Dominic Haakon Myrtvedt Purcell was born in 1970 in England. Purcell is the oldest of 5 children. When he was 2, his family moved to Sydney, Australia. Purcell's mother is Irish and his father is of Norwegian decent, however, his father separated himself from the family. Purcell dropped out of high school and worked as a landscaper.
Purcell married Rebecca Williamson, and together they have 4 children, the youngest of which are twins. In 2000, Purcell moved his family from Australia to the United States after winning a green card lottery. He and his wife separated in October of 2007.
Purcell began acting by studying at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. He graduated from there in 1996 and began starring in the Australian t.v. show Raw FM. In 2002, after moving to the United States, Purcell played John Doe in John Doe. He also played Drake in Blade:Trinity in 2004. He has also starred in other shows such as House and North Shore. In 2005, Purcell began playing Lincoln Burrows in Prison Break.
