Wentworth Miller, the actor best known for his work on Prison Break from 2005 – 2009, has publicly come out as a gay man.
Earlier this week, Miller was invited to attend the St. Petersburg International Film Festival as a guest of honor. In a letter to the festival director, which can be found on GLAAD’s website, Miller thanked her for the invitation but stated that “as a gay man, [he] must decline.”
Russian president Vladimir Putin recently passed laws to prevent same-sex couples from adopting Russian-born children, and has outlawed the use of pro-LGBT “propaganda” throughout the country. Miller condemned these policies, saying, “I am deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government. The situation is in no way acceptable, and I cannot in good conscience participate in a celebratory occasion hosted by a country where people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly.”
Miller’s public declaration of his sexuality indicates a show of solidarity with Russia’s LGBT community, and has drawn significant praise from other actors. “Wentworth’s bold show of support sends a powerful message to LGBT Russians, who are facing extreme violence and persecution: you are not alone,” Wilson Cruz stated on GLAAD’s website, while Neil Patrick Harris simply tweeted, “Well done, Wentworth Miller. Bravo.”
Besides his lead role on Prison Break, Miller has appeared in “Resident Evil: Afterlife” and House M.D. He also wrote the screenplay for Park Chan-wook’s “Stoker,” which was released earlier this year. He can next be seen in “The Loft,” and plans to continue his work as a screenwriter as well. The full text of his letter is available below.
“Dear Ms. Averbakh:
Thank you for your kind invitation. As someone who has enjoyed visiting Russia in the past and can also claim a degree of Russian ancestry, it would make me happy to say yes.
However, as a gay man, I must decline.
I am deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government. The situation is in no way acceptable, and I cannot in good conscience participate in a celebratory occasion hosted by a country where people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly.
Perhaps, when and if circumstances improve, I’ll be free to make a different choice.
Until then.
Wentworth Miller
Member, HRC
Member, GLAAD
Member, The ManKind Project”