Zachary Quinto Says He's Gay And Lucky

Actor Zachary Quinto reveals he is gay and that having starred in the AIDS-themed play Angels in America made him realize he's lucky, in a new profile in New York magazine.

In the profile titled "What's Up Spock," Quinto calls his eight-month stint as conflicted Louis in Angels both "the most challenging thing I've ever done as an actor and the most rewarding."

Quinto recalls the impact the play had on him personally. "Doing that play made me realize how lucky I was to be born when I was born and to not have to witness the decimation of an entire generation of amazingly talented and otherwise vital men," he says.

"And 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."

Last October while appearing in the landmark play, Quinto filmed an emotional video for the "It Gets Better" campaign, aimed at ending the antigay bullying epidemic that had caused numerous suicides.

During the new interview Quinto responds to what New York describes as "the cultural bipolarity that can see gay marriage legalized in New York in the same year that yet another gay teenager, Jamey Rodemeyer, was bullied and killed himself,' Quinto says, "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."

Quinto is currently in theaters in a small role in the comedy What's Your Number? and will be seen later this month as a gay man in the FX series American Horror Story. His next film Margin Call, which he co-produced and in which he costars with Kevin Spacey, will open October 21.

Quinto posted the following note on his blog this morning:

"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."