Diane Wittlesey
Encyclopedia
Officer Diane Wittlesey is a fictional character played by Edie Falco
on the television program
Oz
.
and substance abuse
; through all of that she gained a pretty good understanding of criminal life. She is a CO in the Oswald Maximum Security Penitentiary, but she only works there because she can't find work anywhere else. Her only drive is taking care of her mother, who has cancer
, and her young daughter, whom she has to raise all by herself. She works double shifts, sometimes sleeping in the prison, just to make ends meet. Wittlesey is the only primary character who, although she was on for three seasons, was never killed off. She is one of the few characters to have a happy ending to their storyline.
' experimental cell block. She helps to keep prisoners' records and to stop any conflicts between inmates. Eventually, she and McManus fall in love and even have sex inside an empty cell. However, when the two receive flak from their fellow staff members over their relationship, she breaks it off with him.
Eventually, Wittlesey gets some bad news — Oz had made a contract with the Department of Corrections that, as a condition, will no longer allow officers to work overtime
. More trouble arises for her when Scott Ross
enters Oz. He was a biker on the outside; he and her ex-husband used to be in the same biker gang. He is obsessed with Wittlesey, and on the outside he tried many times to have sex with her behind her husband's back. Ross decides to "help her out" with her situation at home; he proposes that she smuggle cigarettes for him and he will give her extra cash. She agrees reluctantly, but when McManus finds out, he tells her to stop. He doesn't fire her, knowing she's only trying to make money for her family. When Ross gets wind of this, he threatens to tell Warden Leo Glynn
and take from Wittlesey everything she has worked for.
Wittlesey gets caught in a riot in Emerald City. She is taken hostage, but eventually the SORT team breaks in and ends the riot. Ross shoots McManus (who volunteered to be captive in return for letting two critically injured officers out for treatment). Wittlesey later takes the gun and kills Ross, shooting him in the head, heart, and genitalia.
, tells Wittlesey that he saw her kill Ross and that he will make sure she is exposed. When Case confronts Wittlesey, she admits to killing Ross. Glynn convinces Case that Wittlesey is the best guard he's ever had, that she is struggling to make enough money, and that punishing her for taking Ross' life is not worth ruining hers. Feeling sorry for Wittlesey, Case rules that Ross was killed by bullets from the SORT team members.
Schillinger proposes to Wittlesey that if she helps him kill Tobias Beecher
, he will pay her handsomely and keep her secret. She turns the tables against him, however, and sets him up to be charged with conspiracy to commit murder. To get back at her, Schillinger tells McManus the truth about Ross' death. Wittlesey denies it to McManus. Eventually, Wittlesey decides to move back to Emerald City, where she shows an unrequited interest in McManus. He now suspects her of killing Ross, and reopens the investigation. She admits to him that she did do it, but only because Ross shot him first.
Schillinger approached Muslim
leader Kareem Said
, who was handling cases for various prisoners, and asked him to represent him on the conspiracy to commit murder charge. In investigating the case, Said interrogated McManus and Wittlesey about the murder, and both of them lied. Eventually, the lack of proof buried the truth once more. However, McManus was ridden with guilt for lying, and decided to transfer Wittlesey out of Emerald City and into Unit B.
. Tension soon develops between them, once Howell takes an interest in McManus.
Soon afterward, Wittlesey learns that her mother has died. McManus comforts her, which stirs up tension in his relationship with Howell. Eventually, Howell sues him for sexual harassment
, worsening the tension between the two women. Wittlesey takes McManus' side, and the two grow close again throughout the ordeal. In the end, McManus asks Wittlesey to renew their relationship.
When the entire prison is put into lockdown
amid serious racial tension, Wittlesey fears another riot, and decides to take vacation leave. She goes to England
with her daughter.
sman. McManus is crushed, and barely acknowledges her during a strained long-distance phone call. This leads to McManus having a nervous breakdown
, and eventually, losing his job.
