Wentworth Miller Exits Prison Break Reboot, Is Done Playing Straight Characters
Legends of Tomorrow star Wentworth Miller announced he's officially leaving Prison Break as he's no longer happy playing straight characters.
Actor Wentworth Miller recently announced he won’t be acting in any future Prison Break project and shared the reasoning behind his decision on Instagram.
Miller declared he’s done playing Michael Scofield in Fox’s crime-thriller series as he doesn’t “want to play straight characters” on his Instagram.
“Their stories have been told (and told),” he added. “So. No more Michael. If you were a fan of the show, hoping for additional seasons… I understand this is disappointing. I’m sorry. If you’re hot and bothered [because] you fell in love with a fictional straight man played by a real gay one… That’s your work.”
Miller also added that he’ll be monitoring his Instagram account for bullying as he wants to ensure it’s a safe space for younger queer audiences. “I take seriously the possibility of queer kids visiting here, recently out of the closet or exploring the idea… I don’t want them exposed to bullshit,” he said.
Prison Break originally aired on Fox from 2005-2009 for a total of four seasons. The series was revived in 2017 for a fifth and final season. Recently, industry sources rumored an upcoming television series was in the works, as reported by TVLine. Series creator Paul Scheuring pitched another project, but no script was written and Fox has yet to confirm any updates on its future as of this writing.
Miller’s former co-stars voiced support for his announcement on social media. Sarah Wayne Callies (Sara Tancredi) even wrote her own social media post to honor Miller’s choice. “Wentworth Miller announced he’s done playing Michael Scofield because, as a gay man he wants to focus on playing gay characters,” she wrote. “With gratitude for all the work we did together, and with deep love, I’m voicing my support for that choice.”
She continued, “To all the fans, know this: the cast of Prison Break is a queer-friendly space. We stand with — and among — our friends and family in the LGBTQ+ community with full-throated support for their rights and artistic work.”
Miller also played Leonard Snart/Captain Cold on DC’s Legends of Tomorrow from 2016 to 2018. His character Leo was openly gay and married to Ray Terrill (Russell Tovey). His character previously made numerous appearances on The Flash, where he was equally open about his sexuality.
DC’s Legends of Tomorrow stars Caity Lotz, Dominic Purcell, Nick Zano, Tala Ashe, Matt Ryan and Jes Macallan. Season 6 is set to air in mid-2021 on The CW. All five seasons of the series are streaming now on Netflix.
