Wentworth Miller - Breakout Star

If you had asked people five years ago if they'd heard the name Wentworth Miller you'd probably have been met with a parade of blank stares and shrugged shoulders. Today, Miller is known around the world as the star of Fox's hit series Prison Break.

Debuting in the fall of 2005, Prison Break catapulted Wentworth Miller into the limelight. However, Miller was by no means an overnight success. In fact, it took him almost a decade to break away from bit parts and pilots to his own hit TV series.

Born in the town of Chipping Norton, England in 1972, the son of a Rhodes scholar was transplanted back to the States at an early age. After graduating from Princeton University with a degree in English Literature, Miller moved to Los Angeles to work with a small production company specializing in made-for-TV movies. However, it didn't take long until the urge to get in front of the camera became too great to resist.

Miller first hit our screens in 1998 in ‘Go Fish', the 20th episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer's second season. From there he found a few guest roles in Popular, ER and Joan of Arcadia, but never managed to make a name for himself.

After landing roles in Kate Beckinsale's Underworld (2003), Anthony Hopkins' The Human Stain (2003) and a voice role in Stealth (2005), Miller was chosen to play the role of Michael Schofield, a structural engineer who commits armed robbery with the intention of being imprisoned in Fox River State Penitentiary—the same prison at which his older brother is being held on death row for a crime he did not commit.

Following a debut that drew 10.5 million viewers, and a second episode of 8.5 million, Prison Break quickly became a firm favorite with audiences. In fact, the enormous success of the show led Fox to extend its run from the previously planned 13 episodes to a full season. Its continuing success helped make the decision to green light a second season a no-brainer.

Following a nomination for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, Miller's star is clearly rising. The question now is this: where does he go from here? After cementing himself firmly as a heartthrob to women and a role model to men, Miller has become known to all. So what next? Who knows? What we do know, however, is that this breakout star won't be wanting for offers anytime soon.