with [[Crowning Moment of Funny|deafening applause]].
* [[And There Was Much Rejoicing]]: His death during the play is met with [[Crowning Moment of Funny|deafening applause]].
* [[Bald of Evil]]
* [[Bald of Evil]]
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A low-level gangster who through his friendship with Ryan O'Reily (and several deaths) takes over the main black gang within Oz. Originally amoral, Adebisi slides into total villainy after his attempts to reform are squashed by his underlings and he is framed for the murder of an elderly inmate he befriended. Soon enough {{spoiler|he begins a massive [[Plan]] to become the undisputed kingpin of the entire prison and pretty much succeeding until Said exposes his scheme and has to kill him}}.
A low-level gangster who through his friendship with Ryan O'Reily (and several deaths) takes over the main black gang within Oz. Originally amoral, Adebisi slides into total villainy after his attempts to reform are squashed by his underlings and he is framed for the murder of an elderly inmate he befriended. Soon enough {{spoiler|he begins a massive [[Plan]] to become the undisputed kingpin of the entire prison and pretty much succeeding until Said exposes his scheme and has to kill him}}.
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
----
* [[Affably Evil]]: Can be a pretty easy going guy if you don't get on his bad side.
* [[Affably Evil]]: Can be a pretty easy going guy if you don't get on his bad side.
* [[Ax Crazy]]
* [[Ax Crazy]]
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The main Latino prisoner of the show. A loser whose father and grandfather are both imprisoned in Oz, Alvarez spends most of the series being driven to madness by the prison staff via being put into solitary confinement (though he [[Asshole Victim|pretty much deserves it]], seeing as he {{spoiler|gouged out the eyes of a prison guard in a desperate bid to avoid being expelled from the main Latino prison gang, due to his light skin and semi-Caucasian looks.}}
The main Latino prisoner of the show. A loser whose father and grandfather are both imprisoned in Oz, Alvarez spends most of the series being driven to madness by the prison staff via being put into solitary confinement (though he [[Asshole Victim|pretty much deserves it]], seeing as he {{spoiler|gouged out the eyes of a prison guard in a desperate bid to avoid being expelled from the main Latino prison gang, due to his light skin and semi-Caucasian looks.}}
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
----
* [[The Atoner]]
* [[The Atoner]]
* [[Badass]]
* [[Badass]]
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The idealistic creator and manager of Em City, who strives for a perfect rehabilitation system without conflict or violence, despite the concerns of others who feel that that may be an impossible dream.
The idealistic creator and manager of Em City, who strives for a perfect rehabilitation system without conflict or violence, despite the concerns of others who feel that that may be an impossible dream.
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
----
* [[Butt Monkey]]: Things just seem to conspire against him.
* [[Butt Monkey]]: Things just seem to conspire against him.
* [[Deadpan Snarker]]: Its usually the only way he can keep his sanity.
* [[Deadpan Snarker]]: Its usually the only way he can keep his sanity.
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The warden of the prison. Though presented as the fair and honest caretaker of the prison, over the course of the series Glynn goes slowly mad with power as his political ambitions, family crisises (most notably his daughter's rape), and various other conflicts pop up in his job as warden.
The warden of the prison. Though presented as the fair and honest caretaker of the prison, over the course of the series Glynn goes slowly mad with power as his political ambitions, family crisises (most notably his daughter's rape), and various other conflicts pop up in his job as warden.
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
----
* [[Ambition Is Evil]]
* [[Ambition Is Evil]]
* [[Badass in Charge]]
* [[Badass in Charge]]
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The prison psychologist and nun who runs the prison's drug rehabilitation program. Though a truly good person, she suffers from various crises of faith over the course of the show, over issues such as the death penalty and her personal life (mainly the unresolved mystery of the murder of her husband and, after several tense sessions with Chris Keller, her vows as a nun after Keller tries to seduce her).
The prison psychologist and nun who runs the prison's drug rehabilitation program. Though a truly good person, she suffers from various crises of faith over the course of the show, over issues such as the death penalty and her personal life (mainly the unresolved mystery of the murder of her husband and, after several tense sessions with Chris Keller, her vows as a nun after Keller tries to seduce her).
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
----
* [[Deadpan Snarker]]
* [[Deadpan Snarker]]
* [[Grandma, What Massive Hotness You Have!]]: The reaction of many inmates towards her. A small group actually voted her the hottest woman in the prison.
* [[Grandma, What Massive Hotness You Have!]]: The reaction of many inmates towards her. A small group actually voted her the hottest woman in the prison.
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* [[Team Mom]]
* [[Team Mom]]



----


== The Aryans/Bikers ==
== The Aryans/Bikers ==
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A drug dealer, old friend of Schillinger and leader of the Bikers. He has a past connection to Wittlesy, and is disliked heavily by almost everyone.
A drug dealer, old friend of Schillinger and leader of the Bikers. He has a past connection to Wittlesy, and is disliked heavily by almost everyone.
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
----
* [[Anything That Moves]]
* [[Anything That Moves]]
* [[Depraved Bisexual]]
* [[Depraved Bisexual]]
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One of the more prominent biker characters, he is often allied with the Aryans.
One of the more prominent biker characters, he is often allied with the Aryans.
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
----
* [[Ax Crazy]]
* [[Ax Crazy]]
* [[Boisterous Bruiser]]
* [[Boisterous Bruiser]]
* [[The Brute]]
* [[The Brute]]
* [[Even Evil Has Standards]] Set up the donation for Rebadow's family.
* [[Hidden Depths]]: He dropped out of Harvard and comes from a very wealthy family.
* [[Hidden Depths]]: He dropped out of Harvard and comes from a very wealthy family.
* [[Undying Loyalty]] While on death row he still refuses to implicate any of his friends in attacking Cloutier.
* [[Sanity Slippage]]
* [[Sanity Slippage]]


