The Untold Truth Of Ezra Miller

Ezra Miller's career has risen — and recently, fallen — at a speed that would rival their DC Universe character from "The Flash." Miller, one of Hollywood's most prolific, openly non—binary actors, has made their mark in Hollywood with their memorable, highly emotional performances. They currently have dozens of acting credits under their belt, including dynamic roles in "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," "We Need To Talk About Kevin," and their recurring role as The Flash in many of DC's films.

The actor's charming demeanor and stand-out good looks helped pave their way into instant stardom. Still, recently it seems like Miller's career may be spiraling downward, with multiple arrests and alleged volatile behavior. While the actor has certainly made headlines following these violent outbursts, there's a lot of information about Miller that many people don't know. We've compiled some of the most interesting, unknown facts about the controversial star.

From a young age, it was clear that Miller was destined to become famous, especially considering their family history of performers — their mother is a modern dancer, and their father works in publishing. Following in their mother's footsteps, performance became a part of Miller's life very early. They began training as an opera singer at six years old. The young star's interest in singing began due to their speech impediment. In an interview with The Daily Beast, Miller said that speech therapy only worsened the situation and made them "more aware of the stutter." Instead, they chose to use operatic training to focus on the "control and manipulation of the breath," overcoming their stutter within a year.

They enrolled in an opera conservatory and quickly rose through the ranks, eventually landing a role in Robert Wilson and Philip Glass's "White Raven." Young Miller then joined the children's choir at the Metropolitan Opera for two seasons — a highly coveted spot for young talent. It was through these opportunities that Miller realized their passion for performance.

Miller began acting in various television shorts before landing the lead role in "Afterschool" — the dramatic story of an Internet-addicted teen boy who witnessed the death of two classmates over a video call. Premiering at the Cannes Film Festival, the 2008 film was the perfect leaping-off point for Miller, especially since it showcased their ability to perform dark roles with emotional depth.

Miller was only 16 at the time of the film's release, which prompted them to drop out of school to pursue acting. Although they were attending an elite private school, Miller told The Daily Beast that they felt ostracized by their peers because they constantly missed class while filming. They said, "I sensed a feeling of perceived betrayal, the feeling that they thought I was superior. It wasn't true, but that feeling of resentment can make you feel far more alone because you're surrounded by people who you can't quite connect with because they perceive you to be 'other.'"

Although many child stars find themselves embracing their sexual identities in the public eye — like Miley Cyrus's famous "Can't Be Tamed" era — Miller's coming of age included a very intimate conversation with Playboy Magazine when they were 26-years old. The spread also captured a gender-expressive photoshoot where Miller posed in fishnet stockings, tulle, bunny ears, and black stiletto-heeled shoes. The interview touched on sexuality, the importance of sexual relationships, and the different traumas found in Hollywood — which apparently brought the interviewer to tears.

Refocusing the conversation around the unconventional actor's newest project, Miller spoke candidly about their involvement with the Harry Potter franchise and the controversy surrounding "Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald." This installment of the franchise allegedly teased a romantic relationship between Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) and Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp), which many fans see as a significant point for representation. Miller — who is attracted to men and women — trusted J.K. Rowling to make the right choice when addressing fans' concerns about the relationship. Miller also discussed the connection between Grindelwald's plot to turn his followers against those that are different than them. The actor shared that the message of anti-fascism was "conveniently timed" to mirror the concerns of current global politics. 

Since Miller has been in the public eye through their entire adolescence, the actor's personal journey into queerness has also often been a public spectacle. Although they've kept their personal life relatively private, Miller told Playboy Magazine that they've chosen to pursue polyamorous relationships rather than practice monogamy. Miller is instead involved in a group relationship that they call a "polycule" — a term across polyamorous groups that refer to a group of sexual partners that all participate in a polygamous relationship.

According to Playboy, this decision came after a series of heartbreaks, which led them to abandon the idea of a perfect soulmate. Instead, Miller pursues multiple partners who are also all romantically involved with each other. Because of these multiple entangled relationships, the selection process is very particular. Miller said, "I'm trying to find queer beings who understand me as a queer being off the bat, who I make almost a familial connection with, and I feel like I'm married to them 25 lifetimes ago from the moment we meet."

Miller's passion for singing didn't end after they began pursuing their acting career. Still, their musical pursuits have gone under the radar. Miller's band, Sons of an Illustrious Father, has over 22,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. Comprised of Miller, Lilah Larson, and Josh Aubin, the group has two albums and multiple EPs. Still, despite Miller's fame and notoriety, the band hasn't received much media coverage after over a decade of making music.

The group describes their sound as "genre-queer," according to NME. Combining elements of punk, folk, and elemental mixing, the band's music mirrors much of Miller's acting work, channeling highly emotional, political messages. Their song "US Gay" was released following the 2016 Pulse Nightclub shooting — a hate crime in Orlando, Florida that took the lives of 49 people at a popular gay club. The track acts as an empowering message for queer people with lyrics like "If we make it through the night / Girl, I won't marry you / But we can celebrate our love for each other / And our other lovers, too."

While most celebrities can be found dwelling in cities like New York or Los Angeles, Miller chose an alternative route to their living arrangements, which fits their unconventional image. Instead of a billion-dollar mansion in Beverly Hills, Miller settled on a 95-acre farm in rural Vermont. The farm seemingly runs like a self-sufficient paradise, with an apple orchard, chickens, goats, and a greenhouse for various herbs and plants.

