NEW YORK—T.R. Knight says he has evolved as a person since announcing last October that he’s gay.

“I feel I’ve learned so much this past year, so I’m grateful for that—so, yeah, that changes you,” the 34-year-old actor said Sept. 27 on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”

Knight, who plays Dr. George O’Malley on the hit medical drama, “Grey’s Anatomy,” announced that he’s gay after it surfaced that Isaiah Washington had used an anti-gay slur against him during an on-set clash with a co-star.

Washington, 44, was booted from his role as a surgeon on the show after he used an anti-gay epithet backstage at the Golden Globe Awards in January while denying he had used it previously on the set against Knight.

Knight said telling the world you’re gay is not an easy thing to do.

“Everyone has their own path,” he said. “You just have to respect that. I know a lot of people who make statements but you have to do it when it’s right for you.”