United Kingdom, June 2 -- Jonathan Bailey feared being gay "would be a hindrance" to his career.

The Wicked star worried being open about his sexuality when he started out as an actor would cost him work but he was determined not to hide his true self and was "was willing to take that risk".

During a discussion with Sir Elton John as part of the inaugural Elton John Impact Awards, Jonathan explained: "I was well aware that [of] the possibilities and the limits of queer actors and what that means to an audience and whether that bleeds into commerce and how that affects it.

"So yeah, I think when I was in my early twenties, there was definitely an understanding that, to be gay would be a hindrance."

He went on to add: "I wasn't gonna no...