Actor Zachary Quinto, who is best known for his roles as the villainous Sylar in Heroes and Spock in the recent J.J. Abrams Star Trek reboot, has revealed that he is gay.

Despite the numerous roles in which he has portrayed a gay character and gossip website speculation of his sexuality, Quinto has always kept a tight lip about his sexual orientation -- until he reflected upon his recent off-Broadway role in Angels in America:

"[Angels in America was] the most challenging thing I’ve ever done as an actor and the most rewarding... 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."

Quinto has also been known to speak out on behalf of gay rights, lending a hand to the "It Gets Better Campaign," which supports LGBT teens who face bullying from peers.

"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."