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One of the Aryan leaders and Schillinger's closest friend.
One of the Aryan leaders and Schillinger's closest friend.
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
----
* [[Ascended Extra]]
* [[Ascended Extra]]
* [[Asshole Victim]]: Quite literally.
* [[Asshole Victim]]: Quite literally.
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An Aryan-Biker with a sadistic sexual appetite.
An Aryan-Biker with a sadistic sexual appetite.
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
----
* [[Bondage Is Bad]]
* [[Bondage Is Bad]]
* [[Politically-Incorrect Villain]]
* [[Politically-Incorrect Villain]]
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Schillinger's youngest son and drug addict.
Schillinger's youngest son and drug addict.
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
----
* [[Butt Monkey]]
* [[Butt Monkey]]
* [["The Reason You Suck" Speech]]: Delivered a devastating one to his father after kicking his drug habit.
* [["The Reason You Suck" Speech]]: Delivered a devastating one to his father after kicking his drug habit.
* [["Well Done, Son" Guy]]: Averted hard.
* [["Well Done, Son" Guy]]: Averted hard.



----


== The Homeboys ==
== The Homeboys ==
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The original leader of the Homeboys. A deeply troubled man, he converts to Islam after meeting Kareem Said.
The original leader of the Homeboys. A deeply troubled man, he converts to Islam after meeting Kareem Said.
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
----
* [[The Atoner]]
* [[The Atoner]]
* [[Being Good Sucks]]: Though his conversion to Islam brought him inner peace, it lost control of his gang to the maniacal Adebisi.
* [[Being Good Sucks]]: Though his conversion to Islam brought him inner peace, it lost control of his gang to the maniacal Adebisi.
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A 16-year-old inmate who quickly becomes a member of the Homeboys.
A 16-year-old inmate who quickly becomes a member of the Homeboys.
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
----
* [[Big Bad Wannabe]]: He tries to convince others to call him 'Bricks', acts like a big shot, and thinks he's a badass. In reality, he's a pathetic pawn of more powerful inmates.
* [[Big Bad Wannabe]]: He tries to convince others to call him 'Bricks', acts like a big shot, and thinks he's a badass. In reality, he's a pathetic pawn of more powerful inmates.
* [[The Bully]]
* [[The Bully]]
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=== Johnny Post ===
=== Johnny Post ===
{{quote|'''Played By:''' Tim McAdams}}
{{quote|'''Played By:''' Tim McAdams}}

----
'''A description of the character goes here.'''
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
* [[Defiant to the End]]
* [[Defiant to the End]]
* [[Kill It with Fire]]
* [[Kill It with Fire]]
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=== Malcolm Coyle ===
=== Malcolm Coyle ===
{{quote|'''Played By:''' Treach}}
{{quote|'''Played By:''' Treach}}

----
'''A description of the character goes here.'''
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
* [[Bald of Evil]]
* [[Bald of Evil]]
* [[For the Evulz]]: Why he committed the murders.
* [[For the Evulz]]: Why he committed the murders.
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A high-ranked Homeboy who writes and performs poetry.
A high-ranked Homeboy who writes and performs poetry.
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
----
* [[The Cast Showoff]]: muMs the Schemer wrote every one of the poems his character recited.
* [[The Cast Showoff]]: muMs the Schemer wrote every one of the poems his character recited.
* [[Chronic Villainy]]
* [[Chronic Villainy]]
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{{quote|'''Played By:''' Michael Wright
{{quote|'''Played By:''' Michael Wright
''"I ain't no drug abuser. Truth is, I treat my drugs better than most."'' }}
''"I ain't no drug abuser. Truth is, I treat my drugs better than most."'' }}

----
'''A description of the character goes here.'''
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
* [[Butt Monkey]]
* [[Butt Monkey]]
* [[Talkative Loon]]
* [[Talkative Loon]]
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A half-crazed Vietnam vet who ran the streets where Augustus Hill grew up in, and acted as a foster father to the boy. He eventually controls the Homeboys post-Adebisi. A lot of what befalls Augustus is Burr's fault.
A half-crazed Vietnam vet who ran the streets where Augustus Hill grew up in, and acted as a foster father to the boy. He eventually controls the Homeboys post-Adebisi. A lot of what befalls Augustus is Burr's fault.
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
----
* [[Affably Evil]]
* [[Affably Evil]]
* [[The Atoner]]: After {{spoiler|Augustus is killed.}}
* [[The Atoner]]: After {{spoiler|Augustus is killed.}}
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* [[Well-Intentioned Extremist]]: His attempts to get the Homeboys to stop selling drugs are a bit... extreme, to say the least.
* [[Well-Intentioned Extremist]]: His attempts to get the Homeboys to stop selling drugs are a bit... extreme, to say the least.



