Usually when a celebrity comes out, they either do it in a big way–like going on a talk show to announce it–or they do it amid a swirl of rumors. It’s rare these days for a star to be open but quiet about their personal life, yet that’s exactly what “Big Bang Theory” star Jim Parsons is doing.

The Emmy-winning actor–who pays nerdy Sheldon Cooper on the show–has managed to go public with his status in a very low-key way, talking about his 10-year relationship to The New York Times, who did a piece about his work on Broadway. As Sheldon, audiences get to see a very specific side of Parsons, but onstage he shines in the vast array of complicated emotions he brings to his characters, particularly in “The Normal Heart”, which has garnered rave reviews and features Parsons as a young gay AIDS activist.

“If I ever wrote a script myself, it would be strongly emotional material,” he said. “Every time I think about writing, comedy doesn’t interest me in the slightest. I can play comedy, but I don’t think in terms of comic dialogue.”

Perhaps because of the popularity of the show, fans seem to be having a hard time equating one of their favorite television characters with a gay persona, and sadly, even in this day and age, sexual preference is always going to be huge news regardless of the celebrity’s plans otherwise. Still, Parsons has quite a fan base and is garnering support for the courageous way he chose to talk about his personal life.