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| “ | I think of it as a bucket of piss to drown rats in! That's all! Anybody doesn't like it can kiss my ass! | „ |
| ~ Percy Wetmore expressing his sordid nature. |
| “ | Well, I might just stick around for good, might make me a career of this... boss. | „ |
| ~ Percy Wetmore making his proposal of leading Delocroix's execution lucid. |
Percy Wetmore is the central antagonist in the 1996 novel The Green Mile by Stephen King, and its 1999 film adaptation of the same name.
He was portrayed by Doug Hutchison, who also portrayed Pete Williard in A Time To Kill, and Eugene Tooms in The X-Files.
Biography
Percy is a sadistic prison guard who enjoys aggravating the prisoners, particularly Eduard "Del" Delacroix. Although the other guards share a dislike of him, they have to be nice towards him because he is the governor's nephew. When a mouse makes its appearance shortly after John Coffey's arrival, Percy Wetmore meets the mouse and wants to run over it (the mouse still managed to escape its dangerous enemy). Later, a new prisoner, William Wharton, proves particularly dangerous by slyly pouncing on guard Dean Stanton to strangle him. While Percy could overpower William Wharton, he does nothing, obviously paralyzed by his cowardice. One day, William grabs Percy, taking advantage of his passing too close to the bars of his cell, and threatens him with rape. Percy is so scared that he wets his pants under the stunned gaze of his colleagues. Paul intervenes to protect Percy. Percy then threatens to have them all fired thanks to his connections, if they spread the news, to which Paul assures him they won’t tell anyone. Percy takes advantage of another day to run over the mouse named Jingles by Delacroix. But John resuscitates the animal, demonstrating his supernatural powers a second time. When he is offered a job as a secretary at Brier Ridge Mental Hospital, Paul Edgecomb, the main character, thinks that they are finally rid of Percy. However, Percy refuses to leave unless he is allowed to supervise an execution, so Paul reluctantly allows him to run Del's. Percy sabotages the execution by deliberately not soaking the sponge before putting it on Del's head while Del is in the electric chair. Del suffers an agonizing death by literally frying in the chair (John Coffey feels the pain too). Percy is pushed to go to his new post as soon as possible, with a punch in the face by Brutal, Paul's fellow colleague, shortly after Delacroix's execution.
When Paul and the other guards plan to take John Coffey, the other main character who heals people by sucking diseases out of them and regurgitating them, to the warden's cancerous wife, they put Percy in a straitjacket, tape his mouth shut and lock him in the block padded cell (both to keep him out of the way and as punishment for sabotaging Del's execution). After returning, John grabs Percy through his cell bars. Despite the guards trying to stop him in spite of their contempt for Percy, John regurgitates the disease he takes from the warden's wife into Percy. Presumably either being controlled by Coffey or willingly out of disgust for Wharton’s crimes, a crying Percy proceeds to shoot Wharton to death before going into a permanent catatonic state. He is then committed to Briar Ridge Mental Hospital not as an employee, as expected after Delacroix's execution, but as a patient, ultimately being punished for his wickedness. In the book, it is mentioned that he later died. In the movie, however, his later fate is never revealed.
Personality
Percy Wetmore is a sleazy, seedy, and haughty prison guard who enjoys seeing death row inmates get executed via electric chair. As the nephew of Louisiana's governor, Percy is very conceited about his position, and thinks himself as superior to his colleagues. Unlike the other guards, Percy is abusive of his power and has nothing redeeming about him. He relishes in tormenting inmates, specifically Eduard "Del" Delacroix, and wishes to cause them the greatest amount of agony before his death.
Percy is shown to be petty, narrow-minded, and spiteful. This is demonstrated when he causes turmoil by attempting to chase a field mouse that would eventually become Del's pet mouse Mr. Jingles. This is further evident when Del makes fun of him for wetting his pants (considering that Percy had continually tormented him before by breaking his fingers, stepping on his pet mouse, and causing him to slip and fall), to which Percy deliberately botches Del's execution to ensure he suffers an extremely painful end.