----


== The Italians ==
== The Italians ==
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A hot-tempered and self-destructive Italian who becomes Beecher's sponsor.
A hot-tempered and self-destructive Italian who becomes Beecher's sponsor.
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
----
* [[Decoy Protagonist]]: Writer Tom Fontana had to argue for this, as it was unheard of to focus on one major character, only to kill him in the first episode.
* [[Decoy Protagonist]]: Writer Tom Fontana had to argue for this, as it was unheard of to focus on one major character, only to kill him in the first episode.
* [[Hair-Trigger Temper]]
* [[Hair-Trigger Temper]]
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A mob boss and initial leader of the Italians.
A mob boss and initial leader of the Italians.
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
----
* [[Affably Evil]]: He's quite polite and cultured most of the time.
* [[Affably Evil]]: He's quite polite and cultured most of the time.
* [[Cruel and Unusual Death]]: He inflicts these, and is also a victim of it.
* [[Cruel and Unusual Death]]: He inflicts these, and is also a victim of it.
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The son of Nino, Peter is handed the Italian leadership but is unable to keep it.
The son of Nino, Peter is handed the Italian leadership but is unable to keep it.
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
----
* [[Big Bad Wannabe]]
* [[Big Bad Wannabe]]
* [[Break the Haughty]]
* [[Break the Haughty]]
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Replaces the Schibetta leadership, and is far more old-school and thoughtful than Nino or Peter.
Replaces the Schibetta leadership, and is far more old-school and thoughtful than Nino or Peter.
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
----
* [[Affably Evil]]
* [[Affably Evil]]
* [[Badass Grandpa]]
* [[Badass Grandpa]]
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The Italian muscle who slowly rises to become leader through circumstance.
The Italian muscle who slowly rises to become leader through circumstance.
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
----
* [[Affably Evil]]
* [[Affably Evil]]
* [[Ascended Extra]]: Went from being a heavy that followed Peter Schibetta around without saying much to a very prominant character.
* [[Ascended Extra]]: Went from being a heavy that followed Peter Schibetta around without saying much to a very prominant character.
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* [[The Ditz]]: Noticeably less intelligent than O'Reilly or Adebisi.
* [[The Ditz]]: Noticeably less intelligent than O'Reilly or Adebisi.



----


== The Irish ==
== The Irish ==
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{{quote|'''Played By:''' Scott William Winters}}
{{quote|'''Played By:''' Scott William Winters}}
Ryan O'Reily's mentally-retarded younger brother, who suffered a head injury protecting Ryan and now requires constant supervision. An honest and good-hearted person, he is prone to outbursts of complete rage and is easy to fool -- a bad combo in a place like Oz, which is full of [[Manipulative Bastard]] types.
Ryan O'Reily's mentally-retarded younger brother, who suffered a head injury protecting Ryan and now requires constant supervision. An honest and good-hearted person, he is prone to outbursts of complete rage and is easy to fool -- a bad combo in a place like Oz, which is full of [[Manipulative Bastard]] types.
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
----
* [[Badass Long Hair]]
* [[Badass Long Hair]]
* [[Beware the Nice Ones]]: He's indearingly innocent most of the time. But when he goes off, its best to be somewhere else.
* [[Beware the Nice Ones]]: He's indearingly innocent most of the time. But when he goes off, its best to be somewhere else.
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An Irish inmate who undergoes several religious conversions following a meeting with Jeremiah Cloutier.
An Irish inmate who undergoes several religious conversions following a meeting with Jeremiah Cloutier.
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
----
* [[A God Am I|ADevilAmI]]
* [[A God Am I|ADevilAmI]]
* [[Ascended Extra]]: Pretty much existed as an O'Reily subordinate who saw Shirley Bellinger's vagina before getting a major role in Seasons 4 through 6.
* [[Ascended Extra]]: Pretty much existed as an O'Reily subordinate who saw Shirley Bellinger's vagina before getting a major role in Seasons 4 through 6.
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* [[Would Hurt a Child]]
* [[Would Hurt a Child]]



----


== The Latinos ==
== The Latinos ==
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A legendary Latino gangster, he takes over the gang from Alvarez and immediately ostracizes him for his Caucasian-like features. He controls his third of the drug trade with a respected iron fist, but eventually lack of success in offing Alvarez gets to him, and he goes nuts.
A legendary Latino gangster, he takes over the gang from Alvarez and immediately ostracizes him for his Caucasian-like features. He controls his third of the drug trade with a respected iron fist, but eventually lack of success in offing Alvarez gets to him, and he goes nuts.
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
----
* [[Badass]]
* [[Badass]]


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A highly intelligent and powerful inmate who quickly becomes the Latino leader.
A highly intelligent and powerful inmate who quickly becomes the Latino leader.
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
----
* [[Affably Evil]]
* [[Affably Evil]]
* [[Badass in Charge]]
* [[Badass in Charge]]
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=== Carmen "Chico" Guerra ===
=== Carmen "Chico" Guerra ===
'''A description of the character goes here.'''
----
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
* [[Ascended Extra]]: The only other Latino character to survive all the way through the show, outliving several other extras with no lines.
* [[Ascended Extra]]: The only other Latino character to survive all the way through the show, outliving several other extras with no lines.
* [[Flat Character]]: He pretty much exists to taunt Alvarez time and again, and cozy up to whomever is leading the Latinos at the moment.
* [[Flat Character]]: He pretty much exists to taunt Alvarez time and again, and cozy up to whomever is leading the Latinos at the moment.



----


== The Christians ==
== The Christians ==

----


=== Jeremiah Cloutier ===
=== Jeremiah Cloutier ===
{{quote|'''Played By:''' Luke Perry}}
{{quote|'''Played By:''' Luke Perry}}

----
'''A description of the character goes here.'''
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
* [[And I Must Scream]]
* [[And I Must Scream]]
* [[Anti-Villain]]
* [[Anti-Villain]]
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=== William Cudney ===
=== William Cudney ===
{{quote|'''Played By:''' Will Cote}}
{{quote|'''Played By:''' Will Cote}}

----
'''A description of the character goes here.'''
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
* [[Even Evil Has Standards]]: O'Reilly is sickened by him.
* [[Even Evil Has Standards]]: O'Reilly is sickened by him.
* [[Holier Than Thou]]: Looks down on the inmates Gambling or lusting after women despite being a Child Killer.
* [[Holier Than Thou]]: Looks down on the inmates Gambling or lusting after women despite being a Child Killer.
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=== Robert Sippel ===
=== Robert Sippel ===
{{quote|'''Played By:''' David Lansbury}}
{{quote|'''Played By:''' David Lansbury}}

