Chris Colfer was told coming out as gay would ruin his career

Chris Colfer was warned not to come out as gay while making Glee because it would "ruin" his career.

The actor, who played openly gay high school student Kurt Hummel in the musical TV show, revealed on The View that he was warned not to come out as gay when he first started shooting the series.

"I remember when I got on Glee, the role was written for me, and I did not know what the role was gonna be, and so I opened the script and when I read the script for the first time was when I saw that it was an openly gay character and I was terrified," he recalled.

"When I started filming the show I had a lot of people tell me, 'Do not come out whatever you do because it will ruin your career.' So I hid for a little bit. But I also told them, 'I can't hide it with my voice... I'm more effeminate than most people. I can't hide it.' And they said, 'Don't worry. As long as you never address it, you'll be rewarded for it in the end.'"

However, the 34-year-old actor was inspired to come out anyway after he met a young boy at a poster signing event before Glee started airing in 2009. After the fan slipped him a thank you note featuring a rainbow paperclip, Colfer knew he had to be open about his sexuality.

"At the time, I was thinking, 'Okay, yeah, if I'm an openly gay actor, yeah, I may never win a major award. I may never get to play a superhero,'" Colfer said. "But I think being a beacon of positivity and providing that comfort for people is way more important than attention."

Colfer won a Golden Globe and was nominated for two Emmys for his portrayal of Kurt in Glee, which aired between 2009 and 2015.