Heroes actor Zachary Quinto has said that he is gay in a magazine interview.

The 34-year-old, who also played Spock in the 2009 remake of Star Trek, twice referred to himself as a "gay man" in a feature for New York magazine.

The actor has played several gay roles on stage and screen but has never publicly confirmed his sexuality.

Writing on his blog, Quinto also said the bullying and recent suicide of 14-year-old American Jamey Rodemeyer prompted his decision to come out.

Talking about his part in Angels In America, a story about the Aids epidemic in the 1980s, he told New York magazine it was the most challenging and rewarding of his career.

He said: "As a gay man, it made me feel like there's still so much work to be done, and there's still so many things that need to be looked at and addressed."

Quinto rose to fame playing Sylar in superhero series Heroes before playing the iconic Spock in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movie.

As well as Angels In America, he has also played a gay man in Tori Spelling's US sitcom So NoTORIous and in new FX series American Horror Story.

'Hopelessness'

The actor again confirmed his sexuality when speaking about the contrast between gay marriage being legalised in New York state and the death of Jamey Rodemeyer.

Quinto said: "And again, as a gay man I look at that and say there's a hopelessness that surrounds it.

"But as a human being I look at it and say 'Why? Where's this disparity coming from, and why can't we as a culture and society dig deeper to examine that?' We're terrified of facing ourselves."

Posting on his personal blog on Sunday, the actor said the 14-year-old's death had made him realise it was time to come out and that he wished he had done it sooner.

"It became clear to me in an instant that living a gay life without publicly acknowledging it is simply not enough to make any significant contribution to the immense work that lies ahead on the road to complete equality," wrote Quinto.

"Gay kids need to stop killing themselves because they are made to feel worthless by cruel and relentless bullying.

"Parents need to teach their children principles of respect and acceptance."

Jamey Rodemeyer, from Buffalo in New York state, committed suicide in September after months of bullying.

One of his idols, Lady Gaga, later paid tribute to the schoolboy and dedicated a song to him during a show in Las Vegas.