Nowadays Ellen DeGeneres is a much loved comedian, talk show host and actress, and may well be the most famous lesbian in the world. But when she was first finding fame she hadn’t come out, and now actor Johnathon Schaech has confirmed that for a time he acted as her beard – however, it has to be said the way he talks about it is surprisingly gallant.

When asked on Reddit about being seen with Ellen in the 90s, he said “My manager asked me to accompany her to events. She was scared people would not watch the show, her sitcom Ellen, because she was gay. It was an honor … She’s a great example for the human race.”

He also spoke about his thoughts about LGBT people, “I grew up with two gay aunts and a gay uncle. My aunt died of cancer. She was a proud woman and she didn’t get proper care because she didn’t want to be away from her partner. Hospitals didn’t allow partners the same rights as a spouse. When you have someone you love in your life that is gay or a lesbian it’s very clear that they deserve the same rights as anyone else. It’s not about religion. If you don’t love ELLEN now – you don’t watch her show. She’s a great example for the human race.”

When asked to confirm whether he was essentially her beard, Schaech says, “She wasn’t out…I was supposed to perform in her coming out episode but I ran the marathon and couldn’t walk the next day, the network fired me cause they thought I was lame. I was lame, DONT RUN A MARATHON when you’re given a great gift.”

Schaech is best known for the likes of That Thing Yo Do, Quarantine, and How to Make An American Quilt, and is about to make some new fans when he pops up as Jonah Hex in DC’s Legends Of Tomorrow.