Wentworth Miller Quotes

1. I didn't come to Hollywood to get on magazine covers or start my Porsche collection or to enjoy that kind of lifestyle, to go to the right parties and meet the right people.


2. This role is more visible, and I grew up without a lot of that sort of modeling so I'm relieved and proud to have done this film.

3. I was trained classically but not so much method. I think American actors spend a little bit too long worshipping at the altar of Marlon Brando and James Dean, where it's all about the emotional authenticity of the part. There is something to be said for style, diction and accent and all the things that one gets at RADA or an equivalent somewhere else. I have been in class for about six or seven years and am fortunate to be sitting next to someone who works from the perspective of: "What do you have specific to you that we can sell today?" As opposed to: "Here is what we know works, let's break you down and build you back up in this predetermined fashion".

4. It's hard to establish an exercise regime given the hours we work. Plus, I made the decision that my character, Michael, wasn't going to be particularly built, that the only thing he had going for him was his smarts. So that he was, in fact, physically vulnerable. I let Dominic Purcell bear the brunt of the big action-hero, muscle-bound thing. Michael can continue to be the brains of the situation.

5. (when asked if any of the tattoos he had on the show were real) No. It's really not my thing, but it is a treat to become someone who's 50 percent tattooed. The whole pleasure of being an actor is trying out things you don't have to take home with you at night.

6. I made a decision not to work out because I'm lazy and also, the character is not a superhero. I didn't want him to be a buff guy with Jackie Chan moves because the point is he's smarter than your average Joe.

7. I feel as though we're living in a time where there is very little distinction paid between the personal and the professional.

8. (on his character in "Prison Break") Michael was a success in his pre-prison life. He had a career, friends, girlfriends, and yet he was willing to throw that away and go to jail to save his brother. That's not something your average Joe would do.

9. Grandmas actually cross over the street when they see me coming now. I think I make old people feel uneasy. But on the other hand, I have fans running into me at my local Chinese restaurant and they're always disappointed to find that I'm not MICHAEL SCOFIELD scheming over a plate of chicken and broccoli - it's just me having lunch.

10. (on "Prison Break") There are deeper emotional and psychological issues at work here.






11. I think there's something about evil that is thoughtless and relentless and incredibly frightening because it can't be reckoned with, reasoned with or stopped.

12. (on "Prison Break") I don't feel any particular pressure to be the cute one. That's Dominic's territory.




13. I haven't been working out in a while, I appreciate that it (the tattoo) adds shading and contours where there are none.

14. (about filming the first season of "Prison Break" in an actual prison) The strange thing is, you get used to it. There is a pervasive atmosphere of gloom and doom, but sometimes you're outside in the prison yard and the grass is green and the sun is shining and you're hanging out with the cast and crew and you forget. You're having a good time. And then you'll suddenly remember that if you were an actual inmate, you'd only be outside for an hour a day.

15. (speaking on Robert Knepper) It actually disturbs him when he's out on the street and just minding his own business and people kinda grab their kids and run in the opposite direction. He's really a sweetheart."

16. I enjoy swimming, reading and naps. I am writing a screenplay or two of my own and in Chicago I try to go to a different restaurant every week. I spend a bit of time at The Art Institute Of Chicago because music, painting, movies and theatre can all contribute to the work of an actor. You never know where you are going to find influences. By and large, I try to keep my down time fairly low-key as the job itself can be so draining.

17. When I got to college, acting suddenly seemed like a very risky proposition and all my friends were going to law school or med school or Wall Street.




18. I have a thing for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I'm not a fan of the Pieces. I think they try too hard.

19. I think what you learn, working on a film or TV set, is how to tune certain things out. You've got 60-100 people swirling around you, each of them with a very important job to do.



20. That's a necessary part of the beast, doing publicity. I don't mind talking about the show. I'm very proud of it, but I do try to say no to as many invitations as possible when it comes to red carpet events, parties and premieres.

21. My character in "Prison Break" needs to be formidable. In reality, I'm not very tough at all.






22. I want to aspire to something like what Denzel Washington does, which is try to find scripts written for white actors - or Jodie Foster, who reads scripts for male actors.

23. (on the most romantic thing he ever did) This one time I had a girlfriend that was out of the country a lot. So I gave her a watch and set it to "my time" so wherever we were, we'd always be on the same time. I thought that was pretty romantic.

24. You're confronted with the quandary: do I grind things to a halt? Ideally you would, but I have better things to do than educate people.

25. (on whether he is a gentleman) Yeah, I'd like to think I am. I really try hard to make a girl feel comfortable and I treat her like a lady, and if I see a woman carrying a lot of groceries, I will always stop to help her out.


26. I've been told it's a good idea to moisturize. And drink lots of water. And eat Peanut Butter cups.

27. I worked with the same trainer that worked with Denzel Washington in "The Hurricane". It was three months of training, five days a week, 4 to 5 hours a day. This was followed by a month of choreography.

28. I feel extremely lucky, extremely grateful, and a little bittersweet, too.

29. (on how he gets a girl to like him) Well I don't, hence me still being single, I think. To be honest, I find going out pretty scary and intimidating. Got all those people checking you out, with only one purpose: hooking up.

30. There has to be a measure of faith. That's what this business is all about: trusting in something that may never show up, that you have no concrete proof of.

31. (when asked what character from literature he would play) Well, if we can expand the definition of literature to include comic books, I'd definitely love a crack at General Zod from "Superman". So I'm hoping that Bryan Singer makes a sequel to the "Superman" that's coming out and casts me.

32. I'm very pleased with being a part of the Bean Pole family. It's a relationship that makes sense to me. I'm very pleased to have my name associated with Bean Pole Jeans.



33. My family put a lot of emphasis on homework, so there weren't too many comic books or video games for me, when I was growing up.

34. The show is completely preposterous. But that aside, it's a great ride.

35. I've been spoiled by this project. I was given the script and went in to read, realizing that this was a powerful story and one that wasn't told very often.

36. (on living in L.A. before he became famous) There were some lean years. I remember going through my CDs figuring out what I was willing to hock because I needed an extra $15 to make rent.

37. (on Dominic Purcell) I think he has been pretty Americanized. He doesn't have an accent on camera or off. He is someone I have a world of respect for. He takes his craft very seriously. It wasn't difficult at all to imagine him as an older brother that I might look up to, on many levels. He brings a certain kind of brooding intensity to the proceedings. I have been back and forth with friends about the difference between Australian men of my generation and American men of my generation and the difference seems to be maturity. Many of my contemporaries appear to be boys compared to the Australians.

38. Nobody's ever asked me to pay for a meal before I've eaten it, I've never been pulled over just because I was driving the wrong kind of car in the wrong kind of area at the wrong time of night.



39. I spend my weekends sleeping and watching DVDs, and eating at restaurants within a 2-block radius of my apartment.

40. (on whether or not his love life has improved since becoming an actor) I feel at a disadvantage - people think they know you. I was disappointed when I realized they were more interested in talking to Michael Scofield. If that's what they're attracted to, that's not what I have to offer.

41. (on how he plans to spend Christmas 2006) My youngest sister is living down in Australia. (Miller told AAP from the Dallas set of "Prison Break".) I thought I'd kill three birds with one stone and get down to Australia. I can spend some time with loved ones over the holidays, visit a place I've always wanted to visit and do a little press for the show.

42. You might look at my CV and see I've had 12 jobs, but I've been to over 450 auditions so I've heard "no" a lot more than I've heard "yes". So if I go in looking only to meet my own standards, then that will make taking that rejection a little bit easier. And when I do get that job it will seem like icing on the cake.

43. (on his social and love life) I've had a few dates that I was able to squeeze in here and there. The truth of the matter is, I'm working 14-hour-days and that doesn't leave you too much time to socialize -which can be lonely sometimes. I'd love to settle down and have a wife and kids, but not right now. There are things I want to achieve before I do that.

44. (on his plans in Australia over the Christmas holiday period) My sister just came back from Uluru with tales of kangaroos and the beauty of the area and she has a number of other day trips planned. She and her friends have been very good about organizing road trips and helping me explore what Australia has to offer. Half of my fascination with Australia is it seems to have the largest concentration of deadly creatures in and out of the water.

45. In my career as an actor, there is a catchphrase that Scofield always says often in regards to his brother, "Have a little faith." In my own career as an actor, there were times when I was the only one who believed in myself in the face of the odds.

46. (some of the show's biggest fans are inmates who watch "Prison Break" in jail) From what I've heard there are certain prisons where they are not allowed to watch the show because the prison is worried inmates may get the wrong idea. But, in other prisons I hear inmates rearrange their work details so they can be in their cells to watch our show every week. I've also received a lot of requests for headshots from inmates which I understand will get them a pack of smokes or two on the black market.

47. There's so much we can't express in our day-to-day interaction with people because it's considered inappropriate. And acting is all about being inappropriate.

