J. August Richards has experienced "one of the best days" of his life: the day he came out as gay.

This week, the 46-year-old Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. alum was discussing his

J. August Richards has experienced "one of the best days" of his life: the day he came out as gay.

This week, the 46-year-old Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. alum was discussing his role on Council of Dads with castmate Sarah Wayne Callies in an Instagram Live when he revealed he had something in common with his character.

On the NBC series, the actor portrays Dr. Oliver Post, a married gay black man and father, a character not often seen on television.

While discussing the pressure and responsibility of the role, Richards told Callies, "If I think about why I even got involved in this industry, it was really to combat oppression...I knew how I was affected by the people of color I saw on television, or that I didn't see on television...and so this being a married gay man with a family...on television, I don't take anything I do lightly, and you know, you have an opportunity to put an image into millions of homes...I wanted that image to be honest and I wanted it to be correct."

"Honestly, it required me to show up fully in a way that I don't always when I'm working," he elaborated. "I knew that I could not portray this gay man honestly without letting you all know that I was a gay man myself...I've never done that with the people that I've worked with."