----
'''A description of the character goes here.'''
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
* [[The Atoner]]
* [[The Atoner]]
* [[Too Dumb to Live]]: Why would a child molester willingly come back to HIS OLD CELL just for a place to sleep? Sure enough, {{spoiler|the Aryans crucify him on the gym floor just hours later.}}
* [[Too Dumb to Live]]: Why would a child molester willingly come back to HIS OLD CELL just for a place to sleep? Sure enough, {{spoiler|the Aryans crucify him on the gym floor just hours later.}}




----


== The Others ==
== The Others ==
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''"At first I wanted unconditional surrender, then I wanted unconditional love."'' }}
''"At first I wanted unconditional surrender, then I wanted unconditional love."'' }}
A bisexual sociopath who is obsessed with controlling and manipulating others. Recruited by Vern, who he once had a sexual relationship with, to seduce Beecher for the express purpose of breaking his heart (and arms and legs). However, Keller ends up falling for Beecher and the two spend most of the series either together or apart due to Keller's possessiveness.
A bisexual sociopath who is obsessed with controlling and manipulating others. Recruited by Vern, who he once had a sexual relationship with, to seduce Beecher for the express purpose of breaking his heart (and arms and legs). However, Keller ends up falling for Beecher and the two spend most of the series either together or apart due to Keller's possessiveness.
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
----
* [[Affably Evil]]
* [[Affably Evil]]
* [[Becoming the Mask]]: He just wanted to toy with Beecher but ended up falling for him.
* [[Becoming the Mask]]: He just wanted to toy with Beecher but ended up falling for him.
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{{quote|'''Played By:''' Kathryn Erbe}}
{{quote|'''Played By:''' Kathryn Erbe}}
[[The Smurfette Principle|The sole female inmate of Oz]]. She sparks quite a few romance attempts, notably from Adebisi. Cunning and manipulative, she seduced many guardians to obtain small favors.
[[The Smurfette Principle|The sole female inmate of Oz]]. She sparks quite a few romance attempts, notably from Adebisi. Cunning and manipulative, she seduced many guardians to obtain small favors.
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
----
* [[Affably Evil]]: She's quite friendly despite being completely insane.
* [[Affably Evil]]: She's quite friendly despite being completely insane.
* [[Distaff Counterpart]]: Is pretty much this to all the other inmates.
* [[Distaff Counterpart]]: Is pretty much this to all the other inmates.
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An elderly inmate serving a life term after being convicted for murder committed in a fit of rage in the 1960s. As a survivor of a botched execution and prison veteran, he is considered to be quite wise and often provides fatherly advice to Beecher and others.
An elderly inmate serving a life term after being convicted for murder committed in a fit of rage in the 1960s. As a survivor of a botched execution and prison veteran, he is considered to be quite wise and often provides fatherly advice to Beecher and others.
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
----
* Badass: How else can you describe a guy who spends everyday with the most vicious killers and never seems remotely scared?
* Badass: How else can you describe a guy who spends everyday with the most vicious killers and never seems remotely scared?
* [[Badass Grandpa]]
* [[Badass Grandpa]]
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* [[Cool Old Guy]]
* [[Cool Old Guy]]
* [[Heterosexual Life Partners]]: With Busmalis.
* [[Heterosexual Life Partners]]: With Busmalis.
* [[Jaywalking Will Ruin Your Life]]: He was sentenced to death for a purely impulsive killing that was painted as premeditated.
* [[Major Misdemeanor]]: He was sentenced to death for a purely impulsive killing that was painted as premeditated.
* [[Nice Guy]]
* [[Nice Guy]]
* [[Odd Couple]] (with Busmalis)
* [[Odd Couple]] (with Busmalis)
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=== Agamemnon Busmalis ===
=== Agamemnon Busmalis ===
{{quote|'''Played By:''' Tom Mardirosian}}
{{quote|'''Played By:''' Tom Mardirosian}}

----
'''A description of the character goes here.'''
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
* [[Adult Child]]
* [[Adult Child]]
* [[Cloudcuckoolander]]
* [[Cloudcuckoolander]]
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=== Yuri Kosygin ===
=== Yuri Kosygin ===
{{quote|'''Played By:''' Olek Krupa}}
{{quote|'''Played By:''' Olek Krupa}}

----
'''A description of the character goes here.'''
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
* [[Hired Guns]]: The [[Career Killers]] version.
* [[Hired Guns]]: The [[Career Killers]] version.
* [[Impossibly Cool Weapon]]: Making a shank out of the temple pieces of your glasses definitely qualifies.
* [[Impossibly Cool Weapon]]: Making a shank out of the temple pieces of your glasses definitely qualifies.
Line 612: Line 631:
'''Lenny Burrano''': ''Donald Groves. You killed your parents and ate them, right?''
'''Lenny Burrano''': ''Donald Groves. You killed your parents and ate them, right?''
'''Groves''': ''I only ate my mom. I was saving my dad for Thanksgiving.'' }}
'''Groves''': ''I only ate my mom. I was saving my dad for Thanksgiving.'' }}

----
'''A description of the character goes here.'''
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
* [[Deadpan Snarker]]
* [[Deadpan Snarker]]
* [[I'm a Humanitarian]]
* [[I'm a Humanitarian]]
Line 620: Line 641:
* [[Villainous Breakdown]]
* [[Villainous Breakdown]]


