Actor Wentworth Miller reveals he's gay, declines invitation to Russian film fest
Former "Prison Break" star Wentworth Miller has revealed he's gay.
The 41-year-old actor decided to come forth in a letter to Petersburg International Film Festival director Maria Averbakh that was later posted on GLAAD's website on Wednesday.
Averbakh had invited Miller to attend the film festival, but Miller turned it down, citing Russia's anti-LGBT laws. He thanked organizers for the "kind invitation," but noted, "As a gay man, I must decline."
He added, "I am deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government. The situation is in no way acceptable, and I cannot in good conscience participate in a celebratory occasion hosted by a country where people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly."
His letter addresses Russia's new laws banning expressions of support for gay rights, such as pro-LGBT rallies. The laws, signed in June, ban the "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations."
Miller concluded his note with: "Perhaps, when and if circumstances improve, I'll be free to make a different choice."
Miller has been featured on "House, M.D." and "E.R.," and has also appeared in the movies "The Human Stain," "Underworld" and "Resident Evil: Afterlife." He portrayed Michael Scofield on "Prison Break," which aired on Fox from 2005-2009.
