Miller was born in
Bloomington, Indiana, to Bernard "Ben" Miller (1909–1999) and Martha Alice Miller (née Linn, 1911–2010). The 6'4' Miller was a
basketball player for the
UCLA Bruins at
UCLA, where his father was a
physical education instructor. In his senior year, while he was working as a furniture mover to pay for school, Miller was discovered on
Sunset Boulevard by a
Hollywood agent who signed him with
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. His screen test was directed by
George Cukor. ==Acting career==