Terrence Steadman
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| Prison Break character | |
|---|---|
| Terrence Steadman | |
| First appearance: | S1E16 |
| Last appearance: | S2E19 |
| Season: | 1, 2
Episode Count = 6 |
| Portrayed by: | John Billingsley (Season 1) Jeff Perry (Season 2) |
| Occupation: | CEO of Ecofield |
| Family: | Caroline Reynolds (sister) |
| Relationships: | Leslie Steadman (wife) Caroline Reynolds (Incestuous lovers) |
Terrence Steadman is a fictional character from the American television series, Prison Break. He is played first by John Billingsley in the first season, then by Jeff Perry in the second season. Steadman was introduced to the series as the murdered brother of Caroline Reynolds, the Vice-President and later President of the United States. Initially his face is often obscured, contributing to the mystery of the conspiracy in the first season. Steadman was at the center of a conspiracy orchestrated by Reynolds and "The Company" to fake his death and frame Lincoln Burrows for the murder.
Contents |
[edit] Appearances
[edit] Season 1
After Lincoln Burrows' arrest, Steadman was forced into hiding, confined to a house his sister had purchased for him in Montana. The house was designed to prevent Steadman from leaving. Windows were made of bullet-proof glass and doors could only be opened from the outside. Additionally, the house was monitored by Secret Service agents. Only a small number of people knew Steadman was still alive; not even his wife knew. Reynolds and the Company went to great lengths to create the illusion of Steadman's death: his teeth were removed and placed in a decoy body buried in Steadman's grave in order to fool dental records should the body ever be exhumed. Steadman was forced to use a set of dentures.
The first person outside the conspiracy to learn Steadman was alive was Veronica Donovan when she was told by Daniel Hale shortly before his death in the episode "End of the Tunnel". Along with Nick Savrinn, she began an exhaustive search to track down Steadman, eventually learning of his house in Montana. Veronica then travelled to the house, sneaked in, and confronted Steadman face to face.
[edit] Season 2
In the season premiere, Steadman expresses his reluctance to attempt to leave the house, fearing that he would be killed. Veronica manages to convince him to reconsider. Unfortunately, Veronica's efforts to bring Steadman public were short-lived. When she called the authorities, Secret Service agents arrived and killed her. Steadman could only watch as the agents carried her body away.
After being absent for the next twelve episodes, Steadman's return to the series in the fourteenth episode of the season marked the first confrontation between himself and Lincoln Burrows. After Paul Kellerman had betrayed The Company and joined forces with Lincoln and Michael Scofield, Agent Kim ordered for Steadman's removal from the safehouse, knowing Kellerman would be looking to capture him. However, just as agents were preparing to escort him away, Kellerman and the brothers arrived. Kellerman then killed all three agents and captured Steadman. He drove him to a motel room, where he planned to keep him until he could get to Washington, D.C..
However, Steadman's remarks to Kellerman about the former agent's schoolboy crush on President Reynolds provoke Lincoln, who is reminded of Veronica's death. He points a gun at Steadman's face and is only prevented from killing him by Michael and Kellerman, who remind him that they need Steadman alive. Lincoln's erratic behavior causes Michael to decide to give up their location to the police in the hopes that the police will find Steadman. However, just before the police arrive, Steadman shoots himself in the head with one of Kellerman's pistols in order to avoid a prison sentence.
Steadman is seen again via a flashback sequence in "Sweet Caroline", when the contents of a conversation recorded between him and his sister two weeks after his death are revealed. The conversation strongly suggests that he and his sister were incestuous lovers.
[edit] Characteristics
In "John Doe", Paul Kellerman reveals that Steadman had several surgeries done to conceal his appearance, aside from the removal of his teeth. This included removing his fingerprints, destroying all DNA records, raising his cheekbones two centimeters, and lowering his ears a quarter of an inch. Also, although his relationship with his sister was once very loving, he appeared to have grown resentful and bitter towards her a few years after Lincoln's conviction, mainly because of his continued imprisonment in the Montana mansion.
[edit] Portrayal
Steadman appeared in three episodes in the first season, played by John Billingsley. After Billingsley joined the cast of the series The Nine he became unavailable to reprise the role and was replaced by Jeff Perry. Based on how little time the character was seen clearly, series creator Paul Scheuring jokingly questioned in interviews whether Billingsley had ever even been on the show to begin with.
Additionally, Steadman's supposed body was seen briefly in a flashback in the episode "Allen" (and later again in reused footage in "Brother's Keeper") played by David Lively. However, this was a decoy body of a homeless man, meaning he did not technically play Terrence Steadman, though he was credited as doing so in the end credits at the end of the episode.