----


== Prison Guards ==
== Prison Guards ==
Line 627: Line 647:
{{quote|'''Played By:''' Edie Falco}}
{{quote|'''Played By:''' Edie Falco}}
The token good-guy prison guard who ends up involved in a relationship with Tim McManus. Was played by Edie Falco, who left the show to go onto "[[The Sopranos]]", resulting in her character being [[Put on a Bus]] at the start of season four, via an impulse marriage with a guard at Buckingham Palace. Her role as the good-guy prison guard was later filled by Sean Murphy.
The token good-guy prison guard who ends up involved in a relationship with Tim McManus. Was played by Edie Falco, who left the show to go onto "[[The Sopranos]]", resulting in her character being [[Put on a Bus]] at the start of season four, via an impulse marriage with a guard at Buckingham Palace. Her role as the good-guy prison guard was later filled by Sean Murphy.
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
----
* [[Blackmail]]: Is on the receiving end.
* [[Blackmail]]: Is on the receiving end.
* [[Put on a Bus]]
* [[Put on a Bus]]
Line 635: Line 655:
{{quote|'''Played By:''' Kristin Rhode}}
{{quote|'''Played By:''' Kristin Rhode}}
A sexually aggressive and sadistic prison guard, who soon begins dominating and even raping the inmates.
A sexually aggressive and sadistic prison guard, who soon begins dominating and even raping the inmates.
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
----
* [[Abhorrent Admirer]]: Subverted. No one finds her attractive but she uses her position to get who she wants to have sex with her.
* [[Abhorrent Admirer]]: Subverted. No one finds her attractive but she uses her position to get who she wants to have sex with her.
* [[Dominatrix]]
* [[Dominatrix]]
Line 644: Line 664:
=== Sean Murphy ===
=== Sean Murphy ===
{{quote|'''Played By:''' Robert Clohessey}}
{{quote|'''Played By:''' Robert Clohessey}}

----
'''A description of the character goes here.'''
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
* [[Nice Guy]]
* [[Nice Guy]]
* [[Not So Above It All]]: {{spoiler|Cutting Morales' Achilles tendons}}
* [[Not So Above It All]]: {{spoiler|Cutting Morales' Achilles tendons}}
Line 652: Line 674:
=== Karl Metzger ===
=== Karl Metzger ===
{{quote|'''Played By:''' [[Bill Fagerbakke]]}}
{{quote|'''Played By:''' [[Bill Fagerbakke]]}}

----
'''A description of the character goes here.'''
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
* [[Meaningful Name]]
* [[Meaningful Name]]


----


== Prison Staff ==
== Prison Staff ==
Line 663: Line 686:
''"Eternal rest grant unto him, Oh Lord, and let perpetual light shine down upon him."'' }}
''"Eternal rest grant unto him, Oh Lord, and let perpetual light shine down upon him."'' }}
A Catholic priest who was assigned to Oz as punishment for pissing off a high ranking Cardinal over church corruption. Along with Sister Peter Marie, Mukada provides spiritual guidance to the inmates, often serving as good cop to Sister Peter Marie's bad cop.
A Catholic priest who was assigned to Oz as punishment for pissing off a high ranking Cardinal over church corruption. Along with Sister Peter Marie, Mukada provides spiritual guidance to the inmates, often serving as good cop to Sister Peter Marie's bad cop.
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
----
* [[Meaningful Name]]: Ray sounds like the Japanese words for both spirit and zero.
* [[Meaningful Name]]: Ray sounds like the Japanese words for both spirit and zero.
* [[My Hero Zero]]
* [[My Hero Zero]]
Line 671: Line 694:
{{quote|'''Played By:''' Lauren Velez}}
{{quote|'''Played By:''' Lauren Velez}}
An accomplished Latina doctor who is the main provider of medical care for the inmates. Throughout the series, she develops a love-hate relationship with Ryan O'Reily, most notably when {{spoiler|Ryan becomes obsessed with Gloria and has her husband murdered so that they can be lovers.}}
An accomplished Latina doctor who is the main provider of medical care for the inmates. Throughout the series, she develops a love-hate relationship with Ryan O'Reily, most notably when {{spoiler|Ryan becomes obsessed with Gloria and has her husband murdered so that they can be lovers.}}
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
----
* [[Hospital Hottie]]
* [[Hospital Hottie]]
* [[Precision F-Strike]]: Unleashed one on Dr. Frederick Garvey.
* [[Precision F-Strike]]: Unleashed one on Dr. Frederick Garvey.
Line 677: Line 700:


=== Governor James Devlin ===
=== Governor James Devlin ===
{{quote|'''Played By:''' [[Zeljko Ivanek]]
{{quote|'''Played By:''' [[Željko Ivanek]]
''"[[Blatant Lies|Justice has been served!]]"'' }}
''"[[Blatant Lies|Justice has been served!]]"'' }}

----
'''A description of the character goes here.'''
{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
* [[Bald of Evil]]: Not bald but definitely has a receeding hairline.
* [[Deadpan Snarker]]
* [[A God Am I]]
* [[A God Am I]]
{{quote|'''Devlin''': ''You've heard of Olympus, right? Mount Olympus, Ancient Greece, where the Gods lived?''
{{quote|'''Devlin''': ''You've heard of Olympus, right? Mount Olympus, Ancient Greece, where the Gods lived?''
'''McManus''': ''Yeah.''
'''McManus''': ''Yeah.''
'''Devlin''': ''There was a hierarchy even among the Gods. Mercury was lesser than Apollo, Apollo lesser than Zeus. Now you run your cell block and you think you're a God. Glynn runs a whole prison, he thinks he's a greater God. Well, guys...[[A God Am I|I am Zeus.]] I am omnipotent. I must be obeyed...or my thunderbolts will strike.'' }}
'''Devlin''': ''There was a hierarchy even among the Gods. Mercury was lesser than Apollo, Apollo lesser than Zeus. Now you run your cell block and you think you're a God. Glynn runs a whole prison, he thinks he's a greater God. Well, guys...[[A God Am I|I am Zeus.]] I am omnipotent. I must be obeyed...or my thunderbolts will strike.'' }}
* [[Bald of Evil]]: Not bald but definitely has a receeding hairline.
* [[Deadpan Snarker]]
* [[Hypocrite]]
* [[Hypocrite]]
* [[It's All About Me]]: He will do anything to further his own ambitions.
* [[It's All About Me]]: He will do anything to further his own ambitions.
Line 699: Line 724:
''"Don't fuck with Querns."'' }}
''"Don't fuck with Querns."'' }}
A prison unit manager who's not above cutting deals with inmates to maintain order.
A prison unit manager who's not above cutting deals with inmates to maintain order.

