Actor Zachary Quinto, best known for his roles as Sylar on NBC’s “Heroes,” and as Spock in the 2009 film version of “Star Trek,” has publicly announced that he is gay.
In an interview appearing in this week’s New York magazine, on newsstands Monday, Oct. 17, and online now, Quinto acknowledges he’s gay after years of avoiding questions about his personal life. And in a statement posted on his blog Sunday, Quinto cited the recent suicide of New York gay teen Jamey Rodemeyer as the catalyst for coming out.
From Quinto’s blog:
when i found out that jamey rodemeyer killed himself – i felt deeply troubled. but when i found out that jamey rodemeyer had made an it gets better video only months before taking his own life – i felt indescribable despair. i also made an it gets better video last year – in the wake of the senseless and tragic gay teen suicides that were sweeping the nation at the time.
but in light of jamey’s death – it became clear to me in an instant that living a gay life without publicly acknowledging it – is simply not enough to make any significant contribution to the immense work that lies ahead on the road to complete equality. our society needs to recognize the unstoppable momentum toward unequivocal civil equality for every gay lesbian bisexual and transgendered citizen of this country. gay kids need to stop killing themselves because they are made to feel worthless by cruel and relentless bullying. parents need to teach their children principles of respect and acceptance.
we are witnessing an enormous shift of collective consciousness throughout the world. we are at the precipice of great transformation within our culture and government. i believe in the power of intention to change the landscape of our society – and it is my intention to live an authentic life of compassion and integrity and action. jamey rodemeyer’s life changed mine. and while his death only makes me wish that i had done this sooner – i am eternally grateful to him for being the catalyst for change within me. now i can only hope to serve as the same catalyst for even one other person in this world. that – i believe – is all that we can ask of ourselves and of each other.
In the New York magazine interview, Quinto, 34, tells editor Benjamin Wallace, that his eight-month role last year in Angels in America, “made me realize how fortunate I am to have been born when I was born…”
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“And at the same time, as a gay man, it made me feel like I — there’s still so much work to be done. There’s still so many things that need to be looked at and addressed. The undercurrent of that fear and that, you know, insidiousness still is swarming. It’s still all around us. To revisit that world at all, it took a toll on me. It definitely was an incredible experience but it was really daunting at times.
Following is Quinto’s “It Gets Better” video:
