Prison Break star Wentworth Miller revealed he has been diagnosed with Autism as an adult in a lengthy Instagram caption.
The 49-year-old actor admitted he found ‘unexpected gifts’ like many during life in various lockdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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“Like everyone, life in quarantine took things from me. But in the quiet/isolation, I found unexpected gifts,” Miller wrote. “This fall marks 1 year since I received my informal autism diagnosis. Preceded by a self-diagnosis. Followed by a formal diagnosis.”
Calling it a “shock” but “not a surprise,” Miller admitted he still has a lot to learn about autism. According to the Autism Society of America, autism is a lifelong developmental disability that typically appears during early childhood and can impact a person’s social skills, communication, relationships, and self-regulation. The organization also notes that autism is a “spectrum condition” that affects people differently and to varying degrees.
“I don’t know enough about autism. (There’s a lot to know.),” Wentworth shared. “Right now my work looks like evolving my understanding. Re-examining 5 decades of lived experience thru a new lens. That will take time.”
‘I don’t even know where to start’:Sia’s ‘Music’ angers the autism community Miller clarified he isn’t speaking for the autism community as a whole when going public with his own experiences and acknowledged that the community has been “historically talked over.”
“I don’t want to run the risk of suddenly being a loud, ill-informed voice in the room… I don’t wish to do additional harm. Only to raise my hand, say, ‘I am here. Have been (w/o realizing it).’ ”
Miller called his autism diagnosis a “gift,” and thanked those who supported him throughout his journey.
“Oh – this isn’t something I’d change. No. I get – got – immediately being autistic is central to who I am. To everything I’ve achieved/articulated,” he wrote.
“I also want to say to the many (many) people who consciously or unconsciously gave me that extra bit of grace + space over the years, allowed me to move thru the world in a way that made sense to me whether or not it made sense to them… thank you.”
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Miller was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance in Prison Break, in which he played Michael Scofield, a man who deliberately sends himself to prison so as to break out his elder brother, Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell), before his execution for a crime he did not commit.
He has also starred in The Flash, Madam Secretary, and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow.