Charlie Carver came out as gay yesterday on Instagram, to over 700,000 followers. He did it with a moving post, and today, the Internet's been ablaze. So if you’re someone, like me, who didn’t know about Charlie Carver beforehand, here’s everything you needed to know about him (or at least, enough so you know what everyone is talking about). 

1. He started his career acting on Desperate Housewives 
He played the role of Porter Scavo, a rebellious teenager who got into mischievous shenanigans with his brother.

2. He has a twin IRL 
And his twin, Max Carver, actually played the role of his twin brother in Desperate Housewives, Teen Wolf, and The Leftovers.

3. He's on (and probably best known for) Teen Wolf 
Playing the role of Ethan opposite to his brother Aiden. Both of them played ridiculously attractive werewolves.

4. He knew from a young age that he always wanted to be an actor 
As he writes in his Instagram post, “As a young boy, I knew I wanted to be an actor. I knew I wanted to be a lot of things! I thought I wanted to be a painter, a soccer player, a stegosaurus... But the acting thing stuck.”

5. He's in the movie I Am Michael 
An LGBT film where he has a threesome with Zachary Quinto and James Franco… ~swoon~

6. He’s a San Francisco native 
Born on July 31, 1988, making him 27 years-old.

7. He knew he was gay by the time he was 12 
An in his heartwarming Instagram post, explained not only his self-loathing when he said the three words out loud -- I am gay -- but how he finally overcame his internalized homophobia.  

Here’s his whole coming out post. Charlie, thank you for being honest and open about who you are. We’re so happy for you! 

 

Pt 1: “Be who you needed when you were younger”. About a year ago, I saw this photo while casually scrolling through my Instagram one morning. I’m not one for inspirational quotes, particularly ones attributed to “Mx Anonymous”- something mean in me rebukes the pithiness of proverbs, choosing to judge them as trite instead of possibly-generally-wise, resonant, or helpful. And in the case of the good ol’ Anonymous kind, I felt that there was something to be said for the missing context. Who wrote or said the damn words? Why? And to/for who in particular? Nonetheless, I screen-capped the picture and saved it. It struck me for some reason, finding itself likeable enough to join the ranks of the “favorites” album on my phone. I’d see it there almost daily, a small version of it next to my other “favorites”; I’d see it every time I checked into the gym, pulled up a picture of my insurance cards, my driver’s license.... Important Documents. And over the course of about-a-year, it became clear why the inspirational photo had called out to me. As a young boy, I knew I wanted to be an actor. I knew I wanted to be a lot of things! I thought I wanted to be a painter, a soccer player, a stegosaurus... But the acting thing stuck. It was around that age that I also knew, however abstractly, that I was different from some of the other boys in my grade. Over time, this abstract “knowing” grew and articulated itself through a painful gestation marked by feelings of despair and alienation, ending in a climax of saying three words out loud: “I am gay”. I said them to myself at first, to see how they felt. They rang true, and I hated myself for them. I was twelve. It would take me a few years before I could repeat them to anyone else, in the meantime turning the phrase over and over in my mouth until I felt comfortable and sure enough to let the words pour out again, this time to my family...

A photo posted by Charlie Carver (@charliecarver) on

Jan 11, 2016 at 2:14pm PST