Zachary Quinto Confirms He's Gay

Zachary Quinto's sexuality has been up for speculation in recent years, but in an interview with New York Magazine published today the actor explains how his homosexuality made his role in the revival of Angels in America especially meaningful. He called the experience of playing Louis Ironson (a character who leaves his boyfriend who is sick from AIDS) the "most challenging thing I've ever done as an actor, and the most rewarding. At the same time, as a gay man, it made me feel like there's still so much work to be done, and there's still so many things that need to be looked at and addressed." Quinto also acknowledged he's been aware of the media's fascination with his sexuality, and clarified that he declined to comment on it for so long because he "prefers not to feed the rumor mill with either substantiation or dismissal.” But Quinto remarked that his decision to be more open about his personal life changed when he heard about the suicide of Jamey Rodemeyer, the 14-year-old boy who committed suicide because his classmates bullied him for being gay. He said, "And again, as a gay man I look at that and say there’s a hopelessness that surrounds it, but as a human being I look at it and say ‘Why? Where’s this disparity coming from, and why can’t we as a culture and society dig deeper to examine that?’ We’re terrified of facing ourselves.” It's truly admirable that Quinto chose to reveal a detail about his life in hopes of showing others it's okay for them to accept themselves for who they are, and surely his efforts to perpetuate equality will help both teenagers and adults around the world.