TV

J August Richards, star of Buffy spin-off Angel, describes coming out as ‘one of the best days of his life’

Council of Dads actor J August Richards

Council of Dads actor J August Richards (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/WireImage)

Former Angel star J August Richards said Tuesday evening that the day he came out as gay was “one of the best days” of his life.

The actor, best known for his roles as Charles Gunn on Angel and Deathlok on Agents of Shield, came out Monday during a chat with actor Sarah Callies shared to Instagram Live.

In a tweet of a photo of himself crossed-legged on a lawn, wearing rainbow, he reflected in the caption about how seismic the last 24 hours had been for him and how he is in no way going to look back.

J August Richards: ‘”Thank you’ feel like cheap words to describe the depths of the gratitude I feel’.

“Yesterday was one of the best days of my life,” he tweeted.

“‘Thank you’ feel like cheap words to describe the depths of the gratitude I feel for your support and the crushing avalanche of LOVE I felt aimed at me yesterday.

“For now, it will have to do. #PRIDE #LGBTQ #BlackLGBTQ #ComingOut.”

Countless co-stars alongside Angel and Buffy The Vampire Slayer fans alike carried on, indeed, aiming their love and support towards Richards.

J August Richards felt pressure to come out for Council of Dads.

Richard explained of the pressure he felt to come out as gay for his work on the NBC drama, where he plays a gay chracter.

He said: “If I think about why I even got involved in this industry, it was really to combat oppression.

“I knew how I was affected by the people of colour I saw on television, or that I didn’t see on television, so this being a married, gay man, with a family.

“On television, I don’t take anything I do lightly, and you have an opportunity to put an image into millions of home.

“I wanted that image to be honest and I wanted to be correct.”

Council of Dads actor J August Richards.

Council of Dads actor J August Richards. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

He continued: “Honestly, it required me to show up fully in a way that I don’t always when I’m working.

“I knew that I could not portray this gay man honestly without letting you all know that I am a gay man myself. I’ve never done that with the people that I’ve worked with.

“That responsibility carried me to do that because I knew how important it is to other people out there like me, who would need to see that role model.”

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