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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? Hmm? You can kiss my ass. | „ |
~ Percy expressing his sadistic nature |
“ | Well, I might just stick around for good, make me a career of this... boss. | „ |
~ Percy making his proposal of leading Del's execution |
Percy Wetmore is the secondary antagonist of the 1996 novel The Green Mile by Stephen King and its film adaptation.
He was portrayed by Doug Hutchison.
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, Mr. Jingles, makes its appearance shortly after John Coffey's arrival, Percy Wetmore tries to kill him (however he still managed to escape its dangerous enemy). Later, a new prisoner, Wild Bill, proves particularly dangerous by slyly pouncing on Dean Stanton to strangle him. One day, Wild Bill grabs Percy, taking advantage of his passing too close to the bars of his cell, and threatens him with rape. Percy is so afraid 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 then succeeds to stomp on Mr. Jingles, much to Delacroix's horror, but John heals him in time, demonstrating his supernatural powers to all the wardens. When Percy is offered a job as a secretary at Briar Ridge Mental Hospital, Paul Edgecomb thinks that they finally won't have to deal with Percy anymore. However, he refuses to leave unless he's 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 he's on the electric chair. Del suffers an agonizing death by literally frying on the chair (John Coffey feels the pain too), horrifying even Percy. He's pushed to go to his new post as soon as possible, with Brutal punching him hardly 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. Being controlled by Coffey and willingly out of disgust for Wild Bill’s crimes, a weeping Percy shoots Wharton to death before going into a permanent catatonic state. He's 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's mentioned that he later died. In the movie, however, his later fate is never revealed.
Personality[]
Percy 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 their death's.
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 Wild Bill 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 Wild Bill to death, implying John showed him Wild Bill’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's first words while bringing John Coffey into the mile |
“ | I wiped that grin off your shitpoke face, didn't l? | „ |
~ Percy after deliberately breaking three of Del's fingers |
“ | Percy: AAAAAAHH!! (*throws his nightstick at mouse*) Goddamn! Aargh, you little scurvy! Harry: 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! Del: 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 mocking Arlen Bitterbuck's corpse |
“ | Percy: 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*) Brute: 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 grabbed by Wild Bill*) Aah, aaah, aah! |
„ |
~ Percy deliberately causing Del to slip and fall shortly before he gets groped by Wild Bill |
“ | Yeah. You keep laughing, you French-fried faggot! You just keep on laughing! | „ |
~ Percy after Del mocks him for wetting his pants |
“ | Del: Don't forgot about Mouseville. Percy: Hey. There's no such place. That'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 was supposed to be wet. | „ |
~ Percy claiming he "forgot" to wet the sponge as an attempt to get away with sabotaging Del's execution |
“ | Percy: Please, Paul. Please don't put me in with Wild Bill. Please don't. Paul: 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! (*Brute stuffs a cloth inside Percy's mouth*) You can't! |
„ |
~ Percy begging the guards not to lock him in the padded room |
“ | Paul: Think it over, Percy. Percy: Oh, I intend to. I intend to think it over very hard. Starting right now. |
„ |
~ Percy's last words before John Coffey disgorges the bladder infection and disease into him |