Wentworth Miller has revealed he’s been diagnosed with autism.
The Prison Break star took to Instagram to share the news with his 2.1million followers, revealing he received his diagnosis last year.
In a lengthy post, the 49-year-old 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. And (it’s a ‘both/and’) I recognize access to a diagnosis is a privilege many do not enjoy.”
“Let’s just say it was a shock. But not a surprise,” the actor admitted.
“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,” Wentworth continued.
“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.,” he signed off.
Wentworth starred as Michael Scofield in the popular series Prison Break.
Last year, the actor revealed he would not be returning to the show for the sixth season.
