BANG Showbiz English
Wentworth Miller has been diagnosed with autism.
The 49-year-old actor has revealed he was diagnosed with the developmental disorder as an adult last year, after he previously had “self-diagnosed” himself with the condition before seeking medical advice.
He wrote on Instagram: “This fall marks 1 year since I received my informal autism diagnosis. Preceded by a self-diagnosis. Followed by a formal diagnosis.
“It was a long, flawed process in need of updating. IMO. I’m a middle-aged man. Not a 5-year-old.
“And (it’s a ‘both/and’) I recognize access to a diagnosis is a privilege many do not enjoy. (sic)”
The ‘Prison Break’ actor said he was “shocked” but not “surprised” by the diagnosis, but insisted it isn’t something he would ever “change” about himself.
He added: “Let’s just say it was a shock. But not a surprise.
“Oh – this isn’t something I’d change. No. I get – got – immediately being autistic is central to who I am. To everything I’ve achieved/articulated.
“Oh – I also want to say to the many (many) people who consciously or unconsciously gave me that extra bit of grace + space over the years, allowed me to move thru the world in a way that made sense to me whether or not it made sense to them… thank you.
“And to those who made a different choice… well. People will reveal themselves. (sic)”
Wentworth won’t begin using his platform to speak about autism straight away because he wants to make sure he does enough research into the disorder first.
He wrote: “There is a now-familiar cultural narrative (in which I’ve participated) that goes, ‘Public figure shares A, B and C publicly, dedicates platform to D, E and F.’ Good for them.
“And (it’s a ‘both/and’) that’s not necessarily what’s going to happen here. I don’t know enough about autism. (There’s a lot to know.) Right now my work looks like evolving my understanding. Re-examining 5 decades of lived experience thru a new lens.
“That will take time.
“Meanwhile, I don’t want to run the risk of suddenly being a loud, ill-informed voice in the room. The #autistic community (this I do know) has historically been talked over. Spoken for. I don’t wish to do additional harm. Only to raise my hand, say, ‘I am here. Have been (w/o realizing it).’ (sic)”
