"There was an actor I was working with who wasn't as comfortable that he was playing someone who was gay," he recalled. "I wanted, in an effort to show that [his character Matt Fi

I wanted, in an effort to show that [Savant’s character Matt Fielding] was behaving with this character in a way that was against his better judgment, I wanted him to steal a kiss at work. Like look around,

"I think we surreptitiously held hands underneath the table," he explained, "we" referring to his character Matt and a character called Jeffrey Lindley (Jason Beghe), a closeted Navy lieutenant who falls in love with Matt in season 2 and insists their relationship be kept secret from his family.

Melrose Place's Doug Savant recalls why he evaded questions regarding his sexuality while playing gay character Matt Fielding on the teen drama.

"I was not going to make my living playing a gay man, but then say, 'Oh, I would never be associated with that.'"

Doug Savant portrayed Matt Fielding across six of seven seasons on Melrose Place in the 1990s, the only major gay character on television at the time -- and his awareness of the importance of that was a huge factor in why he kept his real sexuality private.