'Love, Simon' Star Joey Pollari Publicly Comes Out As Gay Just As Movie Debuts in Theaters

Joey Pollari has publicly come out as gay, just as his new movie, Love, Simon, is out in theaters.

The 23-year-old actor plays, Lyle, a server at a Waffle House who may or may not be Blue, a closeted teen who corresponds with Simon through email.

“I think all my friends and family knew on some level. I think maybe two people were shocked,” Joey shared with The Advocate.

He adds, “The only part that was difficult was me coming out to myself. And I think that is the most difficult coming-out…my mom knew. She laid hints for me everywhere.”

Joey adds that he hopes Love, Simon will fill a representation hole.

“It meant a lot to me when I was younger,” he says of recognizing the importance of queer public figures. “To see people who are out, to see people who are all kinds of things — people who are so clear in their anger, people who are clear about their arrogance, their pettiness, their desperation.”

“I mean, that’s why I go to the movies… I go to learn something about someone else. In a byproduct, I learn about myself. That’s the power of representation.”

Love, Simon is out now in theaters.

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