Big, buff and beautiful, Purcell became an actor after a career as a landscaper. He studied alongside Hugh Jackman and worked both on stage and TV before landing a supporting part in the Hollywood blockbuster Mission Impossible II. A leading role on John Doe followed but the action series only lasted one season. After a memorable stint on North Shore (which made great use of his swimsuit-friendly frame), he captured attention as a wrongfully convicted inmate sitting on death row in Prison Break.