{alltv} Miller talks post-'Prison' life

SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- Wentworth Miller has been described as "a writer trapped in an actor's body." (Which, let me tell you, is preferable to being a writer trapped in a writer's body.)

What makes this even more unusual is the star of the now-defunct TV drama Prison Break is actually good at it. Already two screenplays he wrote under a pseudonym have gotten the attention of studios and A-list actors. Stoker, with actresses like Jodie Foster and Carey Mulligan circling, is about an odd family with secrets. Miller, under the same penname, also wrote a prequel entitled Uncle Charlie.

Not that the 38-year-old Miller has retired from acting. He's currently starring in Resident Evil: Afterlife. At this summer's Comic-Con International, Miller spoke to journalists about life after Prison. QMI began the interview by asking him about his burgeoning screenwriting career.

In one Deadline Hollywood article, you were called "a writer trapped in an actor's body." Is that a fair assessment?

Miller: 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 that you're a part of. So I think the temptation is there, to explore other capacities if you're allowed to, if you got the opportunity and the timing.

But you sent your scripts out under a pseudonym?

Miller: I did, I did. 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.

Are you Stoker also?

Miller: I'm not in it, no.

By design?

Miller: You know, 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.

Why Resident Evil for your first movie role post-Prison Break?

Miller: Well, the first thing I did after Prison Break was actually an episode of Law and Order, which was a show I wanted to be a part of in some small way. I think that was a pretty clear indication of where my head is at as far as -- there's a certain well-worn narrative in this industry about a TV actor who wraps up the 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 ... For me, a role is a role is a role.

So are you a gamer?

Miller: I am not. 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.

Did you have any special training?

Miller: 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.

This movie was shot with 3D cameras, which presents its own technology challenges.

Miller: Well, the pace felt decadent, to be honest. On Prison Break we'd hammer out five pages in a day, and on this movie you might spent two days on one page. It definitely felt like a lot of time and attention was being taken, especially with the new technology, I think the cast and the crew were trying to wrap their heads around it on the fly, as quickly as possible. But I'm not the kind of actor who geeks out on the technical.

Do you have some perspective now, not only on the success of Prison Break, but on the celebrity that came with it?

Miller: 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. The past year has been spent processing that -- unpacking that to a degree. And choosing to write, as opposed to jumping right back into another TV series, for example, is maybe a way of letting that lie fallow for a bit, so that I could return to it with renewed interest and passion.