Actor Wentworth Miller is best known for his role as Michael Scofield in hit TV show Prison Break, but he's also made a name for himself as a spokesman against body-shaming and celebrity culture in the past 24 hours.
A picture that Miller shared on his Facebook page, along with the accompanying powerful message, has generated a huge response since he posted it last night.
It shows a Lad Bible meme of the actor posted yesterday and taken in 2010 - when he had "put on weight", in his own words - and compared it to his Prison Break role, making a crude joke about him 'finding out about McDonald's'.
Miller shared the backstory to the photo, where he explains that he was feeling suicidal at the time it was taken and found comfort in food.
He wrote:
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"Today I found myself the subject of an Internet meme. Not for the first time.
This one, however, stands out from the rest.
In 2010, semi-retired from acting, I was keeping a low-profile for a number of reasons.
First and foremost, I was suicidal.
This is a subject I've since written about, spoken about, shared about.
But at the time I suffered in silence. As so many do. The extent of my struggle known to very, very few.
Ashamed and in pain, I considered myself damaged goods. And the voices in my head urged me down the path to self-destruction. Not for the first time.
I've struggled with depression since childhood. It's a battle that's cost me time, opportunities, relationships, and a thousand sleepless nights.
In 2010, at the lowest point in my adult life, I was looking everywhere for relief/comfort/distraction. And I turned to food. It could have been anything. Drugs. Alcohol. Sex. But eating became the one thing I could look forward to. Count on to get me through. There were stretches when the highlight of my week was a favorite meal and a new episode of TOP CHEF. Sometimes that was enough. Had to be.
And I put on weight. Big f--king deal."
He goes on to explain that the photo was taken by paparazzi when he was out for a hike with a friend, but he doesn't regret it being taken because "Now, when I see that image of me in my red t-shirt, a rare smile on my face, I am reminded of my struggle. My endurance and my perseverance in the face of all kinds of demons. Some within. Some without."
Seeing the meme, he said, "hurt to breathe. But as with everything in life, I get to assign meaning. And the meaning I assign to this/my image is Strength. Healing. Forgiveness. Of myself and others."
You can read his full post here.