In spite of this, Percy is also extremely craven. As aforementioned, he cried and wet his pants after Wharton had groped him, showing his cowardly nature despite his perceived authority over the inmates. Also, when Percy sabotages Del's execution, it becomes so terrifying that even Percy becomes horrified at the sight of Del burning alive (though he ultimately shows no remorse).
Also, despite taking pride in his position, Percy does not seem to hold any genuine interest in being a prison guard. It is implied that Percy is disinterested in spearheading executions when being taught to do so, given that the sole reason why he wanted to do it was to get revenge on Del. Percy also enjoys reading pornographic comics instead of patrolling the inmates, further proving that he wants to be a prison guard merely to satiate his sadism. Although, he was crying before he shot Wharton to death, implying John showed him Wharton’s crimes and Percy killed him out of disgust for it.
Quotes
| “ | Dead man! Dead man walking! We got a dead man walking, here! | „ |
| ~ Percy while bringing John Coffey into the penitenary. |
| “ | I wiped that grin off your face, didn't l? | „ |
| ~ Percy after purposely smashing two of Del's fingers. |
| “ | Percy Wetmore: AAAAAAHH!! (*throws nightstick at mouse*) Goddamn! Aargh, you little scurvy! Harry Terwilliger: Percy, are you crazy, you little son of a bitch? Percy! Percy: I'm gonna kill you! (*throws trash can to the floor*) Harry: Percy! Percy: You little vermin! I'm gonna stomp your life out! Eduard Delacroix: It's just a little mouse, dumb merde! Percy: You ugly little piece of sh- (*mouse runs under door*) Harry: Are you listening to me? Percy: FUCK! Harry: Percy! Percy: (*while grabbing keys to the padded room*) I'm gonna rip your diseased head off, you little piece of shit! |
„ |
| ~ Percy chasing a mouse. |
| “ | Adios, Chief! Drop us a card from Hell, let us know if it's hot enough... | „ |
| ~ Percy after Arlen Bitterbuck's execution. |
| “ | Percy Wetmore: Well, that's just aces. Isn't that something? You done good, old-timer! We're happy for you! Yeah, we are. (*Percy laughs, while Del stares at him dubiously. Afterwards, Del laughs along with Percy*) Boo! (*Del slips and falls*) Brutus Howell: Percy, you shit. (*helps Del up*) Del, get up! Percy: Del, you numb-wit! I didn't mean nothing bad, I was just playing! Come on now, I was just having- (*gets held back by Wild Bill*) Aah, aaah, aah! |
„ |
| ~ Percy purposely causing Del to slip and fall, shortly before he gets molested by Wharton. |
| “ | Yeah. Yeah, you keep laughing, you French-fried faggot! | „ |
| ~ Percy after Del mocks him for wetting his pants. |
| “ | Eduard Delacroix: Don't forgot about Mouseville. Percy Wetmore: Hey! There's no such place. It's just a fairytale these guys told you to keep you quiet. Just thought you should know... faggot! |
„ |
| ~ Percy confronting Del during his execution. |
| “ | I didn't know the sponge is supposed to be wet. | „ |
| ~ Percy claiming he "forgot" to wet the sponge as an attempt to get away with sabotaging Del's execution. |
| “ | Percy Wetmore: Please, Paul. Please don't put me in with Wild Bill. Please don't. Paul Edgecomb: You would think that. (*guards drag Percy to the padded room*) Percy: No, no, no, you can't do this to me! You can't do this to me! (*Brutal stuffs a cloth inside Percy's mouth*) You can't! |
„ |
| ~ Percy begging to the guards not to lock in the padded room. |
| “ | Paul Edgecomb: Think over it, Percy. Percy Wetmore: I intend to. I intend to think it over very hard. Starting right now. |
„ |
| ~ Percy's last words, before Coffey disgorges the disease into him. |
