Though best known for his work on Prison Break and The Flash, Wentworth Miller has a number of impressive accomplishments to his name.
Miller is a Princeton grad, an accomplished screenwriter, and as of this week, an advocate for others who have been bullied on social media:
The above meme went viral on Instagram this week, prompting Miller, who has spoken about his struggles with depression and anxiety in the past, to post a moving open letter to his Facebook page.
In a post that hs accrued more than half a million likes in less than 24 hours, Miller writes:
“In 2010, semi-retired from acting, I was keeping a low-profile for a number of reasons. First and foremost, I was suicidal. This is a subject I’ve since written about, spoken about, shared about. But at the time I suffered in silence. As so many do.
“The extent of my struggle known to very, very few. Ashamed and in pain, I considered myself damaged goods. And the voices in my head urged me down the path to self-destruction. Not for the first time.
“In 2010, at the lowest point in my adult life, I was looking everywhere for relief/comfort/distraction. And I turned to food. It could have been anything. Drugs. Alcohol. Sex.
“But eating became the one thing I could look forward to. Count on to get me through. There were stretches when the highlight of my week was a favorite meal and a new episode of TOP CHEF. Sometimes that was enough. Had to be.
“And I put on weight. Big f–king deal…One day, out for a hike in Los Angeles with a friend, we crossed paths with a film crew shooting a reality show. Unbeknownst to me, paparazzi were circling.
“They took my picture, and the photos were published alongside images of me from another time in my career. ‘Hunk To Chunk.’ ‘Fit To Flab.’ Etc.”
Miller goes on to say that a friend of his mother’s first alerted him to the photo in a tabloid.
He says he was at first horrified to see it resurface as a meme – but then found inspiration in the reminder of his darkest days:
“Now, when I see that image of me in my red t-shirt, a rare smile on my face, I am reminded of my struggle. My endurance and my perseverance in the face of all kinds of demons. Some within. Some without.
“The first time I saw this meme pop up in my social media feed, I have to admit, it hurt to breathe. But as with everything in life, I get to assign meaning. And the meaning I assign to this/my image is Strength. Healing. Forgiveness…Of myself and others.”
Miller concluded by encouraging those who are suffering to seek help and offering a list of websites that can provide assistance.
This, of course, isn’t the first time that the actor has been praised for using his personal struggles to inspire to others.
Miller came out as gay in 2013 after spending most of his public life in the closet.
Then, as now, he was hailed for his powerful words and the example he set for young fans.
Like all actors, Miller has no obligation to be so open about the difficulties he’s endured – but there are certainly many who appreciate it.