, Wittlesey was modeled after a female unit manager whom series creator Tom Fontana
met at a prison in southern New Jersey
.
Edie Falco
Edith "Edie" Falco is an American television, film and stage actress, known for her roles in Oz as Diane Wittlesey, as Carmela Soprano on the HBO series The Sopranos, and as the titular character on the Showtime series Nurse Jackie...
on the television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
Oz
Oz (TV series)
Oz is an American television drama series created by Tom Fontana, who also wrote or co-wrote all of the series' 56 episodes . It was the first one-hour dramatic television series to be produced by premium cable network HBO. Oz premiered on July 12, 1997 and ran for six seasons...
.
Character overview
Oz's first female correctional officer is a divorcee and single mother, who has suffered spousal abuse, povertyPoverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
and substance abuse
Substance abuse
A substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...
; through all of that she gained a pretty good understanding of criminal life. She is a CO in the Oswald Maximum Security Penitentiary, but she only works there because she can't find work anywhere else. Her only drive is taking care of her mother, who has cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, and her young daughter, whom she has to raise all by herself. She works double shifts, sometimes sleeping in the prison, just to make ends meet. Wittlesey is the only primary character who, although she was on for three seasons, was never killed off. She is one of the few characters to have a happy ending to their storyline.
Season 1 (1997)
Wittlesey is the supervisor of the guards in Emerald City, Unit Manager Tim McManusTim McManus
Tim McManus is a fictional character on HBO's prison drama Oz, played by Terry Kinney.-Character overview:McManus, the idealistic manager of Emerald City, is unlike the rest of the staff members at Oz as he has never been a CO, has a college education, and generally believes in the inmates as...
' experimental cell block. She helps to keep prisoners' records and to stop any conflicts between inmates. Eventually, she and McManus fall in love and even have sex inside an empty cell. However, when the two receive flak from their fellow staff members over their relationship, she breaks it off with him.
Eventually, Wittlesey gets some bad news — Oz had made a contract with the Department of Corrections that, as a condition, will no longer allow officers to work overtime
Overtime
Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. Normal hours may be determined in several ways:*by custom ,*by practices of a given trade or profession,*by legislation,...
. More trouble arises for her when Scott Ross
Scott Ross (Oz)
Scott Ross, played by Stephen Gevedon, is a fictional character on the HBO drama Oz.right|thumb|Stephen Gevedon as Scott Ross.-Character overview:...
enters Oz. He was a biker on the outside; he and her ex-husband used to be in the same biker gang. He is obsessed with Wittlesey, and on the outside he tried many times to have sex with her behind her husband's back. Ross decides to "help her out" with her situation at home; he proposes that she smuggle cigarettes for him and he will give her extra cash. She agrees reluctantly, but when McManus finds out, he tells her to stop. He doesn't fire her, knowing she's only trying to make money for her family. When Ross gets wind of this, he threatens to tell Warden Leo Glynn
Warden Leo Glynn
Leo Glynn is a fictional character on the HBO drama Oz. He is the warden of the Oswald state correctional facility-Character overview:...
and take from Wittlesey everything she has worked for.
Wittlesey gets caught in a riot in Emerald City. She is taken hostage, but eventually the SORT team breaks in and ends the riot. Ross shoots McManus (who volunteered to be captive in return for letting two critically injured officers out for treatment). Wittlesey later takes the gun and kills Ross, shooting him in the head, heart, and genitalia.
Season 2 (1998)
As Alvah Case investigates the riot, he notices that Ross was shot execution style. Meanwhile, while patrolling Unit B, Vern Schillinger, leader of the Aryan BrotherhoodAryan Brotherhood
The Aryan Brotherhood, also known as The Brand, the AB, or the One-Two, is a white supremacist prison gang and organized crime syndicate in the United States with about 20,000 members in and out of prison...
