Vernon Schillinger is a fictional character played by American actor J. K. Simmons on the HBO series Oz and the main antagonist.

Schillinger is one of the most powerful and feared inmates in Oswald Maximum Security Penitentiary ("Oz"). As a leader of Oz's Aryan Brotherhood, Schillinger controls most white inmates and has a reputation for ruthless brutality and rape. He is shown to be a high-ranking member of the Brotherhood outside of prison, thus giving him power outside of Oz through a vast network of allies.

"Prisoner #92S110: Vernon Schillinger. Convicted October 21, 1992 - Aggravated assault in the first degree. Sentence: Eight years, up for parole in five."

Schillinger is the head of the Aryan Brotherhood inside the Oswald Maximum Security Penitentiary ("Oz"). An ardent racist, he is serving an eight-year sentence for aggravated assault for attacking an African-American drug dealer with a crowbar for selling drugs to his sons. He indulges in varying degrees of sexual sadism, especially toward fellow inmate Tobias Beecher, whom he rapes to "initiate" him into prison life. In addition to Beecher, Schillinger commits several acts of rape over the series against weaker white inmates; ironically, he is virulently homophobic. He is also quick to have the Brotherhood murder other inmates to prove that the Aryans are a legitimate threat to the rest of Oz's inmate population.

Throughout the series, Schillinger has several major family issues: his father, whom he hates, taught him everything he knows about white supremacist ideology; his sons are both amoral drug addicts; he has disowned his sister for marrying a Jew, and his daughter-in-law is a prostitute. Many of his underlings are imprisoned for hate crimes and readily affiliate themselves with his group. Despite his status as a leader, he seeks approval from his superiors such as former mentor Wilson Loewen, who views him as having "a big ego and no balls to back it up." A running gag in the show revolves around his surname: Schillinger strongly objects to his name being mispronounced, averring that it should be pronounced with a hard "G" sound ("Schilling - ur"), not a soft "G" sound ("Schillin - jur"). Few characters throughout the show's run pronounce it properly. Ironically, Kareem Saïd, his biggest rival and bitter enemy, is the one character who always pronounces his name correctly.

Schillinger is among the inmates in the specialized Cell Block E, or "Emerald City." After Tobias Beecher is threatened by his larger African American cellmate, Simon Adebisi, the initially harmless-looking Schillinger offers to let him move into his "pod." Beecher naively accepts the offer, unaware that Schillinger is a prison rapist who intends to turn Beecher into a sex slave, or "Prag." As a result, Schillinger rapes Beecher once he is inside the cell and burns a swastika on his right buttock. Schillinger subjects Beecher to a series of rapes and humiliations, most notably forcing him to perform in drag for a prison talent show. To cope with the constant trauma, Beecher begins using heroin, much to Schillinger's disgust.

Schillinger forces Beecher to wear a T-shirt bearing a Confederate flag in hopes that Beecher will be killed by African-American inmates. However, after taking some PCP, Beecher flies into a rage and throws a chair at Schillinger, shattering a window in Schillinger's cell and temporarily blinding him in one eye. After Unit Manager Tim McManus transfers Schillinger to the prison's general population, he threatens Beecher in the gym. Beecher reacts fiercely, beating Schillinger unconscious with free weights before defecating on his face in front of other inmates. Schillinger realizes how vulnerable he is and tells McManus how badly he wants to be paroled in his upcoming review. McManus reluctantly allows him to move back into Emerald City.

Throughout this season, Schillinger is wary of the high-profile leader of the Muslim prisoners, Kareem Saïd, because of his ability to gain access to and sometimes influence McManus and other prison officials. He fears that Saïd could mobilize the African American inmates in a takeover of the prison. These fears come true when a prison riot breaks out in Emerald City, during which Schillinger lies low, allowing biker inmate Scott Ross to command his Aryan troops. During the riot, Schillinger sees correctional officer Diane Whittlesey murder Ross after the SORT team supplies her with a gun.