Wentworth Miller has no fucks to give—which makes him a Gay Goods hero.
The Prison Break star, who came out as gay in 2012, has taken to his Instagram page a few times this month to let his followers know he’s not interested in their shitty opinions. After a post supporting his vote for Biden-Harris, Miller posted on November 1 that anyone who felt the need to attack him in the comments or in direct messages could unfollow him—and take the homophobes, transphobes, All Lives Matterers, the Christians who tell him they pray for him because he’s gay, and the people who want a Season 6 of Prison Break.
A few days later, he clarified the latter request in another post, announcing that he will not return for another season of Prison Break because he’s no longer interested in playing straight characters. “Their stories have been told (and told),” he wrote.
Then he further clarified November 10, saying,
“…do I want to see more gay parts played by gay actors? Yes. It makes a difference performance-wise (IMO), but also bec straight actors playing ‘gay’ centers straightness. Doesn’t matter if they’re ‘acting’ – I still know what I’m looking at. (Does this dynamic exist on a spectrum with porn genres like ‘gay-for-pay’ and the prioritization/fetishization of straight/’masc’ men over gay/’femme’ men within the gay community? Conversations for another time.)”
Miller elegantly identified the very real frustration at the heart of the conversation regarding gay actors and straight roles, and vice versa. Yes, actors are playing people other than themselves. But at what cost, when some stories are so undertold? But publicly stating that he wants to focus on gay roles, Miller may very well be inspiring writers to create those roles for him. By centering the conversation on the untold stories rather than the petulant rebuttal that talent should always win out, Miller may actually make a difference where so many others have contributed only so much hot air.
