Jake Borelli on coming out on ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ his ‘Survivor’ obsession, & what’s hidden in his camera roll
Grey’s Anatomy in a recurring role as Dr. Levi Schmitt, a med student dubbed “Glasses” by his peers because, well, for one he wore glasses!
But also he was a bit of a klutz and his specs once fell into a patient during surgery.From such humble beginnings, Schmitt has grown into a true fan favorite, and Borelli is now in the middle of his sixth season with the award-winning drama (which was just renewed for a 20th season).Along the way, Schmitt has found himself—and Borelli has, too.
When the character came out as gay in a landmark 2018 episode, the actor came out publicly, writing on Instagram, “To all of you who feel like little Levis out there, know that I do too, that you are seen, and that we’re all in this together.”Since then, Borelli has been a proud and vocal advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, and has appeared in a number of other projects, like Freeform’s charming gay rom-com The Thing About Harry.After catching up at the GLAAD Media Awards—where Grey’s was once again nominated for Outstanding TV Drama—we invited Borelli to the hot seat as the latest guest in our rapid-fire Q&A series, Dishin’ It.
In our conversation, the actor touches on everything from his early childhood crush to his ideal roadtrip playlist to all the ways Dr.
