Today is T.R. Knight’s birthday…

…and I almost forgot to make a big deal out of it here on Greg In Hollywood. The Grey’s Anatomy star turns 36 years old today and if I had not just been reading AfterElton.com, the day would have gone by without any birthday wishes for the Emmy nominee. (BTW, AfterElton has assembled a cute photo gallery of T.R. through the years).

I don’t know T.R. well, but I have interviewed or chatted with him on many occasions (including the HRC dinner two weeks ago) and I always found him to be one of the most polite and thoughtful people on any red carpet.

T.R. has also used his fame as an out gay actor to become an activist. He regularly appears at LGBT events and has strong opinions on such things as gay marriage. He told me last June: “It shouldn’t be any different from any other fundamental rights – freedom or religion, freedom of speech. That’s not for some, that’s for all. We’re in a free society.”

Happy birthday to a swell guy.