48. Chiggers are a bug that bites you and then burrows underneath your skin and stays there. There's no way of getting them out. You have to buy nail polish and cover the inflamed spot with a dab of the nail polish. That seals the pores of your skin, which denies the chiggers oxygen. They suffocate, die, eventually dissolve and disperse into your bloodstream. I have had about 20 of them up and down my legs. We were shooting out in the woods and I neglected to coat my ankles in sulphur which was the only thing that keeps them at bay. I went home looking like a pizza from the legs down.

49. Michael Scofield is someone everyone can relate to, but nobody would want to be in his shoes.




50. (on his favorite personal feature): I hope we all have some features that we are particularly proud of. For me; my eyes are my favorite feature.

51. (his impressions of Australia while on a promotional tour) I wish I could stay longer. My impression (of Australia) is this cool civilization sort of perched on the edge of shark-infested waters and scorpion-filled deserts. It's got this great kind of mixture between civilization and wilderness.





52. I broke my nose in gym when a ball hit me. I took a girl to her debutante ball the next week wearing a tux and a big, honking bandage. Not the romantic night she had in mind.

53. Dominic told me about the surfing because he's obsessed with surfing - it's in his blood. I think he needs to hit the water with his board once every couple of weeks or else he goes crazy. That was all useless to me because I grew up in.

54. (during filming the movie "Human Stain") I went out and rented every Anthony Hopkins film available. And Hopkins met me halfway, like they put a mole on his left temple like the one I have. Hopkins was able to watch home movies of me when I was younger as well.

55. There'll be moments when I'm out in the prison yard, chatting with the cast and the crew, getting ready to shoot a scene. And then I'll remember if I were actually an inmate, I'd only be out there an hour. The other 23 hours of the day, I'd be in my cell. It's kind of a downer.

56. (on forming a strong relationship with his on-screen brother, Aussie actor Dominic Purcell) If you don't buy that there's that fraternal bond, which is central to the story, the whole thing falls apart. He's like every kid's fantasy of what every big brother should be. Tall, big, large and willing to kick arse if necessary.



57. I've never seen "American Idol" but I am grateful to them. That show is one of Fox's biggest moneymakers, and some of that money goes to pay for shows like "Prison Break". Simon Cowell's been signing my paychecks and for that I say thanks.

58. (on the similarities between him and his "Prison Break"  character) Michael is various facets of me taken to an illogical level.





59. (about Human Stain) I liked the script, Human Stain, a lot because it resonated with me as a minority. I thought I knew a lot of the subtext of what was going on with this character.

60. A racial community provides not only a sense of identity, that luxury of looking into another's face and seeing yourself reflected back, but a sense of security and support.




61. (on his sexuality) No, I'm not gay, I know these rumors are out there, I'm cool with the fact that they exist, I mean this is about fantasy, certain people are going to have certain fantasies, if someone wants to imagine me with a woman, or a man or one of each that's cool with me as long as you keep watching the show.

62. (on the media's effect on his career) So many doors have opened for me that I really can't complain.




63. Entertainers are there to entertain. They aren't there to teach your children the lessons that you haven't bothered to teach them at home yourself.

64. (on people posting as him on "Myspace") And the fact is I've never been on myspace. People posing as me is a little unsettling, a little frightening…it disturbs me on a profound level.


65. It was just expected that I would go to college. Both my parents are teachers and they tolerated acting, but I was going to go to a school of quality or bust. Which made my downshifting back to acting afterward a little difficult.

66. (on his "Prison Break" character) I admire Michael for what he is doing but I would never do what he is attempting to do. I would never secrete pills in my arm and then slice it open later to get at them.

67. I'm neither sexy nor a star.

68. A great book provides escapism for me. The artistry and the creativity in a story are better than any drugs.

69. L.A. has been my home for the last ten years. I've come to like it a lot. But it's very much about the entertainment industry, and it can be a little incestuous. That's what I liked most about working in Chicago - not everyone I met was somehow connected with the business. Not everyone had a stack of headshots in the backseat of their car. Not everyone was working on a script.

70. "Prison Break" is so far-fetched, I had to make viewers believe that Michael is capable of making the impossible possible.

71. I've been shaving my head on and off for years, but for a low-maintenance look, it takes a lot of maintenance - I have to cut it twice a week!

72. (on his favorite show of all time) I have too many to pick just one. Different shows have meant different things to me at various times in my life. For pure nostalgic value, I'd have to go with "The Muppet Show." When I was a kid you could bet that come Monday night at 7:30, I'd be sitting an inch away from the TV screen, ready for Kermit and company to lay it on me.

