Wentworth Miller Biography

Wentworth Earl Miller III was born on June 2, 1972, in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, England, to Wentworth Earl Miller II, a lawyer and teacher, and his wife Joy Marie, a special education teacher. He has two sisters: Leigh and Gillian.

He was inclined towards acting from a young age and appeared in several school productions. Yet he was unsure of pursuing an acting career as a youngster.

He received his early education from ‘Midwood High School,’ Brooklyn, where he was a member of ‘SING!,’ an annual musical production started by ‘Midwood.’ In 1990, he finished high school from ‘Quaker Valley High School,’ Pennsylvania.

In 1995, he graduated with a bachelor's degree in English literature from the reputed ‘Princeton University.’ While at college, he performed with the collegiate a cappella group ‘Princeton Tigertones.’

In 1995, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting and entered the entertainment industry as a lowly assistant for a production company.

While working at the production company, he started auditioning for various roles in films and television. In 1998, he made his first appearance in an episode of ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer.’

He appeared in a recurring role in the short-lived Fox series ‘Time of Your Life’ (1999-2000). In 2000, he appeared in a minor role in an episode of NBC series ‘ER.’ He later played a waiter in the short film ‘Room 302’ (2001).

He landed his first starring role in the ABC miniseries ‘Dinotopia’ (2002) where he played the sensitive and introverted ‘David Scott.’

In 2003, he got a major breakthrough when he was cast to play the younger version of Anthony Hopkins’ character in the movie ‘The Human Stain.’

He also featured in a minor role in the 2003 movie ‘Underworld.’ He then took a break to reevaluate his life and career, and thus did not appear in any project in 2004.

In 2005, he made a comeback by appearing in the music video for Mariah Carey's ‘We Belong Together.’ The same year, he appeared in a couple of episodes of the CBS drama series ‘Joan of Arcadia.’ He also voiced ‘EDI,’ the onboard computer of a runaway aerial combat plane, in the big-budget film ‘Stealth.’

In 2005, Miller landed the role of ‘Michael Scofield’ in the Fox series ‘Prison Break.’ The series saw him playing a structural engineer who devises a plan for a breakout. He received much appreciation for his performance, and the show was praised for its suspense. ‘Prison Break’ ran for four seasons till 2009.

Since 2009, he has appeared in several films, such as ‘Resident Evil: Afterlife’ (2010), and ‘The Loft’ (2014). He also wrote the screenplay for the 2013 thriller ‘Stoker’ and the 2016 horror ‘The Disappointments Room.’

He has also starred in a few episodes of television series, such as ‘House’ (2011), ‘Young Justice: Invasion’ (2013), and ‘The Flash’ (2014-2019).

From 2016 to 2018, he was seen in the American superhero TV series ‘Legends of Tomorrow.’

He has also had guest and recurring roles in TV series, such as ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,’ ‘Madam Secretary’ (2019), and ‘Batwoman’ (2019).

In the 2005 television series ‘Prison Break,’ Miller landed the role of ‘Michael Scofield,’ a structural engineer who conceives a daring breakout plan to help his innocent brother escape death penalty. The role earned him rave reviews from critics and audience for his compelling performance. The series was initially aired for four seasons before it was revived by Fox network in 2017 for a fifth season.

For his role in the 2003 drama film ‘The Human Stain,’ he was nominated for the ‘Black Reel Award’ under the ‘Best Actor’ and ‘Best Breakthrough Performance’ categories.

In 2006, he received a ‘Golden Globe’ nomination under the ‘Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Series – Drama’ category for his role in the Fox series ‘Prison Break.’ He was also nominated for ‘Saturn Award’ and ‘Teen Choice Award.’

Although he denied being gay in 2007, he came out in 2013. He also shared the unpleasant experiences of his multiple suicide attempts as a teenager before he finally accepted his sexual orientation.

He declined an invitation to participate in the 'Saint Petersburg International Film Festival' as he was not happy with the Russian government's treatment of its gay citizens.

The actor, who has also struggled with depression during his childhood days, is now an ambassador for the ‘Active Minds’ organization. ‘Active Minds’ is a non-profit association that aims at raising awareness about mental health.