Let's turn it on. Okay, it's on. Yeah, I think this is where the mic is. Okay, it's pointed towards me.

From The Advocate Magazine and in partnership with Glad, this is LGBTQ and A.

I'm Jeffrey Masters, and today I'm talking to Francois Clemens, who is best known for his role on Mr. Rogers' neighborhood.

Francois played Officer Clemens and has got a new memoir out of the same name.

What I find so compelling about Francois is that the singular mission of his life was not to be a celebrity or to be on TV.

His singular mission was to be a professional singer.

And from 1968 to 1993, when he was on what would go on to

become one of the most influential TV shows of all time, that fact never changed. Throughout

the filming of the show, he sang at the Lincoln Center, with the Metropolitan Opera,

he sang across the country with Mr. Rogers, and he even won a Grammy.

So today, you'll hear us talk about all of that with the now 75-year-old Francois Clemens,

and yes, he does even sing for us.

Francois also mentions his sister's suicide at one point, a heads up there.

And then just to note, this is the very first episode of our brand new season, which is being

produced in partnership with Glad.

So hit subscribe on iTunes on Spotify, wherever you're listening.

And enjoy.

There has been so much written about Mr. Rogers telling you that if you wanted to stay on the TV show, you could not be out of the closet.

Did that make you adjust how you were behaving and presenting in private, even in your personal life?

Yes, because I felt people, first of all, they would show the photograph to Fred.

So I felt an obligation not to all, they would show the photograph to Fred. So I felt an

obligation not to be caught in those compromising situations because, you see, the first time

...