Daniel Brocklebank says coming out as gay hindered his career in Hollywood

Daniel Brocklebank has revealed that coming out as gay hindered his Hollywood career.

The Coronation Street actor opened up about his sexuality in 1998 when he was in his late teens, after appearing in Gwyneth Paltrow film Shakespeare In Love.

He told the Mirror that he spoke out because while he pretended in his work life he didn’t want to pretend in his private life.

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He was warned at the time that it may have an impact on his acting work and it proved to be true, with auditions for straight male roles drying up.

“I remember my management in Los Angeles trying to convince me not to come out because they said it would affect work – and it did,” said Brocklebank. “I stopped being screen-tested for the heterosexual male leads and I was either the gay best friend or the character parts.

"It was more in America than in Britain, but it was still very prevalent.”

Brocklebank has appeared in movies such as The Hole, Another Life and The Hours and TV shows including The Bill, Emmerdale and Midsomer Murders.

However, these days he is best known for playing gay vicar Billy Mayhew on the cobbles, a role he landed in 2014.

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The 41-year-old told the Mirror that he loves being on the ITV soap and that the job has given him a great work/life balance.

“For the first time in my life I’m not chasing the next job,” he said.

Watch: Coronation Street Soap Scoop! Todd is caught out