Dead Man Walking

Sister Helen Prejean

Matthew Poncelet

Hilton Barber

Earl Delacroix

Clyde Percy

Mary Beth Percy

Helen's Mother

Chaplain Farley

Lucille Poncelet

Sister Colleen

Captain Beliveau

Sgt. Neal Trapp

Warden Hartman

Luis Montoya

Guy Gilardi

Bishop Norwich

Governor Benedict

State Trooper

Nurse

Carl Vitello

Walter Delacroix

Hope Percy

Emily Percy

Craig Poncelet

Sonny Poncelet

Troy Poncelet

Helen's Brother

Helen's Sister

Opossum Kid #1

Opossum Kid #2

Opossum Kid #3

Henry (as Dennis F. Neal)

Nellie

Mirabeau

Reporter

Supporter

Reporter #1

Reporter #2

Reporter #3

Reporter #4

News Anchor

Parent #1

Parent #2

Parent #3

Parent #4

Idella

Herbie

Kenitra

Palmer

Johnathan

Guard #1

Guard #2

Guard #3

Guard #4

Guard #5

Guard #6

Guard #7

Aide to Governor Benedict

Boy in Church

Parole Board Member (uncredited)

Nun (uncredited)

Trustee (uncredited)

ER Doctor (uncredited)

La. Senator (uncredited)

Woman at Vigil (uncredited)

Cop (uncredited)

The real Sister Helen appears outside the prison during a candlelight vigil scene.

One of Matthew Poncelet's tattoos (the one you can see when he gets the injection) is the cover of the Iron Maiden record "Piece of Mind".

After being told that she would be played in the film by "a famous actress from Thelma & Louise (1991)", Sister Helen Prejean was introduced to Susan Sarandon and said "Thank God, she's Louise."

The shoulder straps disappear after Matthew's death.

When Sister Helen is talking to Hilton Barber outside the court house just after the first clemency hearing, he calls her "Susan" instead of "Helen".

Matthew says that they shaved his left leg in case they couldn't find a vein. In subsequent shots, it has clearly not been shaved.

Sister Colleen: If Matt dies, guess who he'll be buried next to?

Sister Helen Prejean: It's not faith, it's work.

Hilton Barber: [at Matthew Poncelet's appeals hearing] The death penalty. It's nothin' new; it's been with us for centuries. We've buried people alive; lopped off their heads with an axe; burned them alive at a public square... gruesome spectacles. In this century, we kept searchin' for more and more *humane* ways... of killin' people that we didn't like. We've shot 'em with firing squads; suffocated 'em, in the gas chamber. But now... Now we have developed a device that is the most humane of all. Lethal injection. We strap the guy up. We anesthetize him with shot number one; then we give him shot number two, and that implodes his lungs, and shot number three stops... his heart. We put 'em to death just like an old horse. His face just, goes to sleep, while, inside, his organs are going through armageddon. The muscles of his face would twist, and contort, and pull, but you see, shot number one relaxes all those muscles so we don't have to see any horror show... We don't have to taste the blood of revenge on our lips, while this, human being's organs writhe, and twist, and contort... We just sit there, quietly. Nod our heads, and say: 'Justice has been done.'