There are plenty of great Clint Eastwood movie moments in “Escape from Alcatraz,” but it’s not just the veteran star that made this a legendary prison break thriller. Directed by Don Siegel, the film was an adaptation of J. Campbell Bruce’s 1963 non-fiction book of the same name, which chronicled the real-life June 1962 Alcatraz escape attempt. “Escape” also marked the fifth and final collaboration between the Siegel and Eastwood, and it’s a fitting end to their fruitful working relationship. Still regarded as one of the finest films of the 1970s, “Escape” was met with widespread critical acclaim upon its 1979 release and its reputation hasn’t faltered since.
Aside from the tight direction and excellent lead performance, the film also features stellar supporting performances from the likes of Patrick McGoohan, Fred Ward, Jack Thibeau, and Larry Hankin. What’s more, it marked the film debut of Danny Glover, who of course went on to have an illustrious career in Hollywood and is still working today.
Sadly, not everyone who lent such magnetic performances to “Escape” is still around. But that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate the film for what it is, and take a second to be grateful for the “Escape from Alcatraz” actors that are still around today.
Clint Eastwood (Frank Morris)
Of all the directors Eastwood worked with in his career, he only collaborated with two on multiple occasions: Don Siegel and Sergio Leone — though he saw an important difference between the two. In the case of Siegel, though sources are scant, it’s said that he and Eastwood fell out over whose production company got to claim credit for “Escape.” What isn’t in dispute however, is that this film marked the pairs’ final collaboration.
After “Escape,” Eastwood continued his career as both an actor and director, having initially been encouraged to become a filmmaker by Siegel himself before overseeing 1971’s “Play Misty For Me” as a result. But it wasn’t until the ’90s and 2000s (with perhaps the exception of 1976’s “The Outlaw Josey Wales”) that Eastwood would direct his best films. 1992’s “Unforgiven,” 2004’s “Million Dollar Baby” and 2003’s “Mystic River” not only regularly top lists of the best Eastwood-directed films, but are considered among the best movies from their respective decades.
Now 94, Eastwood is still at it, most recently directing and starring in 2021’s “Cry Macho.” He’s also set to helm what he has suggested will be his last film with the upcoming “Juror No. 2.” But what many fans of the nonagenarian will be most concerned with is whether Eastwood continues to have his social media managed by whoever it is that’s uploading awkward and candid shots of the veteran star to his Twitter/X profile with about 27 different watermarks bearing the “Clint Eastwood Official” name. Long may this bizarre and fascinating practice continue. Oh and his films, long may those continue, too.
Danny Glover (Inmate)
Danny Glover has a very small role in “Escape from Alcatraz” as a prison inmate who has a brief interaction with Clint Eastwood’s Frank Morris. As Morris strolls a book cart past the inmate’s cell, Glover’s character asks him where Englsh (Paul Benjamin) is. The interaction lasts all of ten seconds, but for Glover it must have been a big deal as not only was he acting opposite the legend that was Eastwood, this was his first ever film role.
Of course, Glover would soon get used to acting opposite big stars, eventually becoming one himself. Six years after he first hit the big screen, Glover got his breakthrough role in Steven Spielberg’s 1985 effort “The Color Purple” in which he played Albert Johnson, husband to Whoopi Goldberg’s Celie Harris-Johnson. Two years later he’d take on what is still his best known role as LAPD detective Roger Murtaugh in 1987’s “Lethal Weapon.” Glover had great on-screen chemistry with his co-star Mel Gibson, which remained throughout the franchise, but there’s no doubt the original is the best of all the “Lethal Weapon” movies, and with its significant box office returns, it also helped establish Glover as a major star.
Now 77, Glover has come a long way since his minuscule role in “Escape from Alcatraz.” But he’s remained active throughout, appearing in 2019’s “Jumanji: The Next Level” and more recently appearing in the 2022 film “American Dreamer.” Glover has also been a prolific political and social activist throughout his career.
Jack Thibeau (Clarence Anglin)
Jack Thibeau’s role as prisoner Clarence Anglin was a much bigger part than his other credit in 1979: “soldier in trench” in “Apocalypse Now.” Thibeau continued to work for decades in Hollywood following his appearance in “Escape from Alcatraz.” But even after a career that includes roles in such high profile features as “Action Jackson” — one of the best ’80s action movies — and in TV series such as “Miami Vice” and a recurring role on “The Untouchables,” Anglin is arguably still Thibeau’s biggest role.
Along with his brother, fellow convicted bank robber John Anglin, Clarence helped Frank Morris and Charley Butts (Larry Hankin) dig through the walls of the famed prison, eventually escaping alongside Morris and disappearing into the ether alongside their friend. Clarence was therefore a fairly significant role for Thibeau, and marked the beginning of what became a long-running collaboration between he and Clint Eastwood. The pair appeared together just a year after “Escape,” with Thibeau playing a small role in 1980’s “Any Which Way You Can.” He then went on to appear in a further two Eastwood-led films, including “Sudden Impact” (1983), and “City Heat” (1984). Thibeau then re-teamed with Danny Glover himself for “Lethal Weapon” in 1987, playing Detective McCaskey.
Now 78, Thibeau hasn’t acted since the mid-90s. He last appeared on-film in a small role in 1991’s “Murder 101,” and capped off his TV career in 1993 with his role as George Moran on “The Untouchables.”
