Jim Parsons "Sheldon Cooper" is Gay and in 10-Year Relationship

The actor who plays Sheldon Cooper from "The Big Bang Theory" has come out of the closet. Jim Parsons, 39, who is best known for his role in the geek comedy, has come out and revealed that he is in a long-term relationship. 

There has been speculation about his sexuality in the past and for the first time, Parsons confirmed publicly about his status. Although he didn't directly quote his sexuality, he was mentioned in The New York Times profile in a very subtle way that he has been in a long term relationship for over ten years. 

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The NYT piece discussed Parson's role in last year's play "The Normal Heart", in which he played a young gay activist. NYT wrote: "'The Normal Heart' resonated with him on a few levels: Mr. Parsons is gay and in a 10-year relationship, and working with an ensemble again onstage was like nourishment, he said."

In 2009, Parsons won the Television Critics Association award for individual achievement in comedy. He was nominated for Emmy awards in 2009 and 2010 and won the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 2010. During his acceptance speech for the award, he thanked his rumored partner Todd Spiewak.  

He stars alongside Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco in the hit Big Bang series, created by Chuck Lorre. He reportedly earns an average of $200,000 per episode. In 2011, Parsons also won the Golden Globe award for Best Actor in a Television Series. 

Parsons currently appears on Broadway in "Harvey" as Elwood P. Dowd.