A Coming-Out Story
Though he eventually won the heart of Daphne, the actor behind the role of Niles was keeping a major secret from his fans. For 11 seasons of the show, Pierce kept his homosexuality a secret despite being in a relationship with Brian Hargrove since 1983. The actor finally came out in 2007 and married his long-time partner in 2008, just days before the adoption of Proposition 8. Dan Butler, known for playing macho man Bob “Bulldog” Briscoe on the series also kept his sexuality a secret until he came out during his one-man cross-country play “The Only Thing Worse You Could Have Told Me…” Since coming out, Butler has become a strong activist for the LGBT community.