A star of one of the US shows making a splash in the UK, has come out.

Luke MacFarlane, 28, who plays gay Scotty Wandell on Brothers and Sisters, currently being shown on Channel 4, made the revelation in Toronto's Globe and Mail newspaper.

The Canadian-born actor said he was "terrified" to make the revelation, despite growing acceptance of gay actors in Hollywood.

"There is this desire in L.A. to wonder who you are and what’s been blaring for me for the last three years is how can I be most authentic to myself - so this is the first time I am speaking about it in this way."

"I don't know what will happen professionally…that is the fear," he told the newspaper.

"But I guess I can't really be concerned about what will happen, because it's my truth."

However MacFarlane kept quiet about whether he was in a relationship or not.

"That is my personal life. That is where I draw the difference.” He does say that he would like to be married some day.

The Emmy Award-winning Brothers and Sisters centres around the upper class Walker family and their lives in Los Angeles.

MacFarlane's gay status won't be a massive surprise to those who have been reading the Hollywood gossip columns such as PerezHilton, who muted the idea star was dating Prison Break actor Wentworth Miller last year.

On screen, MacFarlane's character Scotty is due to marry his male partner Kevin Walker (played by Matthew Rhys) later in the series currently airing in the States.

The show has been picked up by ABC for a third season which will air later this year.