John Barrowman lost one of his close friends to coronavirus earlier this year.
The 53-year-old actor – who married Scott Gill in 2013 – was left devastated when his friend passed away after testing positive for the virus, and the tragedy has taught the ‘Torchwood’ star not to take things for granted.
He told OK! magazine: "We were only coming home to Palm Springs for a month before going back to work in the UK but we got stranded out here.
"Just before lockdown, Scott flew out before me and on my flight, a few days later, we were halfway across the Atlantic when we heard we might not be able to continue into American airspace. I was frantically messaging people as I was worrying about being separated from Scott. Luckily we got here.
"We quarantined straight away because one of our friends we’d recently been with got sick and another friend I’d worked with on ‘Dancing on Ice’ had coronavirus.
"One of our close friends passed away from it early on and it just reiterated how much we need to not be stupid and go to crowded places."
John and his husband have been self-isolating in their US home, marking the longest time he has been out of work – but it has given him a chance to catch up with his "real friends".
He said: "I’ve found out who my real friends are. Usually, I’m so engrossed in work, I don’t have that one best friend I can pick up the phone and have a chat with.
"You find out who your real friends are – who is there in a time of crisis and who disappears."
And though not working during the pandemic is "the hardest thing" for him, John has enjoyed the three months at home with Scott.
He explained: "Three months is the longest I’ve been home but we’ve enjoyed it. We are lucky to have a big garden, a swimming pool and lots of space.
"In the evenings, we make cocktails and have a barbecue. It’s the first time in my career that I’m unemployed. The hardest thing for me is not working."