Out actor Chad Allen this week
announced he's leaving acting.
“It's been an incredible journey …
working on the incredible shows that I've been able to wok on over
the years,” Allen said in a three-and-a-half minute video. “I'm
incredibly grateful and always will be.”
The 40-year-old actor's first
television role was playing a boy in an episode of CBS' detective
series Simon & Simon at the age of eight. Two years
later, he landed a recurring role on the NBC medical drama St.
Elsewhere. He is best known for playing Matthew Cooper in Dr.
Quinn, Medicine Woman. Allen also played openly gay detective
Donald Strachey in four movies made for LGBT channel here!
“My life has taken me on a very
different trajectory and after 30-plus years as an actor, I made a
decision a couple of years ago to begin letting that side of my life
go and I've been focusing on my education,” he said.
Allen said that he was studying to be a
clinical psychologist.
In his farewell video, Allen promised
to continue his HIV/AIDS activism: “That won't end. I promise
you.” (The video is embedded on this page. Visit
our video library for more videos.)