The actor Zachary Quinto has come out as gay in an interview with New York magazine.
Quinto, who played Spock in the 2009 remake of Star Trek and also starred in the series Heroes, has often played gay roles but has not publicly confirmed his sexuality until now.
The 34-year-old twice referred to himself as a "gay man" in the interview, and writing on his blog said that the recent suicide of a bullied gay teenager in America had prompted his decision to come out.
Asked about his part in 2003 TV series Angels In America, Quinto said: "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."
Writing on his blog, he said that he felt it important acknowledge his "gay life".
"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."
"Gay kids need to stop killing themselves because they are made to feel worthless by cruel and relentless bullying."