Richard Chamberlain, who played the title role in television’s "Dr. Kildare" and himself only came out of the closet in 2003, tells The Advocate Magazine that he wouldn’t advise a "gay leading man-type actor to come out.

"There’s still a tremendous amount of homophobia in our culture. It’s regrettable, it’s stupid, it’s heartless, and it’s immoral, but there it is. For an actor to be working is a kind of miracle, because most actors aren’t, so it’s just silly for a working actor to say, ‘Oh, I don’t care if anybody knows I’m gay’–especially if you’re a leading man," Chamberlain tells the magazine.

Asked when a leading man should come out, he responded, "I have no idea. … Please, don’t pretend that we’re suddenly all wonderfully, blissfully accepted."

Chamberlain, who has appeared in guest spots on shows such as "Will & Grace" and "Nip/Tuck," came out in his autobiography when he was 69.