J. August Richards of Marvel’s ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ Says Coming Out Was One the Greatest Days of His Life: WATCH

Actor J. August Richards says he recently had “one of the best days” of his life when he came out as gay this week. The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. alum, 46,  was discussing his role on NBC’s Council of Dads with fellow cast member Sarah Wayne Callies in an Instagram Live when he revealed he and his character had something in common. On Dads, Richardsplays Dr. Oliver Post, a married gay, Black man, and father.

During the interview he said to Callies, “If I think about why I even got involved in this industry, it was really to combat oppression…I knew how I was affected by the people of color I saw on television, or that I didn’t see on television…and so this being a married gay man with a family…on television, I don’t take anything I do lightly, and you know, you have an opportunity to put an image into millions of homes…I wanted that image to be honest and I wanted it to be correct. Honestly, it required me to show up fully in a way that I don’t always when I’m working. I knew that I could not portray this gay man honestly without letting you all know that I was a gay man myself…I’ve never done that with the people that I’ve worked with. That responsibility carried me to do that because I knew how important it is to other people out there like me, who would need to see that role model, so I took that responsibility very seriously.”

Richards then posted the whole video to Instagram where he wrote, “Why I let the cast and crew of @nbccouncilofdads know that I’m gay… I knew that I could not portray this gay man honestly without letting you all know that I am a gay man myself.”

https://www.instagram.com/tv/B_NYVOQjZcv/?utm_source=ig_embed

“Everyone said it would be but nothing could have prepared me. Yesterday was one of the best days of my life, ‘Thank you’ feel like cheap words to describe the depths of the gratitude I feel for your support and the crushing avalanche of LOVE I felt aimed at me yesterday. Who knew that something I once thought of as terrifying had within it something so beautiful… For every comment, like, emoji, repost, phone call, text message, everything. I felt it ALL… Thank you!!! #PRIDE #LGBTQ#BlackLGBTQ #ComingOut#SelfLove #SelfAcceptance.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_QbQ1CD020/