I also thought he did well in that role, and enjoyed the movie. I really haven't paid much attention to him or his career, but he was in the Ridley Scott A&E miniseries, The Andromeda Strain. He played an Army Major epidemiologist who was depicted as a highly intelligent, gung-ho Army doctor and after building the character up over several episodes, they had to interject some line about, "don't ask, don't tell," heavily implying the character was also a closeted gay.
I just assumed he tilted left after that, but it looks like I may have been wrong about that.
I was unaware of that series. Not my thing. I didn’t watch him as a child actor, either, so my entire view of him as a performer is the one role in which I think he was extremely impressive.