Michael Scofield

The character was conceived after Prison Break creator Paul Scheuring developed an idea from another producer, about a man who deliberately imprisons himself to break somebody out. From the initial proposal, Scheuring then justified the character and story by making him a structural engineer who worked at the architecture firm that had access to the prison's blueprints. The name was originally used in Roald Dahl's collection of short stories, Someone Like You, as Michael Scofield.[1]

Miller said, "First season, I think part of my challenge was to create, hopefully, a compelling character. But at the same time, there were so many things I could never show, because standing next to Abruzzi or T-Bag or Bellick, I could not afford to be vulnerable. I could not afford to crack a smile."[2] In the second season, the character shows a wider range of emotions as Miller explains, "He's going to have some lighter, more colorful shades... now that he's off with his brother, around whom I think Michael is willing to show a side of himself that he's not with others, there's a lot more that I can explore."[3]

For most of the first season of the show, Miller's limited range of facial expressions generated mixed reception. For the first season, Miller was nominated for a Golden Globe. The Washington Post criticized this performance as being "the most oppressive" and how "the actor apparently thinks it looks cool for him always to be scanning the surroundings".[6] Entertainment Weekly recognized the actor's domination of screen time by saying that "it's Miller's show" and on his performance, they stated that his "Michael Scofield has the silky voice of a sociopath, the resigned stance of a long-distance runner, and the deadpan delivery of Macaulay Culkin at his Uncle Buck best."[7] The New York Times commented that although Miller does not show a wide range of emotion, "he projects an unflappable determination that confounds his fellow prisoners".[8]