Nick Robinson Reveals ‘Love, Simon’ Helped Him Bond With His Gay Brother

While chatting with Ellen DeGeneres, ‘Love, Simon’ star Nick Robinson revealed that his role in the movie really helped him connect with his gay brother.

Nick Robinson, 22, delivers a heartwarming performance as a closeted gay high school student in Love, Simon. When he stopped by The Ellen DeGeneres Show to talk about the film, he also shared that his brother was gay. “He came out around the same time that we started filming,” Nick revealed, obviously proud of his sibling. While Nick was talking about his brother, a selfie he had taken of them appeared on the screen behind them. In the photo, both Robinson brothers are smiling as they capture a special moment together.

“I think that he had been dealing with this for a long time and this was… I think the timing was sort of coincidental,” Nick added when asked if his role in the film had encouraged his brother to come out at that time. “I mean, one of the best things that came out of this movie is just being able to talk to him and I think that’s the strength of a film like this — it starts conversation. It’s a conversation starter and I hope that it can do that for more people and start a conversation that might not of been there.”

During the interview, Nick also gave credit where credit was due by applauding Ellen for coming out on her 90s sitcom. Not only was it a historic moment for the gay community and on television, but Nick suggested that a movie like Love, Simon might not have been made today if Ellen hadn’t come out when and how she did. “I really think that with a project like this, and especially today, there’s been so much progress in the last twenty years — I mean, a lot of which is thanks to you and everything that you’ve done,” Nick said. “I mean, if you hadn’t come out when you did we might not be having this movie now.” So true, Nick!

Make sure you read HollywoodLife‘s review of Love, Simon and then check it out in theaters with your squad ASAP.