Last year was a tipping point for LBGT celebrities as many across the world of entertainment finally decided to come out of the closet and share their coming out stories with the world. One of the most notable coming out stories was that of “Prison Break” actor Wentworth Miller, who shocked his fans when he revealed that he’s gay. Now, a year later, Miller is speaking out again about his life outside of the closet and how it’s changed him.
Miller opens up about his life in a new interview with Details and explains how, after “Prison Break” ended, he took a break from acting and the limelight to focus on becoming a screenwriter. But Miller also explains that the change of pace allowed him to deal with his sexuality and the struggles of the public image that was created around him being a heterosexual Hollywood hunk.
“I feel more fully expressed [now]. After ‘Prison Break,’ I came to grips with the fact that my public persona was in misalignment with how I actually felt. I was out to a handful of people in my 20s, and once I hit 30, I was out to family and friends. But professionally, I was feeding a fantasy. I created this air of ‘We don’t address that thing,’ ” Miller explained.
Miller also addresses the millions of female fans he gained through “Prison Break” and says that his coming out doesn’t alienate those fans who fell in love with him years ago.
“The people on screen aren’t the characters they’re playing. They’re our projection of who we want them to be. I think it’s possible to have a man-crush if you’re not gay or to have a crush on a guy you know to be gay if you’re a woman. Attraction is fluid, and I think our imaginations are strong enough to hold a container for all of this complexity, even if we know on a subconscious level something’s not what it appears to be,” said Miller.
Besides his sexuality, Miller also spoke about his struggles with depression, which he addressed last year when he revealed that he’d attempted suicide when he was younger. Miller says that he now deals with his depression with the help of a support group.
“I’m part of a group called the ManKind Project. It’s a circle of men I sit in with every week that’s a safe sounding board for whatever’s up for me: good, bad, ugly, really ugly,” he said. :We know how to respond to someone coming out now — we’ve had that training — but admit you’re sad or that you’ve thought about suicide and people don’t know what to do. With sadness, particularly with men, that conversation is unfamiliar.”
Hopefully, Miller’s frank talk about his life will inspires others be open about their sexuality and their feelings. –nicholas robinson
