T. R. Knight

T.R. Knight is a gay actor who came out publicly via People magazine in October 2006, amid a set controversy in which co-star Isaiah Washington, during a physical confrontation with Patrick Dempsey, used an anti-gay slur to refer to Knight. Knight had not previously disclosed his sexuality, and his coming out -- prompted by a painful and public circumstance -- was handled with remarkable dignity. "While I prefer to keep my personal life private, I hope the fact that I am gay isn't the most interesting thing about me," he said. The incident, and Washington's subsequent firing, became a watershed moment in conversations about anti-gay bigotry in Hollywood and the professional costs of visibility. Knight had played Dr. George O'Malley in Grey's Anatomy (2005), a beloved character whose death at the end of Season 5 devastated viewers. He has since appeared in The Good Wife (2009), The Mentalist (2008), and the limited series 11.22.63 (2016) and The Terror (2018). Knight has spoken about the experience of coming out under duress and about the years since as a period of greater freedom and self-acceptance.