Chris Colfer, best known for playing Kurt Hummel in the hit TV series Glee, has revealed he was once told not to come out as gay for fear of it ruining his career.
The actor, 34, first found fame in 2009 when he landed the role on Ryan Murphy's hit musical series set in a high school.
And while he became a much-loved character and won many awards for his portrayal of Kurt, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film in 2011, Chris revealed that he felt he had to hide his sexuality.
Chris revealed that when he landed the role of openly gay Kurt, he was scared to accept it as he'd been warned that coming out could affect his career.
Speaking on The View, Chris explained: "I grew up in a very conservative town where being openly gay was dangerous.
"I remember when I got on the show, the role was written for me, but I did not know what the role was going to be.
"So, I opened the script and when I read the script for the first time is when I saw that it was an openly gay character."
He admitted that it "terrified" him, adding: "When I started filming the show, I had a lot of people tell me, 'Do not come out, whatever you do, because it will ruin your career.'"
See the interview here:Chris starred alongside Lea Michele, Amber Riley, and the late Naya Rivera and Cory Monteith, and the show propelled the cast to enormous fame.
He chose not to speak about his own sexuality initially, but later told those who advised him not to come out: "I can’t hide it."
Chris revealed: "They said, 'Don’t worry as long as you never address it, you’ll be rewarded for it in the end.'"
It was a meeting with a young fan that finally inspired him to be open about his sexuality, after the young boy secretly slipped him an envelope during a Glee poster singing tour.
"I opened it up and there was a little note that said, 'Thank you' and there was a little paperclip chain that was in the colors of the rainbow. In that moment I knew, I have to come out," he revealed.
Chris admitted: "At the time, I was thinking if I’m an openly gay actor I may never win a major award and I may never get to play a superhero, but I think being a beacon of positivity and providing comfort for people is way more important."
And, thankfully, his belief that he wouldn't win awards was also proven wrong as he received a string of accolades and nominations for his work on the show.