{{tropelist|Tropes exhibited by this character include:}}
* [[Bad Boss]]
* [[Bad Boss]]
* [[Tyrant Takes the Helm]]
* [[Tyrant Takes the Helm]]


{{worksubpagefooter}}
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:{{TOPLEVELPAGE}}]]

Latest revision as of 14:09, 12 October 2022


Characters from Oz include:

Main Cast

Tobias Beecher

Played By: Lee Tergesen

Reporter: So, how would you describe your time in prison?
Tobias Beecher: You ever read the story of Job?

A Harvard-educated lawyer who fell to alcoholism, killing a young girl while driving drunk. Spends the first season of the show being repeatedly raped by his cellmate, which he suffers without complaint due to his belief that he deserves to be tortured this way as punishment for his crimes. However, he ultimately stands up for himself and ends up spending the rest of the series fighting to survive.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Ryan O'Reily

Played By: Dean Winters

"I'm like the lord of the fucking dance. I got moves."

An Irish-American career criminal who serves as an Iago-figure, pitting the various gangs and cliques within Oz against each other for the purposes of surviving. The embodiment of the Magnificent Bastard, ANYONE is expendable in the eyes of O'Reily; even his brain damaged brother Cyril, who ends up in jail after killing a man for Ryan, and later sentenced to death for killing another.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Augustus Hill

Played By: Harold Perrineau

"People are defined by three things. Their heads- how they think. Their hearts- what they feel. Their dicks- who they fuck. At the end of the day, each of us has to answer one question. One, not so simple question. Who am I?"

A prisoner who uses a wheelchair who also serves as the show's surrealistic narrator, breaking the fourth wall by talking to the audience about the themes of each episode (often serving as a vehicle for beliefs of the show's creator). He also introduces every prisoner, and informs us of their crime and sentence. Note that Hill the narrator is a separate entity from Hill the in-show character, as they apparently aren't the "same" person; as the last season implies that narrator-Hill is * Hill's ghost, narrating the show from the afterlife after dying. In the final season, other deceased characters, including Dino Ortolani, Antonio Nappa and Jefferson Keane take turns narrating episodes as well.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Kareem Saïd

Played By: Eamonn Walker

"You wanna save this place, right? And I want to destroy it. Brick by hypocritical brick."

The leader of the Black Muslims. Said starts out as a rabble-rouser, whose disdain for the poor treatment of blacks within society puts him at odds with the staff of the prison, but after triggering a riot that leads to many deaths within the prison, Said finds himself having to reconcile his beliefs with his faith and consequences of his shit-stirring.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Vernon "Vern" Schillinger

Played By: JK Simmons

"My turn now. Sieg Heil, baby! SIEG FUCKING HEIL!"

The sexually sadistic leader of the Aryans, whose incredibly heated vendetta against his former rape victim Tobias Beecher drives a lot of the conflict during the show's run.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:
  • And There Was Much Rejoicing: His death during the play is met with deafening applause.
  • Bald of Evil
  • Being Evil Sucks
  • Berserk Button: Don't pronounce his name incorrectly.
  • Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: In the first episode only, when we're introduced to him in the same way as Beecher.
  • Deadpan Snarker
  • Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Played straight at times, yet subverted at others. He does love his sons and mourns their deaths, but he's responsible for Andrew's death. Played a little straighter with his son Hank's girlfriend and her daughter/his granddaughter.
  • Even Evil Has Standards: Played straight with his disgust at a paedophile priest and protecting Augustus from Malcolm Coyle, and then averted horribly when he has Beecher's son killed.
    • One could call that first example a subversion considering the priest in question is portrayed as a slave to his urges, with heavy regret who ends up likely dead from crucifixion at the hands of Schillinger's gang for their disgust.
  • Evil Is Petty: Though he prefers to inflict rape, drug abuse, and physical abuse on his enemies, Vern occasionally settles for petty slights such as messing up someones lunch tray and only giving Beecher the envelope of the letter from his grandmother under the pretense that it had to be confiscated.
  • Faux Affably Evil
  • For the Evulz: A lot of his more horrible actions really don't have any point to them besides the fact that he enjoys the suffering of others.
  • Freudian Excuse: His father is just an older, more bitter version of himself.
  • Hoist by His Own Petard: Stabbed with the same knife he had planned to stab Beecher with.
  • It's All About Me
  • Knight Templar
  • Morality Pet: His son, Andrew. Coming into Oz, Andrew was a drug addict (a big trait his father hated). With Beecher's guidance, he ended up getting himself clean, leading to a blistering Reason You Suck Speech to his father about his upbringing. With Andrew in the hole, Vern sends a bag of heroin, leading to a relapse and an overdose.
  • Politically-Incorrect Villain: Well, he is a Nazi.
  • Quip to Black: When something bad happens to an inmate at his hand, the very next scene will be him shooting pool in his cell, complete with snarky one-liner about the situation.
  • Threw My Bike on the Roof: His Jerkassery is made even worse by the fact that there is absolutely no benefit from it.
  • Villainous Breakdown: When he realizes Keller played him for a fool.

