William Giles (Oz)
Encyclopedia
William Giles is a fictional character on HBO's prison drama Oz
played by Austin Pendleton
. Other than his erratic speech patterns, he also delivered the quote: "I kill, but never lie!"
, he speaks in one word riddles and does not carry on normal conversations. He spends the majority of his time in Oz in solitary confinement due to violent outbursts. He helps Sister Peter Marie find out more about the murder of her husband years earlier by repeating a series of words that she is able to decipher. She discovered that not only did Giles see who killed her husband, but Giles actually killed the man who murdered her husband. Once she finds out, she gives him a box full of toothpaste, toothbrushes, and mouthwash as a thank you present.
, a guard at OZ, he asks Giles, because Giles was in the prison that day, over 17 years ago. Giles reluctantly tells Father Ray Mukada
that the man responsible for the death of Clayton's father was none other than Warden Leo Glynn
. Glynn later confesses that he always felt responsible because he ignored Samuel's advice to ignore a simple disagreement between prisoners. Glynn was attacked by many prisoners, Samuel came to save him, and was stabbed in the struggle. In doing this, Giles shows that while he may have some mental problems, he shows surprising clarity.
was about to be stabbed by Louis Bevilaqua during rec time, when Giles grabbed the shank and killed Bevilaqua, and also stabbed Alvarez.
where he requests death by stoning
, once his appeal
s run out. When Governor James Devlin
opposes his request, Sister Pete gets an anti-death penalty group to file a lawsuit on his behalf. Warden Leo Glynn
points out that the ensuing legal battle could drag out for years. Rather than face that, this request causes capital punishment
to be overturned in the courts. Giles' sentence is commuted to life in prison, and he is returned to solitary. Capital punishment
is restored soon afterward, however, limiting the condemned's options to lethal injection
and the electric chair
.
approaches him in the gym and begins physically bullying him as retribution for Giles stabbing him (and to show how much smaller and weaker the older Giles was to him in front of the other inmates in the gym). Giles turns the tables on Alvarez, striking him in the groin, then punching him in the face. This gets a round of applause from the inmates in the gym and Giles raises his hands in triumph.
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...
played by Austin Pendleton
Austin Pendleton
Austin Pendleton is an American film, television, and stage actor, a playwright, and a theatre director and instructor.-Life and career:...
. Other than his erratic speech patterns, he also delivered the quote: "I kill, but never lie!"
Character overview
Prisoner 58G714. Convicted February 6, 1958, second-degree murder. Sentence to life, up for parole in 60 years. Later convicted in January 2001 for the murder of inmate Louis Bevilaqua and sentenced to death. Death sentence was later overturned.Season 2
Though not considered to be insane or otherwise mentally deficient by the prison system, or prison psychiatrist Sister Peter MarieSister Peter Marie
Sister Peter Marie Reimondo aka Sister Pete is a fictional character on the HBO drama Oz played by Rita Moreno.right|thumb|Rita Moreno as Sister Peter Marie.-Creation:...
, he speaks in one word riddles and does not carry on normal conversations. He spends the majority of his time in Oz in solitary confinement due to violent outbursts. He helps Sister Peter Marie find out more about the murder of her husband years earlier by repeating a series of words that she is able to decipher. She discovered that not only did Giles see who killed her husband, but Giles actually killed the man who murdered her husband. Once she finds out, she gives him a box full of toothpaste, toothbrushes, and mouthwash as a thank you present.
Season 3
Giles ends up in the hospital ward after suffering a heart attack. While Father Mukada is doing his own investigation on who actually killed Samuel Hughes, the father of Clayton HughesClayton Hughes
Clayton Hughes is a character played by Seth Gilliam on the HBO dramatic series Oz, which takes place in an experimental prison unit.He started out as a corrections officer. Warden Glynn did not want Clayton to work in Oz. The main reason was that Clayton's father, Samuel Hughes, was murdered in Oz...
, a guard at OZ, he asks Giles, because Giles was in the prison that day, over 17 years ago. Giles reluctantly tells Father Ray Mukada
Father Ray Mukada
Father Ray Mukada is a character on the HBO television series Oz, played by B. D. Wong.right|thumb|B.D. Wong as Father Ray Mukada.-Character history:...
that the man responsible for the death of Clayton's father was none other than 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:...
. Glynn later confesses that he always felt responsible because he ignored Samuel's advice to ignore a simple disagreement between prisoners. Glynn was attacked by many prisoners, Samuel came to save him, and was stabbed in the struggle. In doing this, Giles shows that while he may have some mental problems, he shows surprising clarity.
Season 4, Part 1
His only scene in this season takes place after Father Mukada suggests 'rec time' for an hour of the solitary inmates. Miguel AlvarezMiguel Alvarez
Miguel Alvarez is a fictional character played by American actor Kirk Acevedo on the television show Oz. He is the main Latino inmate in the series. He is a gang member of El Norte and of Cuban descent.-Character overview:...
was about to be stabbed by Louis Bevilaqua during rec time, when Giles grabbed the shank and killed Bevilaqua, and also stabbed Alvarez.
Season 4, Part 2
For the murder of Louis Bevilaqua, Giles is sent to death rowDeath row
Death row signifies the place, often a section of a prison, that houses individuals awaiting execution. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of awaiting execution , even in places where no special facility or separate unit for condemned inmates exists.After individuals are found...
where he requests death by stoning
Stoning
Stoning, or lapidation, is a form of capital punishment whereby a group throws stones at a person until the person dies. No individual among the group can be identified as the one who kills the subject, yet everyone involved plainly bears some degree of moral culpability. This is in contrast to the...
, once his appeal
Appeal
An appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....
s run out. When Governor James Devlin
Governor James Devlin
Governor James Devlin is a fictional character on the HBO drama Oz, played by Željko Ivanek.-Character overview:Devlin, the governor of the state, is hated by most of the inmates and some of the staff members at the Oswald State Correctional facilities as he proposes several anti-prisoner acts of...
opposes his request, Sister Pete gets an anti-death penalty group to file a lawsuit on his behalf. 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:...
points out that the ensuing legal battle could drag out for years. Rather than face that, this request causes capital punishment
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
to be overturned in the courts. Giles' sentence is commuted to life in prison, and he is returned to solitary. Capital punishment
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
is restored soon afterward, however, limiting the condemned's options to lethal injection
Lethal injection
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting a person with a fatal dose of drugs for the express purpose of causing the immediate death of the subject. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but the term may also be applied in a broad sense to euthanasia and suicide...
and the electric chair
Electric chair
Execution by electrocution, usually performed using an electric chair, is an execution method originating in the United States in which the condemned person is strapped to a specially built wooden chair and electrocuted through electrodes placed on the body...
.
Season 5
After being released from solitary due to the chemical buildup in the ventilation system, Giles keeps his head relatively low. The one exception is when Miguel AlvarezMiguel Alvarez
Miguel Alvarez is a fictional character played by American actor Kirk Acevedo on the television show Oz. He is the main Latino inmate in the series. He is a gang member of El Norte and of Cuban descent.-Character overview:...
approaches him in the gym and begins physically bullying him as retribution for Giles stabbing him (and to show how much smaller and weaker the older Giles was to him in front of the other inmates in the gym). Giles turns the tables on Alvarez, striking him in the groin, then punching him in the face. This gets a round of applause from the inmates in the gym and Giles raises his hands in triumph.