Escape At Dannemora Cast & Real-Life Character Guide

Showtime’s Escape at Dannemora utilizes an exceptional cast to tell its true-crime story. The 2018 limited series is based on the 2015 Clinton Correctional Facility escape, which saw two men, Richard Matt and David Sweat, successfully break out thanks to the help of their shared prison-employee girlfriend, Joyce “Tilly” Mitchell. Showtime needed actors like Benicio del Toro, Patricia Arquette, Paul Dano, Bonnie Hunt, and more to bring these and other real-world characters to life.

Escape at Dannemora originally premiered on Showtime in 2018, but it has since come to Netflix, claiming a spot on the Top 10 In October 2024. The series, which was created by Brett Johnson and Michael Tolkin, was directed by actor Ben Stiller and explores the true events leading up to, during, and after the infamous 2015 prison break. Of course, any “based on reality” TV series requires some creative liberties, but with such an exceptional cast in Escape at Dannemora, it’s easy to believe this is precisely how this true-crime event played out.

Benicio del Toro As Richard Matt

Date Of Birth: February 19, 1967

Benicio del Toro is a Puerto Rican-born actor who first broke into his career playing thugs in 1980s TV shows like Miami Vice. His career gained traction with his performance in The Usual Suspects in 1995, in which he played the crook Fred Fenster. This established Del Toro as a character actor, leading to projects like The Funeral (1996), Basquiat (1996), and The Fan (1996). Some of his other most notable roles were in series like Traffic (2000), 21 Grams (2003), and more recent films like Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018) and Reptile (2023).

Del Toro plays Richard Matt in Escape At Dannemora, a convicted murderer and career criminal with a history of prison escapes. The real Matt was sentenced to 25 to life for second-degree murder at the Clinton Correctional Facility before he escaped in June 2015 along with fellow prisoner David Sweat. Matt escaped with the help of Joyce “Tilly” Mitchell, a prison employee with whom he was engaged in a sexual affair.

Patricia Arquette As Joyce “Tilly” Mitchell

Date Of Birth: April 8, 1968

Chicago-born actor Patricia Arquette first gained prominence playing Kristen Parker in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), which led to further prominent projects like The Hi-Lo Country (1998), Bringing Out the Dead (1999), and Holes (2003). Arquette also notably starred as Allison DuBois in the drama Medium, which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award in 2005, an honor which was repeated for her performance as Dee Dee Blanchard in the 2019 miniseries The Act.

Arquette plays Joyce “Tilly” Mitchell in Escape at Dannemora, a prison employee who was part of the three-way sex affair with prisoners Richard Matt and David Sweat (despite the fact that she was married herself). Mitchell was an industrial training supervisor with the Clinton Correctional Facility and aided Sweat and Matt in their infamous prison escape in 2015.

Paul Dano As David Sweat

Date Of Birth: June 19, 1984

Paul Dano, born and raised in New York City, New York, stepped into the spotlight in 2001 with his role in L.I.E. and gained further notoriety playing teenager Dwayne in 2006’s Little Miss Sunshine. From there, Dano claimed roles in projects like There Will Be Blood (2007), Gigantic (2008), 12 Years a Slave (2013), and The Batman (2022). Dano’s TV roles include Pierre Bezukhov in 2016’s War & Peace, Caspian Keyes in Pantheon (2022 – 2023), and Harris Materbach in Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2024).

Dano plays David Sweat in Escape At Dannemora, another felon with whom Joyce “Tilly” Mitchell begins a sexual affair and ultimately helps escape. The real Sweat had been imprisoned for first-degree murder after a New York City weapons deal resulted in the death of Broome County sheriff’s deputy Kevin Tarsia. Sweat was serving life without parole before his 2015 escape from Clinton Correctional Facility.