Simon Adebisi

Played By: Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

"I have everything. Everything I need. Every love satisfied. But it's not enough."

A low-level gangster who through his friendship with Ryan O'Reily (and several deaths) takes over the main black gang within Oz. Originally amoral, Adebisi slides into total villainy after his attempts to reform are squashed by his underlings and he is framed for the murder of an elderly inmate he befriended. Soon enough he begins a massive Plan to become the undisputed kingpin of the entire prison and pretty much succeeding until Said exposes his scheme and has to kill him.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Miguel Alvarez

Played By: Kirk Acevedo

"I'm so tired. I'm tired of trying. I'm tired of the walls. The lies. The fear. The death. I'm so tired."

The main Latino prisoner of the show. A loser whose father and grandfather are both imprisoned in Oz, Alvarez spends most of the series being driven to madness by the prison staff via being put into solitary confinement (though he pretty much deserves it, seeing as he gouged out the eyes of a prison guard in a desperate bid to avoid being expelled from the main Latino prison gang, due to his light skin and semi-Caucasian looks.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Tim McManus

Played By: Terry Kinney

"I may be blind but I'm not dumb."

The idealistic creator and manager of Em City, who strives for a perfect rehabilitation system without conflict or violence, despite the concerns of others who feel that that may be an impossible dream.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Leo Glynn

Played By: Ernie Hudson

Glynn: Look, we're doing everything we can to keep the number of reported rapes down.
Sister Pete: Reported? Listen to you, your own daughter was raped!
Glynn: Well... this is different. This is Oz.

The warden of the prison. Though presented as the fair and honest caretaker of the prison, over the course of the series Glynn goes slowly mad with power as his political ambitions, family crisises (most notably his daughter's rape), and various other conflicts pop up in his job as warden.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Sister Peter Marie Reimondo

Played By: Rita Moreno

"Don't think of me as a psychologist. Don't think of me as a nun. Think of me as your mother."

The prison psychologist and nun who runs the prison's drug rehabilitation program. Though a truly good person, she suffers from various crises of faith over the course of the show, over issues such as the death penalty and her personal life (mainly the unresolved mystery of the murder of her husband and, after several tense sessions with Chris Keller, her vows as a nun after Keller tries to seduce her).

Tropes exhibited by this character include:


The Aryans/Bikers

Scott Ross

Played By: Stephen Gevedon

"I'm gonna give you ten minutes to get your hands off my dick."

A drug dealer, old friend of Schillinger and leader of the Bikers. He has a past connection to Wittlesy, and is disliked heavily by almost everyone.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Jaz Hoyt

Played By: Evan Seinfield

One of the more prominent biker characters, he is often allied with the Aryans.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

James Robson

Played By: RE Rodgers

"It's funny, here I am, 36 years old I got nowhere to run. You know, and I--I guess what...what I want to know is, is it okay to do whatever is necessary... to survive?"

One of the Aryan leaders and Schillinger's closest friend.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Wolfgang Cutler

Played By: Brendan Kelly

"You and me? We're gonna spoon."

An Aryan-Biker with a sadistic sexual appetite.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Andrew Schillinger

Played By: Fred Koehler

"I gotta tell you something Dad, my whole life you’ve crammed into my head how superior we white folks are. I don’t see the truth in that."

Schillinger's youngest son and drug addict.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:


The Homeboys

Jefferson Keane

Played By: Leon

The original leader of the Homeboys. A deeply troubled man, he converts to Islam after meeting Kareem Said.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Kenny Wangler

Played By: JD Williams

A 16-year-old inmate who quickly becomes a member of the Homeboys.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Johnny Post

Played By: Tim McAdams

A description of the character goes here.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Malcolm Coyle

Played By: Treach

A description of the character goes here.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:
  • Bald of Evil
  • For the Evulz: Why he committed the murders.
  • Hidden Depths: Originally sent to Oz on armed robbery charges, but Hill finds out about Coyle murdering an entire family.. for fun, including an EIGHTEEN MONTH OLD INFANT.
  • Truth in Television: Child killers do NOT last very long in maximum security prisons. He's no exception.

Arnold "Poet" Jackson

Played By: muMs the Scehemer

"It's kinda fucked up, leaving. Everybody else is staying. It's like waking up from a dream."

A high-ranked Homeboy who writes and performs poetry.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Omar White

Played By: Michael Wright
"I ain't no drug abuser. Truth is, I treat my drugs better than most."

A description of the character goes here.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Burr Redding

Played By: Michael Wright
"I take a shit in this world, I see reality and I make the best of it."

A half-crazed Vietnam vet who ran the streets where Augustus Hill grew up in, and acted as a foster father to the boy. He eventually controls the Homeboys post-Adebisi. A lot of what befalls Augustus is Burr's fault.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:


The Italians

Dino Ortolani

Played By: Jon Seda

A hot-tempered and self-destructive Italian who becomes Beecher's sponsor.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Nino Schibetta

Played By: Tony Musante
"What the fuck's wrong with this country? In the old days, murder was murder. You killed someone, it was business."

A mob boss and initial leader of the Italians.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Peter Schibetta

Played By: Eddie Malavarca

"You tell 'em I'm gonna handle Adebisi. I'm gonna get my honor back by the end of the day. Either that fucking moolie or me is gonna be in a bodybag."

The son of Nino, Peter is handed the Italian leadership but is unable to keep it.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Antonio Nappa

Played By: Mark Margolis

"Like God, man can finally create man in his own image and then sit back and watch all sorts of shit hit the fan."

