Desperate Housewives star Charlie Carver reflects on a year since coming out as gay
Charlie Carver has reflected on his decision to come out publicly, a year after releasing a five page letter on Instagram.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight the Desperate Housewives star said he had been open about his sexuality with his family since he was 17, but “wanted to feel I was in a place where I could work comfortably and where I felt like I had something to say.”
“Part of my decision to come out was because I was ready to take on that conversation in a more public forum,” he added.
His role in I Am Michael, a biopic about Michael Glaze, also “awakened something in [him]”.
As well as playing a gay character, it’s also one of his first roles without his twin brother Max. Instead he stars alongside James Franco and Zachary Quinto – the latter of which is says he was exceptionally glad to have met.
“He’s somebody who I admire very much and somebody who has carried who he is out in the public in a very admirably way,” he explained.
“One thing I warned myself to do is never to be afraid to take another gay part, especially a well-written one.”
He added he has also become more conscious of which parts he accepts since coming out, asking how he can expand the narrative available to LGBT video.
“I think there are a lot of stories that happen to include LGBT voices that aren’t told.”
Posting on Instagram last year the star wrote: “Be who you needed when you were younger.”
“As a young man, I needed a young man in Hollywood to say that — and without being a dick about it, I owe it to myself, more than anything, to be who I needed when I was younger.”