Bonnie Hunt As Catherine Leahy Scott

Date Of Birth: September 22, 1961

Bonnie Hunt, born in Chicago, Illinois, claimed her first movie role in the 1988 hit Rain Main, where she played waitress Sally Dibbs. From there, Hunt appeared in a variety of popular 1990s/2000s family movies, such as Beethoven (1992), Jumanji (1995), and Cheaper by the Dozen (2003). Hunt also hosted The Bonnie Hunt Show from 2008 to 2010 and claimed a handful of voice roles in popular Disney franchises like A Bug’s Life, Monsters Inc, Toy Story, Zootopia, and Cars.

Hunt plays Catherine Leahy Scott in Escape at Dannemora, the New York State Inspector General who led the investigation into Matt and Sweat’s big escape from the Clinton Correctional Facility. Scott’s own report on the event, published a year after the escape took place, helped Stiller gather enough facts (via Times Union) to make Escape at Dannemora a reality.

Escape At Dannemora Supporting Cast & Characters

Meet The Supporting Cast Of Escape At Dannemora

Eric Lange as Lyle Mitchell – Eric Lange, best known for Day Shift (2022) and Brand New Cherry Flavor (2021 – present), plays Lyle Mitchell in Escape at Dannemora, Tilly’s husband who also works at the Clinton Correctional Facility.

David Morse as Gene Palmer – Actor David Morse is best known for playing Dr. Jack “Boomer” Morrison in St. Elsewhere (1982 – 1988). He plays Gene Palmer in Escape at Dannemora, an inmate escort guard at Clinton Correctional Facility.

Jeremy Bobb as Dennis Lambert – Jeremy Bobb is best known for his roles in Godless (2017), Russian Doll (2019), and The Continental (2023). In Escape at Dannemora, Bobb plays Dennis Lambert, one of Clinton’s corrections officers.

Related

10 Best True Crime TV Shows, Ranked

True crime has always been a popular genre for TV shows and movies, but what are the best true crime shows that dramatize the source stories?

Michael Beasley as Murder – Michal Beasley, best known as Uncle Calvin in HBO’s Rap Shit, plays Murder in Escape at Dannemora, an inmate alongside Sweat and Matt.

Joshua Rivera as Angel – Joshua Rivera, known for The Last O.G. and Monsters and Men, plays Angel in Escape at Dannemora.

Carolyn Mignini as Ilene Mulvaney – Carolyn Mignini is known for her roles on Broadway, as well as appearances in projects like House of Cards, B lue Bloods, and Mad About You. Magnini plays Ilene Mulvaney in Escape at Dannemora, Tilly’s supervisor.

Gregory Dann as Albert Boyd – Gregory Dann, known for Birth (2004), Inside Man (2006), and Michael Clayton (2007), joins the cast of Escape at Dannemora playing Albert Boyd, Sweat, and Matt’s least favorite CO.

Source: Times Union

Escape at Dannemora is a crime drama based on a real-life prison break in upstate New York. The series explores the complex relationships and manipulations among two convicted murderers and the facility’s staff member who becomes entangled in their escape plan, revealing underlying themes of desperation and vulnerability.

Cast

Benicio Del Toro , Paul Dano , Patricia Arquette , David Morse , Eric Lange , Bonnie Hunt , Gregory Dann , Daniel Johnson , Dominic Colon , Jeremy Bobb , Skipp Sudduth , Amber Gray , Micah Stock , Michael Imperioli , Leo James Davis , Charlie Hofheimer , Jim Parrack , Richie Allan , Carolyn Mignini , Charles Prendergast , David Neal Levin

Character(s)

Richard Matt , David Sweat , Joyce Tilly Mitchell , Gene Palmer , Lyle Mitchell , Catherine Scott , Corrections Officer Boyd , Inmate , Odell Martinez , Dennis Lambert , Clinton Superintendent Steve Racette , Annie , Kenny Mitchell , New York Governor Andrew Cuomo , Kenny Barille Jr. , Kenny Barille Sr. , Kevin Tarsia , William Rickerson , Ilene Mulvaney , Domino , George Armistead

Release Date

November 18, 2018

Seasons

1

Creator(s)

Brett Johnson , Michael Tolkin

Expand