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Knight told Grey'sAnatomyInsider.com, “Every once in a while you feel there's a part that's kind of more of a match than some others. But I don't know. I guess, in an effort to self-protect, [you] can't assume too much. I get in trouble when I do. ... It was surprising that it actually worked out, because in my experience, the ones you really want aren't normally the ones you get.”

Knight's portrayal of O'Malley has provided a counter-balance to some of the more testosterone driven roles on the show. O'Malley is frequently described as awkward and bumbling, but ultimately lovable. After finally sleeping with—and being crushed by—his fellow doctor Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), O'Malley has since found steady romance in the arms of Dr. Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez).

While Knight hasn't exactly become a household name or a sex-symbol per se, he has attracted a wide following. Entertainment Weekly included the actor on their Must See list this past summer. It was there that Knight addressed his own sex appeal by saying, “That's not something I see.” He also discussed what he had in common with his character including “Like when people are a**holes, I kind of freeze up because I don't expect that.” An ironic statement given what apparently transpired on the Grey's set.

Knight's announcement will make him one of the few openly gay actors on television playing a straight man involved in a heterosexual relationship. Most openly gay actors end up portraying either gay men or straight men not involved in romantic relationships. Sir Ian McKellen recently discussed the straight roles he has played including Magneto in the X-Men films or as Sir Leigh Teabing in this summer's The DaVinci Code. Neither role included any mention of the character's personal lives that indicated they were in fact straight.

The openly gay Jack Plotnick plays a womanizer on Lovespring, a surprise hit for the Lifetime Network, but that is a small cable network while Grey's Anatomy is arguably one of the most successful shows on network television. Sam Harris, another openly gay actor, currently has a recurring role on The Class. His character, Perry Pearl, is married and ostensibly straight, but is played with a stereotypically gay flamboyance that has come under criticism from some in the gay community.

That makes Knight's announcement he is gay—and his role on Grey's Anatomy—all that much more significant.

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