‘Prison Break’ Star Wentworth Miller Reveals Autism Diagnosis

Wentworth Miller is sharing his recent diagnosis of autism with the world, calling it a “shock” but “not a surprise.” The Prison Break actor, 49, shared a heartfelt message on Instagram Sunday, sharing that in the quiet and isolation of quarantine, he “found unexpected gifts.” This fall will mark one year since the star received his “informal autism diagnosis,” which he shared was preceded by a self-diagnosis and followed by a formal diagnosis.

“It was a long, flawed process in need of updating,” Miller wrote of being diagnosed, especially as he is a “middle-aged man” and “not a 5-year-old,” but The Flash star noted he also understood that “access to a diagnosis is a privilege many do not enjoy.” Now that he has received a formal diagnosis, Miller shared he’s not ready to jump into the “now-familiar cultural narrative” of dedicating his platform to autism advocacy.

“I don’t know enough about autism. (There’s a lot to know,)” he wrote, saying that he’s currently working through “re-examining 5 decades of lived experience thru a new lens,” which will take time. In the meantime, Miller doesn’t want to “run the risk of suddenly being a loud, ill-informed voice in the room.”

“The [autistic] community (this I do know) has historically been talked over. Spoken for,” he wrote. “I don’t wish to do additional harm. Only to raise my hand, say, ‘I am here. Have been (w/o realizing it).’” Miller encouraged people wanting to explore more about autism and neurodiversity to check out the many people on social media “unpacking terminology,” “adding nuance” and “fighting stigma.”

“That’s the extent of what I’m inclined to share [at the moment],” Miller concluded, noting that he wouldn’t change anything about his life this far. “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.” He ended, “And to those who made a different choice… well. People will reveal themselves. Another gift.”

Miller’s words made an impact on his followers, many of whom wrote that the actor was an “inspiration” to them in their own lives. “Take care!!! Love you and will always be supporting you!” another person wrote, while a third echoed, “Thank you for this… Your voice, about this, is so comforting. So, so comforting.”