Heroes star Zachary Quinto reveals he's gay

Zachary Quinto has come out as gay.

The Star Trek star has been an active supporter of gay rights for some time, but has never publicly confirmed his sexuality. The 34-year-old actor is starring in Broadway play Angels in America playing a gay man who abandons his Aids-stricken boyfriend.

Zachary told New York magazine he found the role 'the most challenging thing I've ever done as an actor and the most rewarding'.

He added: "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."

The Heroes star goes on to discuss the apparent bipolarity in modern society that can see gay marriage legalised in New York in the same year that yet another gay teenager, Jamey Rodemeyer, was bullied and killed himself.

Zachary 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."

The actor - who plays Spock in JJ Abrams' new Star Trek films - has played several gay roles, including in Tori Spelling's TV show So NoTORIous, and the kinky dead owner of the haunted house in the new FX series American Horror Story.