Replaces the Schibetta leadership, and is far more old-school and thoughtful than Nino or Peter.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Chucky Pancamo

Played By: Chuck Zito

The Italian muscle who slowly rises to become leader through circumstance.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:
  • Affably Evil
  • Ascended Extra: Went from being a heavy that followed Peter Schibetta around without saying much to a very prominant character.
  • Badass: He's played by Chuck Zito. The man was a bodyguard for Jean-Claude Van Damme, Mickey Rourke, Sylvester Stallone and Charles Bronson. That's a laundry list of badass people and Chuck was in charge of protecting them! He's also a former boxer and president of the Hell's Angels.
  • The Big Guy
  • Boisterous Bruiser
  • The Brute
  • Brooklyn Rage
  • The Ditz: Noticeably less intelligent than O'Reilly or Adebisi.


The Irish

Cyril O'Reily

Played By: Scott William Winters

Ryan O'Reily's mentally-retarded younger brother, who suffered a head injury protecting Ryan and now requires constant supervision. An honest and good-hearted person, he is prone to outbursts of complete rage and is easy to fool -- a bad combo in a place like Oz, which is full of Manipulative Bastard types.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Timmy Kirk

Played By: Sean Dugan

An Irish inmate who undergoes several religious conversions following a meeting with Jeremiah Cloutier.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:


The Latinos

Raoul "El Cid" Hernandez

Played By: Luis Guzmán

A legendary Latino gangster, he takes over the gang from Alvarez and immediately ostracizes him for his Caucasian-like features. He controls his third of the drug trade with a respected iron fist, but eventually lack of success in offing Alvarez gets to him, and he goes nuts.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Enrique Morales

Played By: David Zayas

A highly intelligent and powerful inmate who quickly becomes the Latino leader.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Carmen "Chico" Guerra

A description of the character goes here.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:
  • Ascended Extra: The only other Latino character to survive all the way through the show, outliving several other extras with no lines.
  • Flat Character: He pretty much exists to taunt Alvarez time and again, and cozy up to whomever is leading the Latinos at the moment.


The Christians

Jeremiah Cloutier

Played By: Luke Perry

A description of the character goes here.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

William Cudney

Played By: Will Cote

A description of the character goes here.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Robert Sippel

Played By: David Lansbury

A description of the character goes here.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:
  • The Atoner
  • Too Dumb to Live: Why would a child molester willingly come back to HIS OLD CELL just for a place to sleep? Sure enough, the Aryans crucify him on the gym floor just hours later.


The Others

Chris Keller

Played By: Christopher Meloni
"At first I wanted unconditional surrender, then I wanted unconditional love."

A bisexual sociopath who is obsessed with controlling and manipulating others. Recruited by Vern, who he once had a sexual relationship with, to seduce Beecher for the express purpose of breaking his heart (and arms and legs). However, Keller ends up falling for Beecher and the two spend most of the series either together or apart due to Keller's possessiveness.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Shirley Bellinger

Played By: Kathryn Erbe

The sole female inmate of Oz. She sparks quite a few romance attempts, notably from Adebisi. Cunning and manipulative, she seduced many guardians to obtain small favors.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Bob Rebadow

Played By: George Morfogen
"God told me."

An elderly inmate serving a life term after being convicted for murder committed in a fit of rage in the 1960s. As a survivor of a botched execution and prison veteran, he is considered to be quite wise and often provides fatherly advice to Beecher and others.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Agamemnon Busmalis

Played By: Tom Mardirosian

A description of the character goes here.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Yuri Kosygin

Played By: Olek Krupa

A description of the character goes here.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Donald Groves

Played By: Sean Whitesell
Lenny Burrano: Donald Groves. You killed your parents and ate them, right?
Groves: I only ate my mom. I was saving my dad for Thanksgiving.

A description of the character goes here.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:


Prison Guards

Diane Wittlesey

Played By: Edie Falco

The token good-guy prison guard who ends up involved in a relationship with Tim McManus. Was played by Edie Falco, who left the show to go onto "The Sopranos", resulting in her character being Put on a Bus at the start of season four, via an impulse marriage with a guard at Buckingham Palace. Her role as the good-guy prison guard was later filled by Sean Murphy.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Claire Howell

Played By: Kristin Rhode

A sexually aggressive and sadistic prison guard, who soon begins dominating and even raping the inmates.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Sean Murphy

Played By: Robert Clohessey

A description of the character goes here.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Karl Metzger

Played By: Bill Fagerbakke

A description of the character goes here.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:


Prison Staff

Father Ray Mukada

Played By: BD Wong
"Eternal rest grant unto him, Oh Lord, and let perpetual light shine down upon him."

A Catholic priest who was assigned to Oz as punishment for pissing off a high ranking Cardinal over church corruption. Along with Sister Peter Marie, Mukada provides spiritual guidance to the inmates, often serving as good cop to Sister Peter Marie's bad cop.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Gloria Nathan

Played By: Lauren Velez

An accomplished Latina doctor who is the main provider of medical care for the inmates. Throughout the series, she develops a love-hate relationship with Ryan O'Reily, most notably when Ryan becomes obsessed with Gloria and has her husband murdered so that they can be lovers.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Governor James Devlin

A description of the character goes here.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Devlin: You've heard of Olympus, right? Mount Olympus, Ancient Greece, where the Gods lived?
McManus: Yeah.
Devlin: There was a hierarchy even among the Gods. Mercury was lesser than Apollo, Apollo lesser than Zeus. Now you run your cell block and you think you're a God. Glynn runs a whole prison, he thinks he's a greater God. Well, guys...I am Zeus. I am omnipotent. I must be obeyed...or my thunderbolts will strike.

Martin Querns

Played By: Reg E Cathey
"Don't fuck with Querns."

A prison unit manager who's not above cutting deals with inmates to maintain order.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Back to Oz