Wentworth Miller Interview

I got the chance to be a part of a press conference call with Wentworth Miller and he chatted about Prison Break Season 4, MiSa, the future of the show, and much more. Audio clips to come soon!! (And I have to say it was a blast being on the phone call. Wentworth has a great sense of humor and seemed genuinely gracious in speaking with us all.)

Sarah Wayne Callies Return:
Was the first scene everything he hoped it would be? “I was just happy to see Sarah back,” Wentworth says. He thought her return was important and he very much missed her during Season 3. “The fans have spoken, Sarah returns.”

Wentworth realized that she might return sometime during the strike. He heard of the fans organizing petitions and says that it’s where we are in terms of television and the media – having a back and forth conversation with the fans…

Michaels’ Possible Death:
Wentworth was asked if would be okay with Michael’s death at the end of the series and Wentworth seemed fine with the idea, saying that there is a price to pay for this adventure. “Michael’s hands are pretty filthy by this point in the series. It’s becoming harder and harder to tell the good guys from the bad guys. The question becomes can there be any sort of redemption for Michael,” Wentworth says. “What would that look like? What would that take? Perhaps laying down his life so that someone else can live might be one answer to that question.”

Can Michael be Happy?
Is it possible for Michael to be happy and is he worthy of redemption?
“I think the interesting wrinkle that Sara’s return signifieds is that hwen Michael thought she was dead he crossed certain lines that he otherwise might not have crossed,” Wentworth says. At the end of Season 3 Michael manipulated the death of Sammy and he might not have done that if he thought Sara was alive.

So Michael is a changed man, perhaps a man who is not worth of Sara’s relationship. “I think that Michael is still a good man, but at this point I think it would take something quite extreme for him to really even the score.”

Wentworth says that it weighs heavily on Michael that so many people have died in the process of setting Lincoln free. He feels Michael can’t go return to his white collar existence to being a structural engineer. “I think the only thing Michael is fit for is as a hired gun.”

Wentworth’s favorite attribute about Michael is his sense of loyalty, that it’s always about others. “Michael is not particularly interested in his own survival. Michael is interested in self-sacrifice. I think Michael has a touch of the martyr about him.”

Lincoln and Michael:
Wentworth says that Season 4 is about the brotehrs settling their personal debts. Lincoln starts out in Panama with Sofia and L.J., but heads back to the States on this revenge quest out of allegiance and indebtedness to Michael. “I think when all is said and done the brothers will be able to part as equals.”

Prison Break Seasons 1-3:
Wentworth was asked about the various seasons and how they are so different from each other. “My favorite so far has been 1 and 3 because I happen to think my character works best behind bars,” Wentworth says. The second season was a change of pace and a downshift for him. “It’s one of my least favorite seasons because it felt as though my character was literally and figuratively running shotgun.”

Prison Break Season 4:
So what is Season 4 about? “I think it’s finally time to take on the puppet master,” Wentworth says. “The team realizes that “they can no longer flee. It’s time to stand and fight. It’s time to take on the puppet master and really put this whole conspiracy thing to bed if possible.”

The Tattoo
“The tattoo is addressed pretty definitively in the first episode,” Wentworth says. He says that he appreciated the tattoo and it was emblematic of his experience. “I appreciated that I had to wear long-sleeve shirts,” for the sweat factor but he’s looking forward to rolling his sleeves up.

Wentworth continues, saying that he went to the writers to address the issue. “How can we really address this issue that really feels satisfying and gives some closure to people who were constantly on the lookout for it.”

C-Note
Wentworth was asked if we could see C-Note in the future. “I wouldn’t be surprised. We do love the unexpected twists and turns on this show. I think Rockmond would be a great edition!”

Kellerman
Wentworth says that his one character that he could bring back would be Paul Adelstein. “I think he was a fantastic Agent Kellerman,” Wentworth says. He liked the character because it lived in the shades of gray. “Not entirely white, not entirely black, not entirely good, not entirely evil.”

Wentworth Miller’s Personal Future
So where is Wentworth going with his acting career, and how does he balance out the intensity of Prison Break with his personal life?

“I have loved doing it,” he says, but that said “I’m not going to jump into the next Bourne Supremacy franchise.”

Wentworth says that it’s important to balance the intensity with some humor – on set and off. He’s become a fan the Family Guy, American Dad, Reno 911, The Office … “because at the end of the day … it’s important to come home and unwind.”

That said, Wentworth says he never really leaves the character behind. “I’m always thinking of the character, even when I’m not on set. It has become part of the air that I breathe.” He’s so used to Michael’s ways that he doesn’t have to do the homework. “All I have to do is show up on set, stand in front ofRobert Knepper and I get instinctively what Michael’s relationship is with T-Bag.”

Post Prison Break he would like to become involved with a romantic comedy, “really change it up!”

So what about the hair? Wentworth says that if he was worried about typecasting in a future role, he would grow it out. But he likes it short, “It’s kind of low maintenance.”

Images Credited to ©2008 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Michael Lavine/FOX