Honestly, when you hear the name Ezra Miller, your brain probably goes straight to two things: the red suit of The Flash or the controversy-laden headlines of the last few years. Maybe you think of Credence from the Fantastic Beasts movies if you're a Potterhead. But there’s this whole other side of their career that lives on the small screen, and I’m not just talking about those blink-and-you’ll-miss-it DC cameos.
Before they were running through the Speed Force or causing havoc in the Wizarding World, Ezra was doing the "prestige TV" rounds. They were a fixture on cable dramas and even popped up in long-running procedurals. If you go back and watch some of these Ezra Miller TV shows, it’s wild to see how much of that twitchy, high-wire energy they’ve always had was present right from the start.
The Hamptons and "Royal Pains"
Most people forget that Ezra had a recurring gig on Royal Pains. Yeah, that breezy, blue-skied USA Network show about a concierge doctor in the Hamptons. It feels a world away from the dark, brooding roles they’d eventually become known for in films like We Need to Talk About Kevin.
Ezra played Tucker Bryant, a wealthy, somewhat neglected teenager with hemophilia. They appeared in about five episodes across the first two seasons. Tucker wasn't just some throwaway patient of the week; he had a legitimate arc. He was the son of a cold, distant pharmaceutical mogul, and Ezra played him with this perfect mix of "spoiled rich kid" and "vulnerable soul looking for a father figure."
It’s actually some of their most "normal" acting. No weird costumes, no superhero landing. Just a kid in a Ferrari—which he inevitably crashed—trying to navigate a life where his blood literally wouldn't clot. If you’re looking to see Ezra before the Hollywood machine swallowed them whole, this is the place to look.
Breaking Bad in "Californication"
Before the Hamptons, there was the chaotic, sun-drenched mess of David Duchovny’s Californication. This was 2008. Ezra was barely sixteen.
They played Damien Patterson, the boyfriend of Becca Moody. If you remember that era of TV, Damien was the quintessential "bad influence" boyfriend. He was a bit of a weirdo, definitely a smart-ass, and had this dry, cynical delivery that felt way beyond a teenager's years.
What’s funny is that Damien was an aspiring filmmaker. He’d walk around with a camera, filming things in a way that felt meta even for a show like Californication. It was a small role, only five episodes in Season 2, but it was the first real hint that Ezra wasn't going to be a "traditional" heartthrob. They had an edge. A literal sharp edge.
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The Trashcan Man: A polarizing turn in "The Stand"
We have to talk about 2020. This was when Ezra Miller returned to TV in a big way, and boy, was it divisive.
In the Paramount+ adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand, Ezra took on the role of Donald Merwin Elbert, better known as the Trashcan Man. Now, if you know the book, Trash is a pivotal, tragic, and absolutely insane pyromaniac. In the 1994 miniseries, Matt Frewer played him with a sort of high-pitched, frantic energy.
Ezra went... a different way.
They played the character with a series of wet, guttural shrieks and a costume that consisted mostly of tactical gear and fireproof underwear. It was a choice.
Why fans were split
- The Commitment: You can’t say they didn't commit. Ezra reportedly told the showrunners that "fireproof underwear" was the first thing they thought of for the character.
- The Screeching: Many fans felt the performance was too over-the-top, even for a pyromaniac at the end of the world. It felt more like a caricature than a person.
- The Screen Time: Despite being a massive part of the book's climax, the 2020 show sidelined Trashcan Man for most of the middle section, making Ezra's sudden, screeching appearances feel even more jarring.
It’s probably the most "Ezra Miller" performance on television—unfiltered, bizarre, and impossible to look away from, even if you want to.
That "Crisis" Cameo (The moment the internet broke)
It would be a crime not to mention the Arrowverse. Technically, it was an episode of Arrow (Season 8, Episode 8), but it was the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover event.
For years, fans had debated who the "real" Barry Allen was: Grant Gustin or Ezra Miller. Then, out of nowhere, they were standing in the same room. Or, well, the same Speed Force.
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It was a total secret. No leaks, no rumors. When Ezra’s Flash popped up and started admiring Grant’s Flash’s suit ("Is it breathable?"), people lost their minds. It was the first time DC’s movie universe and TV universe officially touched.
Short as it was, that appearance did a lot of heavy lifting. It gave Ezra’s Barry the idea for the name "The Flash" (which he hadn't actually used in the movies yet) and confirmed the existence of a true multiverse.
The Guest Spots: From "SVU" to "Invincible"
Like every young actor living in New York in the late 2000s, Ezra did the Law & Order rite of passage. They appeared in a 2009 episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit titled "Crush."
They played Ethan Morse, a teenager caught up in a nasty case involving a girlfriend and a very protective father. It’s a standard SVU "he said, she said" plot, but seeing a baby-faced Ezra go toe-to-toe with Stabler and Benson is pretty surreal in hindsight.
More recently, they’ve dipped into voice acting. In the hit Amazon series Invincible, Ezra voiced D.A. Sinclair, the brilliant but sociopathic scientist who turns people into "Reanimen."
It was a perfect casting choice. Sinclair is arrogant, cold, and articulate—traits that Ezra can project with just their voice. However, if you're watching the later seasons, you might notice the character sounds different. Due to the legal issues and controversies surrounding Miller, the role was eventually recast with Eric Bauza for Season 2.
What most people get wrong about Ezra's TV career
Usually, the narrative is that Ezra Miller is a "movie star" who occasionally graces TV with their presence. But if you look at the timeline, they were a TV actor first.
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Californication and Royal Pains happened before We Need to Talk About Kevin. TV wasn't a side quest; it was the foundation. They learned how to play the "outsider" on basic cable before they ever brought that energy to $200 million blockbusters.
Where to watch these shows now
If you’re looking to do a deep dive into Ezra’s television work, here is the current breakdown of where to find them:
- Royal Pains: Usually streaming on Peacock or Amazon Freevee. Look for the first two seasons.
- Californication: Available on Paramount+ (with the Showtime add-on). Season 2 is where you'll find the Damien arc.
- The Stand (2020): This is a Paramount+ exclusive.
- Invincible: Strictly on Amazon Prime Video. Look for the episode "You Look Kinda Dead" in Season 1.
- Arrow (Crisis on Infinite Earths): Typically on Netflix, though licensing for the CW shows moves around a lot.
What’s next?
The future of Ezra Miller in television is, frankly, a massive question mark. After the release of The Flash movie and the subsequent restructuring of the DC Universe under James Gunn, the "movie-to-TV" bridge seems to have been burned.
There aren't any confirmed TV projects on the horizon for them right now. Most of the industry is taking a "wait and see" approach while Miller reportedly continues treatment for complex mental health issues.
If you want to understand Ezra Miller as an artist, you kinda have to look at these TV roles. They show an actor who was always interested in the fringes of society—the sick kids, the cynical boyfriends, the arsonists. Whether you love the performances or find them grating, they’ve never been boring.
To see the evolution for yourself, start with Royal Pains. Seeing the guy who would eventually play the "Trashcan Man" playing a polite hemophiliac in the Hamptons is the ultimate Hollywood whiplash.