, tells Wittlesey that he saw her kill Ross and that he will make sure she is exposed. When Case confronts Wittlesey, she admits to killing Ross. Glynn convinces Case that Wittlesey is the best guard he's ever had, that she is struggling to make enough money, and that punishing her for taking Ross' life is not worth ruining hers. Feeling sorry for Wittlesey, Case rules that Ross was killed by bullets from the SORT team members.
Schillinger proposes to Wittlesey that if she helps him kill Tobias Beecher
Tobias Beecher
Tobias Beecher is a main character on the television show Oz, played by Lee Tergesen. He is one of only eight regular characters to survive the entire run of the show...
, he will pay her handsomely and keep her secret. She turns the tables against him, however, and sets him up to be charged with conspiracy to commit murder. To get back at her, Schillinger tells McManus the truth about Ross' death. Wittlesey denies it to McManus. Eventually, Wittlesey decides to move back to Emerald City, where she shows an unrequited interest in McManus. He now suspects her of killing Ross, and reopens the investigation. She admits to him that she did do it, but only because Ross shot him first.
Schillinger approached Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
leader Kareem Said
Kareem Said
Kareem Saïd is a character played by British actor Eamonn Walker on the American television show Oz.-Character overview:Prisoner #97S444. Convicted June 6, 1997 - Arson in the second degree. Sentence: 18 years, eligible for parole in five...
, who was handling cases for various prisoners, and asked him to represent him on the conspiracy to commit murder charge. In investigating the case, Said interrogated McManus and Wittlesey about the murder, and both of them lied. Eventually, the lack of proof buried the truth once more. However, McManus was ridden with guilt for lying, and decided to transfer Wittlesey out of Emerald City and into Unit B.
Season 3 (1999)
Wittlesey continues to work in Unit B, and finds another female correctional officer working with her, Officer Claire HowellClaire Howell
Claire Howell is a fictional character on the HBO drama Oz portrayed by Kristin Rohde.-Character overview:A sexual predator serving as a guard in the eponymous prison, she preys on all the men in her orbit, prisoners and guards alike, as human sex toys who exist for her to dominate...
. Tension soon develops between them, once Howell takes an interest in McManus.
Soon afterward, Wittlesey learns that her mother has died. McManus comforts her, which stirs up tension in his relationship with Howell. Eventually, Howell sues him for sexual harassment
Sexual harassment
Sexual harassment, is intimidation, bullying or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. In some contexts or circumstances, sexual harassment is illegal. It includes a range of behavior from seemingly mild transgressions and...
, worsening the tension between the two women. Wittlesey takes McManus' side, and the two grow close again throughout the ordeal. In the end, McManus asks Wittlesey to renew their relationship.
When the entire prison is put into lockdown
Lockdown
There are several definitions for the term lockdown, the most common of which pertains to a state of containment or a restriction of progression....
amid serious racial tension, Wittlesey fears another riot, and decides to take vacation leave. She goes to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
with her daughter.
Season 4 (2000)
Wittlesey's vacation was supposed to be finished, but she never came back to Oz, much to McManus' disappointment and agitation, since he intended to propose to her upon her return. She phones Sister Pete, and explains that she is engaged to a Royal GuardRoyal Guard
A Royal Guard describes any group of military bodyguards, soldiers or armed retainers responsible for the protection of a royal person, such as Emperor/Empress, King/Queen, or Prince/Princess...
sman. McManus is crushed, and barely acknowledges her during a strained long-distance phone call. This leads to McManus having a nervous breakdown
Nervous breakdown
Mental breakdown is a non-medical term used to describe an acute, time-limited phase of a specific disorder that presents primarily with features of depression or anxiety.-Definition:...
, and eventually, losing his job.
Trivia
According to an article in The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, Wittlesey was modeled after a female unit manager whom series creator Tom Fontana
Tom Fontana
Tom Fontana is an American writer and producer.-TV career:Fontana has been a writer/producer for such series as Oz , The Jury, The Beat, The Bedford Diaries, Homicide: Life on the Street, St...
met at a prison in southern New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.