Cory Michael Smith, best known for his work as Edward Nygma/The Riddler on the Fox series Gotham, has come out as queer.

The 31-year-old actor stars in the upcoming movie 1985, which is about a closeted young man who struggles to come out to his conservative family.

Cory told The Daily Beast that he identifies as queer in a new interview.

“There’s something special about telling a story that feels closer to home,” Cory said. “I’m not exactly like The Riddler in real life. I’m from Middle America. I’m from Ohio. I’ve been living here [in New York] for a while, and there are stretches when I don’t see my family often. Going home and that whole charade is very familiar. The first family dinner after a while. Coming out to a family, the fear of that.”

Cory says that his own coming out took “a lot of time,” but his family handled it with “a lot of love.”