michael j scofield is portrayed by wentworth miller. for most of the first season of the show, miller utilized a limited range of facial expressions which generated both positive and negative criticisms. it was for this performance in the first season that miller was nominated for a golden globe. "the washington post" criticized miller's performance as being "the most oppressive" and how "the actor apparently thinks it looks cool for him always to be scanning the surroundings..." "entertainment weekly" recognized the numerous scenes the actor was present in 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." on the other hand, "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..." regarding his character, miller says, "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."