73. My father is black and my mother is white. Therefore, I could answer to either, which kind of makes me a racial Lone Ranger, caught between two communities.




74. (if he wasn't starring in "Prison Break") I'd love to be on "Law & Order" or maybe do voice work for "The Simpsons". I'd be happy anywhere, just as long as I was surrounded by really talented people and working on material that inspired me.

75. I've been spared to a large extent the business end of the race stick.







76. Confidence is at the root of so many attractive qualities, a sense of humor, a sense of style, a willingness to be who you are no matter what anyone else might think or say and it's true, I do have a certain fondness for women that have dark hair.

77. I'm pretty much a couch potato.

78. It was never about the money. Because acting for me, at its best, you're working on a project that touches you in some way…There's a kind of thrill that comes along with that that I have not been able to find anywhere else. So even if I had to go back to temping, even if this is not the beginning of an amazing career, I would not regret making that jump.

79. My definition of cool is finding your own definition of cool and not necessarily taking your lead from what other people tell you or from what you might read from magazines or see on TV.

80. If I were to wait only for roles that clarify my racial makeup, I'd be waiting for a very, very long time.






81. I'm not sure if it's a function of the character I play or the quality of fans the show has but they seem to be a respectful, well-behaved group. I was going to a chat show in New York when the car was surrounded by fans who wouldn't let us out until we gave autographs. I'm enjoying it, though.

82. They told me at the end of that test that they wanted me to be a part of this project. I walked out and had a moment of clarity where I thought, not many people will ever have this moment.



83. I have to laugh internally when I'm asked in interviews what nightspots I like to hit. I just don't have answers…so sometimes I make them up.

84. I have people calling my agent asking which myspace page is mine and there are about a dozen.

85. It's the way the business works, you're not just an actor, you're a diplomat and a publicist and a politician, and there are certain expectations.

86. To be honest, I find going out pretty scary and intimidating. Got all those people checking you out, with only one purpose: hooking up. I'm quite the dork, I'd rather sit home and play Scrabble. But that doesn't get you a girl, does it?

87. I hadn't worked for a year when I had my "Prison Break" audition and it was the easiest audition I've ever had. I got the script on Friday, went to the audition on Monday and got the part on Tuesday. I was shooting the pilot a week later. I didn't have time to be nervous - it happened so quickly.

88. I'm hoping that what I am or what I'm not ethnically doesn't limit me in anyone else's eyes. I guarantee you it doesn't in mine.





89. I have very high expectations of myself. I'm a very competitive person but competitive with myself. I want to be the best that I can be and if that means that I'm eventually better than everyone else then so be it.

90. Robert Knepper (T-Bag) gets a lot of racy fan mail, actually. People find his character arousing…and Amaury Nolasco (Sucre) gets a lot of pats on the back and bear hugs, as though he's everybody's best friend. People tend to be much more formal with me, so I get a lot of polite handshakes from fans of the show.

91. You have to love what you do, and you have to need it like you need air. And there's nothing else that would give me the same degree of satisfaction as acting, which is why I can't walk away from it.



92. An actor's job is to embrace emotions and situations that in real life we spend all of our time running away from.

93. Many people hesitate before talking to an actor, but my character has received a lot of mail (and some of them using steamy language.) My character has had more success than I have had (laughs). When I am walking down the street, women ask me for my autograph, a kiss and take pictures with their cell phones.

94. I'm kind of a dork. I don't have much game. I'm not particularly comfortable in bars or clubs. I much prefer being home playing Scrabble, having dinner with a couple friends, going to see a movie, or losing a whole weekend to Season 14 of "Law and Order" or "The Simpsons".





95. I'm a private person, but that implies that I'm sitting on a mountain of secrets. The fact is, I'm a fairly quiet person.

96. Everyone has their challenges.

97. (during breaks on the set of "Prison Break") I'd like to say none of us dives for our BlackBerries and iPods when they yell "Cut!" but we do (laughs). We have become very much like a fraternity. There are some practical jokes but more with the quick one-liners. We all pretty much know each other by now and we know what buttons to push.




98. (on the tattoo artwork) It's like wearing flypaper and when the weather heats up, your shirt will stick to you like Saran Wrap.

99. Four months of preparation and about 12 hours of shooting turned into about 30 seconds of screen time.




100. My encounters with racism are sort of second-hand situations where I might be standing around with a group of white friends and someone makes a comment that they wouldn't make at my family reunion.


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