Zachary Quinto hit the headlines after coming out publicly as a gay man in an interview with 'New York' magazine, and the actor says he was motivated to do so by the recent suicide of bullied gay teen Jamey Rodemeyer.

Writing on his blog, Quinto says that "in light of jamey's death -- 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."

He adds: "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."

The 'Heroes' and 'Star Trek' actor has played gay characters several times on TV but has not previously discussed his sexuality publicly.