In an interview with HuffPost,
actor Jake Borelli talked about his recent coming out.
Borelli plays Levi Schmitt, who is
struggling with his sexuality, on the ABC medical drama Grey's
Anatomy.
Borelli, 27, came out gay on Instagram
earlier this month.
(Related: Grey's
Anatomy's
Jake Borelli comes out gay.)
Speaking with HuffPost, Borelli
said that he used his character's journey as an opportunity to
discuss his own sexuality.
“From the beginning, I had a sense it
was going to be important,” Borelli said. “It's a milestone for
the show and a milestone for representation in general.”
“I thought, 'OK, this is gonna be
bigger than me.' I'm in a position right now where I have a
platform, and I think it's really important to be honest and to put
myself out there so that other people don't feel as alone.”
“I knew that as a gay guy myself, I
needed to come out to everyone so that when I entered a dialogue
around this story, I could be as authentic as possible,” he added.
On the show, now in its 15th
season, Borelli's character is dating Dr. Nico Kim (played by Alex
Landi), the show's first gay male surgeon.
(Related: Grey's
Anatomy's
Alex Landi says he hopes to make LGBT community proud with gay role.)