Her breakthrough came with 2004 films Layer Cake and Alfie, where Miller established herself as a rising star in contemporary cinema. She then took on a series of high-visibility roles, portraying socialite Edie Sedgwick in Factory Girl (2006) and author Caitlin MacNamara in The Edge of Love (2008). The year 2008 brought formal industry recognition with a BAFTA Rising Star Award nomination, signaling broad admiration for her talent beyond tabloid notoriety.
Miller’s status as a leading figure in blockbusters followed her portrayal of The Baroness in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009). The film cemented her international visibility, but it was accompanied by heightened media scrutiny that contributed to a brief sabbatical from the screen. When she returned, she did so with a project that would recalibrate public perception: the 2012 television film The Girl, in which she played Tippi Hedren, the actress known for The Birds. That performance earned nominations for the BAFTA Television Award for Best Actress and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film, marking a successful reentry into a prestige spotlight.
Since then, Miller has maintained a steady presence across film and television, taking on a mix of dramatic and genre work. She appeared in Foxcatcher (2014) and American Sniper (2014), followed by The Lost City of Z (2016) and Live by Night (2016). She expanded into television with American Woman (2018) and the 2019 miniseries The Loudest Voice, as well as the 2022 miniseries Anatomy of a Scandal. Across these projects, Miller has demonstrated range—from intimate biographical portrayals to big-screen thrillers—while navigating the pressures and negotiations that accompany public attention.
The year 2009 brought a revealing moment about her public persona through a New York Magazine Q&A tied to the Steve Buscemi–directed film Interview. Miller, described in the piece as a tabloid survivor, discussed how her life intersected with the roles she chose. The interview, in which Buscemi’s character quips about celebrity culture, underscored Miller’s willingness to blur the lines between personal narrative and performance. She describes how quickly she signed onto Interview after an agent rang with the project, noting she would rather not overthink the script in that moment. The piece recounts a sharp exchange that has since become emblematic of the era’s celebrity interviews: “You mean who I’ve fucked?” Miller responds, and the conversation continues with her retort, “I don’t fuck celebrities” and “I don’t fuck nobodies.” The anecdote illustrates how Miller has repeatedly confronted the optics of fame with candor, leveraging it to inform her craft rather than surrender to it.
Looking ahead, Miller’s career suggests a deliberate balance between challenging, character-driven work and mainstream visibility. Her body of work reflects a sustained effort to redefine her public image through decisive craft choices, rather than headline moments alone. As she continues to inhabit complex roles across screen and stage, the industry and audiences alike anticipate how she will translate years of experience navigating fame into future performances.
