Wentworth Miller :: life after 'Prison Break'

With the success of Prison Break over its four-year run, you'd think Wentworth Miller would be in high demand for movies during his hiatus between each season. He actually was, but he made a conscious decision to focus on the show while he was doing it. Now that the Michael Scofield saga has ended, he accepted a movie offer, to join the Resident Evil team for their fourth film, Resident Evil: Afterlife.

"The first thing I did after Prison Break was actually an episode of Law & Order SVU, which was a show I want to be a part of in some small way," Miller said. "I think that was a pretty clear indication of where my head was at. There's a certain well-worn narrative in this industry about a TV actor who wraps up a series that put him on the map, and now it's time to throw your hat into the feature film ring. I don't subscribe to that narrative, it's not my story. For me a role is a role is a role, and whether that's TV, film or theater, I just have to go with what inspires me."

Video game influence

The fourth adaptation of the Capcom video game finally includes Chris Redfield. Even in his best physical shape, Miller doesn't look like the electronic Adonis from the Xbox, but he made it his own.

"In preparing for the role, I felt the need to respect what was already out there, in terms of the video game mythology, and I did my research online, going to fan sites and blogs to find out what the conversation was about this character, what the expectations might be. But then I had to balance that with who I am as an actor, and what I inherently bring to the table, and who is the Chris Redfield that [writer/director] Paul W.S. Anderson establishes in this movie. He's very specific to the feature film interpretation of Resident Evil, rather than the video game. It was a question of balancing all three influences, and I'd like to think that I did my best."

That research was as close as Miller gets to video games. "My family put an emphasis on education so it was all about homework. There wasn't much time for comic books or video games, so this is kind of my chance to have a second childhood. It's like a do-over."

Both the games and the films begin with the release of the Umbrella Corp's T-virus which turns the dead into walking zombies. The films focus on a new character, Alice (Milla Jovovich) who has been allying with different groups of survivors, some from the games, to battle Umbrella.

"I had to do my homework," Miller said. "I was aware of the series and I remember specifically the trailer for the third movie with that shot over Vegas, and it's buried in the sand. It was very iconic and arresting. I asked the producers to put together a montage of significant sequences from the video game that explained or spoke to my character's history or mythology. That was part of my research."

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Screenwriting next?

By now Alice has hooked up with Claire Redfield, and they roam the apocalyptic wasteland fighting newer and faster zombies. Miller was physically ready to join the battle.

"I got my training on Prison Break. It was four years of stunt work and choreography and all of that came into play very specifically with Resident Evil. I enjoy being part of something that is inherently female-driven. I come from a show that was about let's throw a bunch of alpha males in a box and shake it, see who comes out on top. So this was a nice change, definitely."

Resident Evil: Afterlife joins the 3D revolution, but it is actually the first film to shoot with the same cameras as Avatar. Even with the technology of James Cameron behind them, they're still working out the kinks.

"It definitely felt like a lot of time and attention was being taken, especially with the new technology. I think the cast and crew were trying to wrap their heads around it on the fly, as quickly as possible. I'm not the kind of actor who geeks out on the technical, I've always been more interested in the story we're telling, as opposed to how it's being told. So when I show up on set, I'm really just thinking about the story and the character, how I fit into the action, and if I'm not doing something right, something that's not working with the technology. There's definitely a team of people who will pull me in place and say, 'You need to be standing two feet to your right.'"

A multi-talent, Miller is working on screenplays as well. "I'd like to believe that there's lots of things I could do, lots of different things I could do in this business. The temptation is certainly strong. Acting's been great, but there's only so much control you have over the story you're a part of. So the temptation is there, to explore other capacities if you're allowed to, if you got the opportunity and the timing."

If you're a Hollywood executive, perhaps you've read Miller's work and you didn't even know it. He sent his first scripts out with a pseudonym. "That wasn't about protecting my identity so much as I felt it was important for the scripts to sink or swim on their own. I just thought that seeing my name on the cover might create static of some kind, maybe positive, maybe negative, but it just wasn't something that I wanted to factor into the equation. I wanted them to stand on their own two feet or go back in the drawer."

Writing frenzy

Stoker is the script with the most momentum, though he's already written a prequel for it called Uncle Charlie. "I wish I could give you all kinds of details, it's still in development. I have to say when I hear some of these names, it's pretty exciting; there's some incredibly talented people taking an active interest, so I'm very hopeful that it's going to come together in a powerful way."

Stoker could star Jodie Foster and Carrie Mulligan, if casting rumors are to be believed. One person it definitely won't star is Wentworth Miller. "I'm not in it, no. Writing it was probably the most creatively satisfying experience I've had, hands down. Just on a personal level, regardless of where these two movies go, or two scripts go. In a way, that was the main event for me, putting pen to paper, or fingertips to keyboard, as it were. As soon as I was done with both scripts, I really just wanted to hand them off to someone else, and say, 'See ya!' at the premiere, show up, and get my big bucket of popcorn and watch someone else's interpretation of what I've laid out there on the page."

Writing unleashed a different passion for Miller, one that took more preparation and came to fruition with more intensity than acting. "The process is kind of a frenzy for me. The story showed up one day, and the idea had been percolating for a long time. I actually spent four years telling myself that I didn't know how to write a script, and then four weeks actually sitting down and proving myself wrong. So that was maybe ten or twelve hour days over the course of four weeks. It was a very intense experience, but at the same time there was something calming about it, because it was completely self-generated, which is not an experience I've had, working in TV or film. We were waiting for a hundred other people to do their job first, so you get a chance to do yours."

The final Prison Break came out on DVD in 2009. Since then, Miller has gone his separate way from costars Dominic Purcell, Amaury Nolasco and the rest of the gang. "It's been a while since I've been in touch with those cats. It was like that intense summer camp experience where we all come together and have this complex moment, and then afterward there's breathing room. I imagine there will be a reunion of some sort down the road, but for the moment, I think everyone's just taking a break and looking around and seeing what's next. Things look different in hindsight; while you're in it, it's hard to maintain objectivity, but it was a tremendous learning experience for everyone involved, myself included."

Resident Evil: Afterlife opens Friday.

Watch this feature about Resident Evil: Afterlife: