'Gotham' actor Cory Michael Smith comes out as gay

Actor Cory Michael Smith, best known for his work as Edward Nygma/The Riddler on the Fox series Gotham, has come out as gay.

The 31-year-old actor opened up about his sexuality while promoting his new movie, 1985, which follows the story of a gay man returning home after his partner dies of AIDS. "There's something special about telling a story that feels closer to home. I'm not exactly like The Riddler in real life. I'm from Middle America... I'm from Ohio. I've been living here (in New York) for a while, and there are stretches when I don't see my family often."

"Going home and that whole charade is very familiar. The first family dinner after a while. Coming out to a family, the fear of that," Cory told The Daily Beast.

The actor said his family were accepting of his sexuality and took it with "a lot of love", but it took them "a lot of time" to get their heads around it.