We knew we were losing some Grey’s Anatomy cast members when the 21st season hit the 2024 TV schedule, but as we bid farewell to Levi Schmitt on Thursday’s emotional episode I

"I think it's so beautiful to see two gay men in a loving relationship like this, where they are willing to take huge leaps of faith for one another," Borelli tells PEOPLE

"I would then be forced to talk about something that, at that point in my life, I wasn’t ready to talk about on the global level, which you can never be prepared for," the actor said.