Everyone’s beloved Wentworth Miller, aka Michael Scofield from Prison Break, has just made a poignant declaration that will make his fans want to hug him. The fiercely private actor has just revealed on his Instagram that he has been diagnosed as autistic and neuro-divergent.
As per the update posted by Wentworth Miller on his official Instagram account, his autism diagnosis came about last year during the Covid-induced quarantine. The actor is not on Twitter or Facebook. He’s barely active on Instagram, uploading a sporadic image or two, once in a blue moon. So his sudden long post on Instagram, revealing his autism diagnosis, came as a blow to the gut for his fans.
Wentworth Miller’s Instagram note is immensely poignant, thought-provoking and sensitively worded, just like every other post ever shared by the actor on Instagram. He talks about how it was a shock to be diagnosed with autism after almost five decades of living, but that he had suspected it all along. He also says he doesn’t know enough about the mental health condition to become an informal spokesman for it on public platforms. Quite unsurprisingly, and in keeping with his quirky demeanour, he did not post any image in the post – just a long, thoughtfully-written caption.
This is what Wentworth Miller wrote –
“Like everyone, life in quarantine took things from me.
But in the quiet/isolation, I found unexpected gifts.
This fall marks 1 year since I received my informal autism diagnosis. Preceded by a self-diagnosis. Followed by a formal diagnosis.
It was a long, flawed process in need of updating. IMO. I’m a middle-aged man. Not a 5-year-old.
Let’s just say it was a shock. But not a surprise.
There is a now-familiar cultural narrative (in which I’ve participated) that goes, “Public figure shares A, B and C publicly, dedicates platform to D, E and F.”
Good for them. /srs
And (it’s a “both/and”) that’s not necessarily what’s going to happen here. I don’t know enough about autism. (There’s a lot to know.) Right now my work looks like evolving my understanding. Re-examining 5 decades of lived experience thru a new lens.
That will take time.
Meanwhile, I don’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. I don’t wish to do additional harm. Only to raise my hand, say, “I am here. Have been (w/o realizing it).”
If anyone’s interested in delving deeper into #autism + #neurodiversity, I’ll point you toward the numerous individuals sharing thoughtful + inspiring content on Instagram, TikTok… Unpacking terminology. Adding nuance. Fighting stigma.
These creators (some quite young) speak to the relevant issues more knowledgeably/fluently than I can. (They’ve been schooling me as well.)
That’s the extent of what I’m inclined to share atm.
“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.
Oh – 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.
And to those who made a different choice… well. People will reveal themselves.
Another gift.”
W.M
Here’s the post shared by Wentworth Miller on his Instagram –
The actor is notorious for deleting his Instagram updates after a few days of posting them – just another quirk of his. Last year, he had conveyed, again through a long Instagram post, that with the fact that he is gay, he will not play sexually-straight characters on the screen ever again. He had also said that even if a Prison Break Season 6 does happen, he will not reprise his role of Michael Scofield ever again. Wentworth Miller is one of the most-loved actors across the globe, courtesy his having played the iconic character of Michael Scofield in the hit TV series, Prison Break.
His post revealing his autism diagnosis has received an outpouring of love and empathy from his fans.
We’re hiring!
We are hiring two full-time junior to mid-level writers with the option to work remotely. You need to work a 5-hour shift and be available to write. Interested candidates should email their sample articles to [email protected]. Applications without a sample article will not be considered.
