Wentworth Miller revealed on Tuesday that he was diagnosed with autism last year.
The Prison Break actor posted on Instagram, along with a blank white square, that the diagnosis was “a shock” but “not a surprise.”
“This isn’t something I’d change,” Miller added. “No. I get – got – immediately being autistic is central to who I am. To everything I’ve achieved/articulated…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.”
The actor also criticized the diagnostic process for adults, calling it “a long, flawed process in need of updating.” “I’m a middle-aged man. Not a 5-year-old,” he wrote.
Autism spectrum disorder is defined as “a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication.”
Despite sharing his diagnosis, the actor also emphasized that he’s not looking to portray himself as some sort of instant expert or spokesperson on the subject.
“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,’” he wrote. “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. … Meanwhile, I don’t want to run the risk of suddenly being a loud, ill-informed voice in the room.”
See Miller’s full post below.
Since his years on Prison Break, the 49-year-old actor has gone on to roles in Madam Secretary, The Flash and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow.
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