Miller's given tours of their farm to various news outlets, often showcasing their beloved animals. Alongside the chickens and goats, the farm also hosts a myriad of people in Miller's life. Members of their "polycule" and their band Sons of an Illustrious Father all reside on the farm, according to GQ Magazine. Despite the compound's "crunchy" appearance, Miller is adamant they aren't "hippies," preferring to be called a "lifelong living-with-the-earth freak."

While Miller's recent run-in with the authorities might be far more detrimental to their career, it's not the first time the New Jersey native has had issues with the law. In fact, Miller's first arrest happened when they were only 10 years old. In a 2018 interview with the cast of "Fantastic Beast: The Crimes of Grindelwald" for MTV, Miller admitted to getting caught vandalizing a Gap store with spray paint. "I was arrested when I was 10 for spray painting 'Stop sweatshop labor' on a Gap clothing store. I did it twice in a row — that was our mistake. That was our criminal error," Miller shared with the group when asked about whether the cast had committed any crimes.

The actor admitted to returning to the crime scene and getting caught by a neighbor. The gang of wayward children tried to escape before being apprehended by police while flattening coins on the railroad track. It didn't take long for the authorities to piece together a connection between the spray paint-covered kids and the crime at hand.

Many controversial performers have recently been called out for questionable method acting, like Jared Leto during "Suicide Squad" and "Morbius" or Matthew MacFayden in "Succession." Miller's also dabbled in some dubious method acting for his breakout role in "We Need To Talk About Kevin" –- the story of a postpartum mother (Tilda Swinton) who struggles to connect with her strange son, although it becomes increasingly apparent that she's not to blame when he grows more isolated and violent.

Miller, who's been candid with the media about feeling isolated in high school, took a personal approach when it came to his role as Kevin, a calculating, violent mass murderer. In an interview with Vogue, Miller shared their difficulties with maintaining a mental space that accommodated the role. Miller said that "it can be difficult to keep yourself in a place where you're continually shutting down the mechanisms of your own human empathy." Their technique included not talking to their mother while filming. The actor shared that they didn't want their good, healthy relationship with their mother to bleed into the character.

Miller's role in the Oscar-nominated film "We Need To Talk About Kevin" was a key part in their career. Their role as Kevin — an emotionally manipulative kid turned school shooter — was a chilling portrayal of someone with an underlying, ever-present violent streak. In fact, Miller's performance was so convincing that the actor admitted that his friends seemed to have a hard time being around them. They told Vogue, "I had a close friend see it, and we went out to some party afterward. We were hanging out, and I thought we were having a fine time, and my friend was like, 'Listen man, I gotta go. It's nothing personal, I love you, but I'm just having a really hard time being around you.'"

But an intimidating public perception isn't the only thing Miller took away from the film: they also managed to keep the bow and arrows from the final massacre of the film. According to an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Miller is more than happy to show visitors the original bow set from the film –- which definitely isn't a harmless prop.

Miller's recent arrests aren't the first time the star has been in the spotlight for volatile behavior. In fact, it's not even their first time being violent with strangers. While visiting a bar in Reykjavik, Iceland, back in 2020, Miller was caught getting into a physical altercation with a fan on video. According to a report by Variety, it began after the popular actor was approached by a group of fans and was apparently growing increasingly agitated. The situation escalated when Miller allegedly asked one of the women, "Did you want to fight? That's what you want to do?" before grabbing her by the neck, choking her, and then shoving her to the ground.

When the video surfaced online, rumors started about the context of Miller's actions, specifically about whether the situation was a joke. Many believe that it appears the young woman was seemingly preparing herself for a play fight while smiling and laughing. However, according to Variety, Miller had to be escorted off the property by bar staff.

After the alleged choking incident with a fan, Miller seemed to lay low and stick to their filming schedule for a while. However, this disruptive, sudden shift in behavior would soon make an appearance while filming "The Flash," Miller's standalone DCEU film, the release date of which was pushed back to June 2023.

An anonymous source on set told Rolling Stone that Miller had multiple "meltdowns" during filming. The source insisted that these disruptions weren't violent or aggressive, but it seemed as though Miller was "losing it." Allegedly, the actor would lose focus and lose confidence during production, getting intrusive thoughts and telling those around them that they "don't know what [they're] doing." 

These are the first accusations against Miller that directly address their work ethic and behavior on set. Many filmmakers and other performers have claimed to enjoy working alongside Miller, including director Kyle Patrick Alvarez who told Playboy that he "adored" working with them on "The Stanford Prison Experiment."

In light of their recent scandals, Miller not only has to worry about their public perception — they also have to consider how their string of arrests will affect their successful career. 

According to Rolling Stone, Miller's violent behavior prompted an emergency meeting for Warner Brothers and DC executives regarding their recurring projects. Miller, who joined both the DC and Harry Potter franchises, had become a controversial hire for the family-friendly projects. According to an anonymous source, any future projects that involve Miller have been indefinitely paused by both studios. That includes any sequels or prequels to "The Flash," which would've been Miller's only individual film in the cinematic universe.

Although there hasn't been a direct link between the arrests and DC's choice to push the release of "The Flash," it's caused quite a stir from fans of the cinematic universe. Many DC fans have taken to social media to call for a recasting of Miller's role as Barry Allen, specifically calling for Grant Gustin — who played Barry on the Arrowverse series "The Flash" — to take over the role.