Wentworth Miller
Most famously known for his leading role as Michael Scofield on Prison Break and Leonard Snart/Captain Cold on DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Wentworth Miller isn’t a stranger to taking on complex and challenging characters. However, one of his biggest personal challenges to date is his relationship with his depression. Miller publicly addressed his mental health struggles in early 2016, when a fat-shaming meme regarding his appearance went viral on Facebook. The meme included side-by-side images of Miller, one from his early days on Prison Break and one from 2010 when Miller was semi-retired from acting. Rather than dismiss the post, Miller took to Facebook in hopes of providing some perspective and context regarding the image. He commented how during this time, he was “keeping a low-profile for a number of reasons” as “first and foremost, I [Miller} was suicidal” before addressing his ongoing battle with depression. Miller cites how “I've [Miller] struggled with depression since childhood. It's a battle that's cost me time, opportunities, relationships, and a thousand sleepless nights” and that he considered himself “damaged goods.”
Though the Facebook post was quickly removed thereafter, Miller mentions how he views this incident as a reminder of how far he has come. He emphasizes how his perceptions of his depression have changed, and that he is the one who gets to assign meaning to these images: “Now, when I see that image of me in my red t-shirt, a rare smile on my face, I am reminded of my struggle. My endurance and my perseverance in the face of all kinds of demons. Some within. Some without. Like a dandelion up through the pavement, I persist. Anyway. Still. Despite.” He encourages others to seek help, and reminds them that there is always an opportunity to fight back.
Miller also struggled with his sexuality and identity as a closeted actor. In his speech at the 2013 Human Rights Campaign Dinner, Miller details how he has struggled to define or find “community” as someone who was of a mixed race, from another country, and gay. He describes how, like many in the LGBTQ+ community, he was the target of others and suffered as a result, leading him to first attempt to commit suicide at age fifteen. As his acting career began to grow, Miller became increasingly fearful of what would happen to everything he had worked for if he came out as gay; this fear pressured him into staying silent.
However, it was an invitation to the St. Petersburg International Film Festival that eventually pushed Miller to come out to the public. In declining the invitation, Miller wrote that he was “deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government” and that he could not “in good conscience participate in a celebratory occasion hosted by a country where people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly.” Miller hoped that speaking his truth and incorporating it into larger societal issues would inspire others to be brave as well, while also serving as a reminder that they are not alone and that there is a “we” and a “community” behind them.
In October 2016, Miller became a mental health ambassador for Active Minds, working to raise awareness about suicide prevention and mental health. Through the organization, he continues to be an advocate for removing the stigma surrounding mental health, and “As someone who knows what it’s like to struggle with depression, I [Miller] want to help give voice to the many people living with mental health issues. I want to help assure them that they’re not alone.”