In real life, there’s nothing remotely funny or worth glorifying about doing time behind bars.
But on the entertainment side, these 13 actors who played prisoners provided some laughs, water cooler talk, and award-winning performances.
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Photo: Fox/Imagine Television
Taraji P. Henson – Empire
Any discussion about women inmates starts and begins with Cookie Lyon.
Lord Jamar – Oz
Before he reinvented himself by giving “What the f did he just say?” quotes to DJ Vlad, Lord Jamar found a post-Brand Nubian career as Supreme Allah on Oz.
Chris Rock – The Longest Yard
Of course the Season 2 premiere of Empire featured Chris Rock as a cannibal, but before that he was The Caretaker in the 2005 remake of The Longest Yard.
Jamie Foxx – Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story
You’ve seen Jamie behind bars as Nick Rice in Law Abiding Citizen and—most convincingly—as Crip leader Stanley “Tookie” Williams in Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story.
Denzel Washington – He Got Game
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Prior to the days of “Uncle Denzel,” the Oscar winning actor portrayed jailbirds in the form of Jake Shuttlesworth (He Got Game) and Rubin Carter in The Hurricane.
Uzo Aduba – Orange Is The New Black
You’ve seen Uzo Aduba sweeping award season for her role as “Crazy Eyes” in Orange Is The New Black.
Pam Grier – Black Mama White Mama
If Blaxploitation is your thing, Black Mama White Mama has all the cliché elements expected and more. Fortunately, one of those cliché elements is Pam Grier breaking out the twos.
Morgan Freeman – The Shawshank Redemption
Three words: The Shawshank Redemption.
Sean Combs – Monster’s Ball
Lost in all of the ballyhooed Monster’s Ball performances by Halle Berry, Billy Bob Thornton, and Heath Ledger was a strange turn by Puff as a death row inmate with some sketch artist skills.
John Salley – Bad Boys
Remember the lanky computer hacker from Bad Boys with the Coke bottle glasses? That was three time NBA champion, sports commentator and vegan, John Salley playing the role of Fletcher.
Tyrese – Death Race
Nobody really remembers the 2008 film Death Race, and Tyrese would probably want to keep it that way.
Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence – Life
Rayford Gibson and Claude Banks embodied what it meant to be friends for life.
Terrence Howard – Empire
Oh how the tables have turned. Empire now sees Cookie as a high level music executive while Lucious posts up in a seven by nine cell.
