Jim Parsons was a trailblazer in his own unique way in terms of coming out. Five years after the premiere of  "The Big Bang Theory," the star came out in a very understated way in a 2012 interview with The New York Times. 

It's clear that Parsons' sexuality was not the main interest of the profile. New York Times writer Patrick Healy seems to sneak in this tidbit of Parsons' identity in the middle of a robust 1,800-word story. The profile, which centered around Parsons' lead role in the Broadway revival of "Harvey," spent more time recounting the actor's theater experience than digging into his personal life. "'The Normal Heart' resonated with him on a few levels," Patrick Healy wrote, referring to a play about young gay men and the AIDS crisis that Parsons had previously been in. "Mr. Parsons is gay and in a 10-year relationship, and working with an ensemble again onstage was like nourishment, he said."

The Hollywood Reporter called this "casual reference" a "new era" for gay celebrities, noting that Parsons had long been open about his sexuality in Hollywood circles. "If anything, the news marks what could be a new chapter in the evolution of the celebrity 'coming out' story," Seth Ambramovitch wrote in 2012. "Unlike the old-school approach ... the new method stealthily embeds the personal information in a larger piece on the 'work.'"