Matt Bomer Opens Up About Coming Out

Matt Bomer just opened up in a big way about his experience coming out.

The Last Tycoon (2016) star sat down with Girls (2012-17) actor Andrew Rannells in an Out Magazine exclusive to discuss how he navigated his sexuality and learned to live openly. Throughout the empowering interview, the 39-year-old touched on everything—from how hiding this secret made him a stronger actor to life before and after coming out and the difficulties of telling his family.

"One of the ways I learned how to act, really, is by having secrets, and having to function as a kid in a public school in suburban Bible Belt Texas," Bomer explained. "It was not an environment where it was safe to be gay."

As the former White Collar (2009-14) star expressed, "Telling your family is a huge, huge deal. I really view my life as divided between the time before I told my parents, and the time after." He added, "The life I lived, before and after, are vastly different. It's night and day."

However, the HIV/AIDS activist, who won a Golden Globe in 2015 for his portrayal of Felix Turner in Ryan Murphy's film adaptation of The Normal Heart, admitted it took years before he realized "it was time to live [his] life truthfully."

"I wrote a letter to my parents. I would have lost my sense of direction if I tried to do it in person," he recalled. "There was radio silence for a long, long time, at least six months." And although "it was a struggle," Bomer revealed that "within a matter of years [he and his family] started to figure it out." And today? The actor happily confirmed, "My family is so loving."

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Bomer officially came out publicly in February 2012 while accepting the New Generation Arts and Activism Award at the Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards. That evening, he thanked his "beautiful family"—notably his husband, publicist Simon Halls, and their three children.

"Thank you for teaching me what unconditional love is," he said. "You will always be my proudest accomplishment."