Jim Parsons joined Late Show host Stephen Colbert May 8 to talk about his return to Broadway in the 50th anniversary revival of The Boys in the Band, currently in previews at the Booth Theatre.

Parsons stars on CBS’ The Big Bang Theory, which has kept him busy since he was last on the Main Stem in An Act of God, and Parsons could not be happier to be back onstage: “Oh, it's heaven. There’s not a more athletic experience as an actor.”

Originally produced in 1968, The Boys in the Band was “the first insight into what gay life may look like to a lot of people. It all takes place at a birthday party for one of the characters, played by Zach Quinto,” said Parsons. An exploration about the freedom these gay men feel to be themselves around each other in a time when closeted was the status quo, Parsons said he found a certain comfortability with his castmates. “To be in a room filled with nothing but eight other gay actors, it was totally different immediately. There was a certain parlance, a way of talking with each other, and was its own way of being that we all fell into immediately with each other.”

The actor, who has also been on Broadway in The Normal Heart and Harvey, also spoke of the general importance in telling gay stories, like the new feature film Love, Simon, a teenage coming out story. “I read a couple of articles that were ‘It’s too late,‘ that we were beyond this kind of tale of coming out,” said Parsons. “I think there are people in many other place that, yes, you still need to see it. ... How many straight romcoms do we need? When is it too late for them? Let me get sick of too may gay romcoms.”

Watch the full interview above.