Nowadays it feels like every beloved TV Series is getting a reboot, a prequel, a sequel, anything so that TV producers can skate by on nostalgia and avoid coming up with original ideas.
While some shows, such as Cobra Kai, have waited the requisite time and justified their existence, more spin-off shows appear every day it feels like.
Whether it be Malcolm in The Middle coming back for a few more episodes, Dexter running a prequel, or Gabriel Macht coming back in the Suits spin-off, TV is inundated with old stars returning to the roles that they are best known for.
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One star who won’t be featuring in that trend is Wentworth Miller, the star of Prison Break, despite the fact that the show is also receiving the reboot treatment.
Miller played Michael Scofield, the dastardly main character who spends the first season trying to break his brother out of a prison he built.
While the plot deviates from this, Miller and co-star Dominic Purcell are the lifeblood of the series.
Miller has stated in the past, however, that he is 'out of Prison Break for good'.
In spite of this, it was announced in November of last year that a reboot series was in development. And an update was issued this week regarding the series, confirming that it is not expected to include Miller or Purcell.
This is according to Digital Spy, who say: "The spin-off/reboot will exist in the same universe as the original jailhouse drama while focusing on a new gang of prison inmates."
Though some may be surprised that Miller and Purcell are not coming back, keen fans of the show would know that Wentworth Miller has stated he is done with Prison Break.
In 2020, the actor posted on Instagram: “I'm not concerned for myself. I can't be 'bullied' in this space. I have too much power. 'Delete. Block. Deactivate.' Etc.
“But I take seriously the possibility of queer kids visiting here, recently out of the closet or exploring the idea... I don't want them exposed to bulls**t. On a related note... I'm out. Of PB. Officially”.
Miller, who came out as gay in 2013, only wants to play gay characters moving forward, which Michael Scofield is not.
He clarified in a follow up post: “So many messages of support and encouragement… Thank you. I’m taking it in. I only hope – thru my acting/writing, what I share online – that energy is returned in some way/shape/form.
“Am I saying gay actors (gay men, specifically) should only play gay parts? No. I was speaking for myself. At this point in my life/career, it’s what feels interesting, inspiring, right. “That said, do I want to see more gay parts played by gay actors? Yes. It makes a difference performance-wise (IMO), but also bec straight actors playing ‘gay’ centers straightness.
“Doesn’t matter if they’re ‘acting’ – I still know what I’m looking at.
“PB was challenging, onscreen and off. Did anyone involved tell me, explicitly, to bury my gayness for the show’s sake? No.
“Had I already received enough messaging from Hollywood/the larger culture/the schools I went to/my family of origin such things go unspoken lest you risk punishment, losing rights/privileges? Yes.
“One of the ironies of the closet is I became my own jailer. ‘Prison Break’ indeed.
“My gayness was largely erased (by me, for starters) in the first decades of my career. It is my want, now, to center it in a way that cannot be missed by myself or anyone else.”
Topics: TV, Nostalgia, TV and Film
Michael Slavin