Prison Break star 'joins Heroes'

Knepper is best known for playing murderer Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell

Prison Break star Robert Knepper is to join the cast of US TV drama Heroes as a new villain, according to industry newspaper The Hollywood Reporter.

The actor, who played the sinister Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell on the prison drama which ended this year, will star in at least six episodes.

He is reported to play Samuel, a charismatic yet wicked man with a twisted sense of humour.

Nineteen new episodes are expected when the series returns in the autumn.

NBC bosses also confirmed that Californication star Madeline Zima will be joining the show as a friend to current character Claire, whom she meets at college.

On the big screen, Knepper recently starred in Transporter 3 and The Day the Earth Stood Still.

He will next be seen in Prison Break: The Final Break, a made-for-DVD follow-up movie to the series.