Most people agree that gay representation on TV is a good thing, but when it was far rarer than it is today, there were issues. For many straight people their entire knowledge of gay people was what they’d seen on television, creating a somewhat warped perception. It was something many gay people themselves were uneasy with – pleased to see gay characters but concerned that only a small part of the LGBT experience was being shown.

Now Wentworth Miller has being talking about that with The Backlot, relating his experience watching Melrose Place and its gay character, Matt Fielding, the sole non-straight person in an apartment full of the young and the beautiful.

Miler says, “Obviously it’s important for folks in the LGBT community – kids especially – to see themselves reflected onscreen. I can remember watching Melrose Place in college and paying special attention to the Matt Fielding character. Did that help ease the pain of coming out? No. Did I squirm a little wondering if my friends who were watching the show with me were connecting me to Matt? Yes.

“I also knew the actor (Doug Savant) was straight. But I did appreciate seeing some evidence that Hollywood was willing to tell Matt’s story. It wasn’t my story, but I felt a connection. Some representation. We’ve come a long way since then and I’m sure we’ll go a long way still.”

Miller recently took a recurring role on The Flash and was first seen in Episode 4, which aired in the US a couple of days ago, and will next pop up in Episode 10.

Wentworth Miller has been opening up about his decision to come out as a gay man to Details magazine. He says that after revealing his sexuality, “I feel more fully expressed. After Prison Break, I came to grips with the fact that my public persona was in misalignment with how I actually felt. I was out to a handful of people in my twenties, and once I hit 30, I was out to family and friends. But professionally, I was feeding a fantasy. I created this air of ‘We don’t address that thing.'”

When he did come out, there was criticism in some quarters (as there has been recently regarding Ian Thorpe) about the fact that in the past he had vehemently denied he was gay. However he says that at the time, “My face was on billboards, and I thought it was my job to act a certain way. But I think audiences knew to a certain degree.”

Miller also takes the chance to talk about his struggles with serious depression, saying, “I’m part of a group called the ManKind Project. It’s a circle of men I sit in with every week that’s a safe sounding board for whatever’s up for me: good, bad, ugly, really ugly. We know how to respond to someone coming out now—we’ve had that training—but admit you’re sad or that you’ve thought about suicide and people don’t know what to do. With sadness, particularly with men, that conversation is unfamiliar.”