A 116-page senior thesis on literary identity at Princeton University preceded the screen and stage career of Wentworth Miller. Born in 1972 in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, the dual American and British citizen moved to Brooklyn as a toddler before eventually relocating to Los Angeles in 1995 to pursue professional acting.
Early Television and Film Roles
Miller began his acting career with a 1998 guest appearance on Buffy the Vampire Slayer as Gage Petronzi. His first starring role followed in 2002 as David Scott in the mini-series Dinotopia. In 2003, he co-starred in The Human Stain alongside Anthony Hopkins, requiring a rigorous four-month physical regimen to portray a boxer. That same year, he appeared in the film Underworld.
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In 2005, Miller secured the role of Michael Scofield, a structural engineer orchestrating an escape for his brother. The character featured extensive body tattoos that necessitated four hours of application time. The performance resulted in a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Television Series Drama. He reprised the role for a fifth season in 2017.
Writing and Genre Expansion
Beyond acting, Miller established himself as a screenwriter under the pseudonym Ted Foulke. His script for the 2013 psychological thriller Stoker landed on the 2010 Black List of unproduced screenplays. He also authored the 2016 horror film The Disappointments Room. In the superhero genre, he portrayed Leonard Snart, known as Captain Cold, on The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow.
Fast facts
- Born: 1972, Chipping Norton, United Kingdom
- Education: Princeton University, 1995
- Screenwriting debut: Stoker, 2013
- Television breakout: Prison Break, 2005
- Citizenship: United States and United Kingdom
- Narrator: Prayers for Bobby audiobook, 2023
- Current residence: Vancouver, British Columbia
Questions readers ask
Did Wentworth Miller write under a different name?
Yes, he used the pseudonym Ted Foulke to write the screenplay for the film Stoker.
What subjects did Miller study at Princeton?
He earned a BA in English in 1995, focusing his senior thesis on identity in literary works by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Jean Rhys, and Charlotte Bronte.
Achievements
- Worked as television actor, actor and screenwriter
