‘Prison Break’ star Wentworth Miller reveals he has autism: ‘A shock, not a surprise’
Wentworth Miller of “Prison Break” speaks onstage during the 2017 Winter Television Critics Association Press Tour on January 11, 2017. Image: AFP/Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Wentworth Miller from the American crime drama “Prison Break” opened up about getting diagnosed with autism as an adult, saying he has no plans to “change” his condition.
The actor revealed that he received his diagnosis last year, amid the ongoing pandemic, as shown in an open letter to his fans on his Instagram page on Sunday, July 25. His letter was accompanied by a blank white photo.
“It was a long, flawed process in need of updating, [in my opinion.] I’m a middle-aged man. Not a five-year-old,” Miller told fans. He narrated that he first had an informal and self-diagnosis before he formally confirmed that he indeed has autism.
“Let’s just say it was a shock. But not a surprise,” he added, while acknowledging that getting diagnosed for the condition was a “privilege many do not enjoy.”
Miller considers having autism as something “central” to who he is and stressed that it is related to all of his achievements.
“This isn’t something I’d change,” he told fans. “I get — got — immediately being autistic is central to who I am, to everything I’ve achieved [or] articulated.”
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Miller admitted that while he still has a lot to learn, he is “evolving [his] understanding” and looking back at “[five] decades of lived experience [through] a new lens.”
The actor encouraged fans to learn more about autism through various social media platforms, noting that other content creators can speak about several relevant issues “more knowledgeably” than he can. He said that he did not want to be ill-informed about his condition and wishes to avoid harming those in the autistic community.
“I don’t wish to do additional harm,” he addressed those with autism. “Only to raise my hand, say, ‘I am here. Have been [without] realizing it.'”
Aside from “Prison Break,” Miller has also starred in other TV shows including the DC series “The Flash,” the sci-fi show “Legends of Tomorrow” and the political drama series “Madam Secretary.” JB
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