Larry Hankin (Charley Butts)
’90s kids who grew up watching “Friends” will have surely been pleasantly surprised to discover that Mr. Heckles himself is actually an esteemed character actor with an impressive résumé. His first truly major film role was as Charley Butts in “Escape from Alcatraz” but he’d been in film and TV since the early ’60s. In fact, prior to his acting debut, Hankin was, according to his website, “performing stand-up in New York coffeehouses,” and “opening for Woody Allen and Miles Davis.” But acting was where Hankin found his calling, and as Butts, he found himself with a major role. Butts was, of course, the one prisoner from Frank Morris’ enterprising group that lost his nerve just as the escape plan was put into action.
Hankin continued to see success in the wake of “Escape,” appearing on an impressive array of TV shows including “Family Ties,” “ALF,” and “Matlock,” before playing Ace in 1986’s “Running Scared.” In the ’90s, aside from playing the Friends’ crotchety upstairs neighbor, Hankin could be seen in the other great sitcom of the decade, “Seinfeld” as “The Guy Who Stole The Raisins.” He also appeared in a number of films, including a small role as the aloof Sgt. Larry Balzak in the original and best of the “Home Alone” movies (“Rose, hyper on two!”), the Landlord in “Pretty Woman,” and a role as Carl Alphonse in “Billy Madison” (1995).
Hankin never really let up from there. He continued acting throughout the 2000s and 2010s, even showing up in “Breaking Bad” and “Barry.” Most recently he appeared in 2022’s “I Hear the Trees Whispering.” The 86-year-old doesn’t have any credits since, but based on his prior output, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him crop up in something new.
Carl Lumbly (Inmate)
Carl Lumbly had the tiniest of speaking roles in “Escape from Alcatraz,” as an inmate that questions Frank Morris as he approaches Paul Benjamin’s English in the prison yard. But much like his fellow “Escape” actor Danny Glover, Lumbly went on to establish himself as a talented actor who continues to work today.
After “Escape,” Lumbly landed his first major role as Detective Marcus Petrie on the CBS series “Cagney & Lacey,” which ran from 1982 to 1988. But perhaps his most notable TV role was as the lead in sci-fi superhero series “M.A.N.T.I.S.” Though the show only lasted for one season between 1994 and 95 on the Fox network, it is credited as introducing the first Black superhero on TV. Produced by Sam Raimi, “M.A.N.T.I.S” would prove to be the start of several superhero roles for Lumbly, who went on to voice J’onn J’onzz, the Martian Manhunter, in the animated “Justice League” series on Cartoon Network. More recently, he was asked to join the familiar and daring Disney+ series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” in which he played Isaiah Bradley, who The Washington Post described as “Marvel Studios’s first Black super-soldier.”
Lumbly’s other recent work has also included a role in Netflix’s “The Fall of the House of Usher,” in which he played Auguste Dupin. He also played Dick Hallorann in the 2019 “The Shining” sequel, “Doctor Sleep.” The 72-year-old is now set to appear alongside Anthony Mackie in 2025’s long-delayed “Captain America: Brave New World.”
Madison Arnold (Zimmerman)
Madison Arnold might not be as well known an actor as some of the other names on this list, but the man has had just as prolific a career as some of the biggest stars in “Escape from Alcatraz.” Born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Arnold started acting in the mid-60s, long before “Escape” debuted. When he did find himself alongside Clint Eastwood in 1979, it was in the role of prison guard “Zimmerman.” It wasn’t the biggest part, but Arnold had several interactions with the film’s star and went on to play bigger roles as his career continued.
In the years immediately after “Escape,” Arnold appeared on the big screen in “Xanadu” (1980), “The Lonely Guy” (1984), and “Presumed Innocent” (1990), while also maintaining a steady TV career with parts in various shows. Since then, he’s continued to act, appearing in films such as “Donnie Brasco” (1997), “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” (2011), and the Jake Gyllenhaal-starring “Demolition” (2015). He’s also continued his TV career, with roles in shows such as “Law & Order” and more recently three episodes of NBC’s “The Village” series in 2019. The now 88-year-old also voiced Tavish Gray in the video game “Red Dead Redemption 2,” and most recently appeared on-film in 2023’s “The Country Club.”
That’s a pretty impressive résumé, especially when you consider that Arnold basically hasn’t stopped working since 1979.
Joseph Whipp (prison guard)
Joseph Whipp’s first credited role was a prison guard in “Escape from Alcatraz” but he’d been appearing in productions since the mid-70s. Little did he know at the time that his career would be somewhat defined by similar roles. Put simply, Whipp has played a lot of cops in his time. He was a cop in 1984’s “Nightmare on Elm Street,” in which he played Sergeant Parker. Immediately following that he played “LA cop #1” in 1986’s “Miracles,” after which he once again played “cop #1” in 1987’s “Disorderlies.”
In the ’90s, Whipp played Sheriff Burke in what remains the best of the “Scream” movies, 1996’s “Scream.” More roles followed, with Whipp once again playing a sheriff in “A Place Called Truth” (1998). But it’s unfair to say the now 82-year-old’s career has been solely defined by law enforcement roles.
Throughout his career, Whipp racked up dozens of guest appearances on big-name TV shows, from “The Dukes of Hazzard” and Golden Girls” to “Cheers,” “ER,” and “Monk.” More recently, in 2022 he appeared in popular “Black-ish” spin-off series “Grown-ish,” and in 2023 he played the role of Bill in an episode of Fox’s series “9-1-1 Lone Star.”