Adamo Ruggiero talks to Frontiers IN LA: “I’ve had the best year since declaring my gayness”

I just got ahold of a DVD of Make the Yuletide Gay that I’ll watch over the weekend as part of the research for my Outfest 2009 coverage. One of the stars of the film is Adamo Ruggiero who plays Marco on TV’s Degrassi: The Next Generation.

He is on the cover of the current issue of Frontiers in LA magazine with a nice interview inside. Here is part of it:

Did you have any reservations about playing a gay teenager before you came out as gay yourself?

I spoke to a few friends and knew that this was something I was dealing with. When I walked into that audition room I wasn’t sure that the character would be gay until I read the script and saw where it was going. At that point I didn’t quite grasp the magnitude of the character. I was just thinking, “It’s my first show!” When you’re a kid, you’re just thinking about all the exciting things about it. My relationship with playing a gay character was a huge process of over seven or eight years. I accepted myself and put it in to Marco and used him as a way to connect with other young people.

How did coming out affect your career?

When I made the conscious decision there was a huge Degrassi screening in New York and we went out to meet fans and my eyes made contact with a kid who just mouthed “thank you” to me and then he was lost in the crowd. I thought, “This was more than a coincidence to me. This is who I am. With these letters and the kids I’m meeting, this is something I have to do.” Most people around me were like “do it” and some people were asking how it would affect my career. But I just didn’t give a sh-t. I thought I might never have this voice again. I may not even be cast and be a successful actor so I can’t let this moment slide when it’s most important. Since then my career has been better than ever. I’ve made a movie, I got a kid’s show and I did my first play. I’ve had the best year since declaring my gayness.