Education and Early Life

Raised by Pentecostal parents, Harold received a strict religious upbringing until the age of 15, when he chose to leave the church. He graduated from The Lovett School in Atlanta and later accepted a soccer scholarship to American University in Washington, D.C., where he began studying liberal arts with a focus on romance literature. Gale then moved to San Francisco and enrolled at the San Francisco Art Institute to study photography.

To support himself during this time, Harold worked various jobs, including as a bartender, waiter, restorer, and motorcycle mechanic apprentice. In 1997, at the suggestion of friend and producer Susan Landau, he decided to pursue acting and subsequently relocated to Los Angeles to enroll in a three-year intensive drama program.

Theater Career

Harold began his stage career in 1997, playing Bunny in the drama Me and My Friend (1997–1998). This was followed by roles as Jean in Miss Julie (1999), Josh in Uncle Bob (2001), and Dr. Cukrowicz in Suddenly Last Summer (2006). In 2010, he portrayed Valentine Xavier in Orpheus Descending, and in 2013, he starred as Rocco Rosso in Rocco Rosso Riche.

Television Success: Queer as Folk and Beyond

Harold achieved widespread recognition for his role as Brian Kinney in the groundbreaking gay drama Queer as Folk (2000–2005). His performance was critically acclaimed and remains one of his most notable roles. He later played Peter Bacanovic in the television film Martha: Behind Bars (2005) and portrayed FBI Agent Graham Kelton in the series Vanished (2006). From 2011 to 2012, he starred as Charles Meade in the supernatural drama The Secret Circle.