Broadway legend Joel Grey publicly announced at 82 years old that he is a gay man. His daughter and Dirty Dancing star Jennifer Grey publicly showed her support as well.

The stage and screen star opened up to People Wednesday. He told the magazine that he does not like labels. However, he said if he had to put a label on it, he would call himself a “gay man.”

He admitted that his family, friends and fellow performers had known about his sexuality for years, but Grey had chosen to keep the information out of the public eye. He said that it took him some time to embrace “that other part” of who he always was.

Grey said that he remembers growing up in Ohio and listening to the “grown ups” talking in the next room of “fairies.” He said that the adults, his mother included, would discuss men getting “dragged off to jail” or even worse for simply being who they were.

Growing up in a place where being gay was unacceptable made it hard for Grey. And that fact that he was attracted to both boys and girls made his life even harder.

Grey was married to actress Jo Wilder for 24 years. Grey called his marriage to Wilder the “happiest [times] of his life.” The couple had two children. Aside from Jennifer, they had a son named James who is a chef.

Jennifer Grey told People that she was “very happy” that her father has found his “freedom.” She said in a statement that she was happy because people are “free to own their true nature.” She added that she hoped those people could come closer to love and accept themselves for who they are.

Grey is best known for his role as Master of Ceremonies in the musical Cabaret on stage and on screen. He starred opposite of Michael York and Liza Minelli, and he won both a Tony and an Oscar for his performance.

People talked to some of the other leading women in his life. Liza Minelli said that Grey was “so alive” and he called him a “force on stage.” She said working with him was “just tops.”

People sat down with Grey’s longtime friend Bernadette Peters, who starred with him in the musical George M!, as well. She said that Grey is at an interesting point in his life. She claimed that he could look at his life and contemplate how he can impact the lives of others. She called his attitude toward life “one of joy.”

Other of Grey’s Broadway performances include his starring role in George M!, the title role in Goodtime Charley, his role as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in Wicked and his role as Amos Hart in the revival of Chicago. He is also known for his performances in the 2002 film Dancer in the Dark, the 1999 film A Christmas Carol and the 1985 film Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins. Recently, Grey starred in an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.