Prison Break

Interview with Wentworth Miller

Q. Have you been working on any recent projects other than the show "Prison Break" that fans will get to see you featured in?

A. There seems to be a rather dated expectation in this business that every TV actor is dying to make the jump to the big screen. That might be true for some, but not me. Would it be nice to make a movie here and there? Yes. Do I have plans to become the next Matt Damon? No. If "Prison Break" ends and I go on to spend the rest of my career playing small parts in interesting, left-of-center movies, I'll count myself lucky. Or I could easily wind up on another TV show. That would make me happy too. But I think I'd opt for a supporting part next time. Being one of the leads on a one-hour drama has been an incredible experience, but it's also been extremely challenging. I'm pleased to be part of a story that's given pleasure to so many people across the world, but I won't be sorry when it comes to an end. I'll be excited to begin that next chapter, whatever it looks like. Be it movies or television or a dinner theater near you - I'll embrace it.

Q. Season three of "Prison Break" will soon be premiering. What can you tell us will be new and interesting with your character and the plot of the show?

A. First off we've got a new prison that makes Fox River look like a trip to the day spa. We'll also be finding out a lot more about the conspiracy that destroyed the brothers' lives in the first place. And as far as my character is concerned, the question this season is how far across the line can a good man go before you can no longer call him good?

Q. What is it about your role as Michael Scofield that continues to challenge you?

A. He's constantly changing, constantly evolving. "Prison Break" is the story of a boy-man becoming a man, his struggle with questions of responsibility and sacrifice, honor and loss. Peeling back those layers can be a lot of fun... And a challenge.

Q. You've been playing this role for three seasons now, how have you grown as an actor?

A. "Prison Break" is a very technical show. We've got props, stunts, extras, multiple cameras, special effects - you name it. So in that sense, it's been an education. I can't wait to play a scene where it's just two characters sitting on someone's couch talking about the weather. It'll seem - at least from a technical standpoint - like a walk in the park... Except we're on someone's couch.

Q. What is it about the show that you think continues to draw so many viewers in?

A. At the end of the day, I think it's the characters. There are plenty of shows that serve up the fireworks with gunfights, fistfights, car crashes and so on. But we've also worked hard to create believable, relatable characters that people can identify with and care about. That's why when someone gets killed off it registers as something more than spectacle...Or so we hope.

Q. What is it about working for the Fox network that makes it so appealing for you?

A. Fox pays my rent. If ABC paid my rent, they'd be appealing too.

Q. You and Dominic Purcell have an amazing chemistry and bond as the brothers Scofield on the show. Is that bond and chemistry there off set between you two as well?

A. Dom and I enjoy working together, and after 40 plus episodes of pretending we're brothers there's some very real respect and affection there. But our dynamic is more professional than personal. When the weekend comes, he's doing his thing and I'm doing mine.

Q. There are so many fans of the relationship between Michael and Sara, where do you see the future for these two?

A. Michael's relationship with Dr. Sara has always been defined by what keeps them apart. And Sarah and I have worked very hard to honor that dynamic, to craft a believable romance that blossomed under a hail of bullets. Whether these two deserve a happy ending and whether or not they'll get one are two very different questions. And I think it's safe to say that season three will provide some answers.

Q. Characters from the past seasons have come and gone, are there any you'd like to see return?

A. Muse Watson, who played Westmoreland in the first season. And Paul Adelstein, who did such a brilliant job as Agent Kellerman. That's the bittersweet experience of working on a show like "Prison Break." We depend on a certain degree of mayhem and murder, and some of the most compelling and satisfying moments in the story come at the expense of people we've come to think of as family. It's always hard to say goodbye.

Q. You were voted one of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People in 2007, how did that make you feel?

A. That kind of distinction is flattering, but it's not why I get out of bed in the morning. I'm not without my vanity, but part of me can't wait for the paunch and the wrinkles and the receding hairline. I love older actors, the ones who show up on screen and you can see their entire history in their faces. They don't have to say a word and you've already got the whole story. I'm looking forward to that.

Source: Starrymag