Hollywood actor Wentworth Miller is a successful screenwriter and actor who is best known for his role in the popular TV series ‘Prison Break’.

The actor recently revealed he was gay, publicly turning down an invitation to attend a film festival in Russia, a country that has recently introduced strict laws which forbid informing minors of ‘non traditional relationships’.

Miller’s coming out was greeted enthusiastically by both the press and his fans. Speaking at a function this weekend Miller told the crowd that coming to terms with his same sex attraction took considerable time, and he attempted suicide on more than one occasion.

Speaking at a Human Rights Commission dinner in Seattle Miller said;

“The first time I tried to kill myself I was 15. I waited until my family went away and I was alone in the house and I swallowed a bottle of pills,” he revealed to a large audience. “I don’t remember what happened over the next couple of days but I’m pretty sure come Monday morning I was on the bus back to school pretending everything was fine.”

The actor shared his experience of growing up knowing that he was gay.

“Growing up I was a target. Speaking the right way, standing the right way, holding your wrist the right way. Every day was a test and there was a thousand ways to fail,” Miller said. “A thousand ways to portray yourself to not live up to someone else’s standards of what was accepted.”

Miller also shared with the large audience that he kept his sexuality hidden, worried that if people knew he was gay it might damage his career.

“I had multiple opportunities to speak my truth, which is that I was gay, but I chose not to. I was out privately to family and friends — publicly, I was not.” The actor and writer continued, “I chose to lie — when I thought about the possibility of coming out, how that might impact me and the career I worked so hard for, I was filled with fear.”

Today is World Suicide Prevention Day, the reasons for suicide are complex but we believe that most suicide is preventable. Find out more about preventing suicide at the official site.