All things considered, Jim Parsons, star of The Big Bang Theory, did not come out with a bang. Parsons brought partner Todd Spiewak to the 2010 Emmy Awards, where he won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and thanked Spiewak in his acceptance speech. Then rumors swirled that Parsons was engaged, although he had not commented on the relationship. It became an open secret that the sitcom actor was gay.
But any remaining speculation came to an unceremonious end when a New York Times profile mentioned his sexual orientation and relationship status in one fell swoop. The article, published in May 2012, discussed Parsons’ role in The Normal Heart, a play that chronicles a young gay activist’s fight against AIDS: “The Normal Heart resonated with him on a few levels: Mr. Parsons is gay and in a 10-year relationship, and working with an ensemble again onstage was like nourishment, he said.” Not that there’s anything wrong with that.