'Tick, Tick... Boom!' Star Alexandra Shipp Says It's a 'Gift' to Share Her Coming Out Journey

Alexandra Shipp is talking about the "gift" of being able to simply be herself in the public eye.

The actress, 30, who came out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community at 28, opened up to PEOPLE at the Los Angeles AFI Fest premiere of Tick, Tick...Boom! on Wednesday night where she joined director Lin-Manuel Miranda and costars Andrew Garfield, Vanessa Hudgens and Robin de Jesus.

Shipp, who has previously starred in Love, Simon and X-Men: Apocalypse, told PEOPLE she'd received messages from people on social media "just telling me their story and whether it was, 'You inspired me to come out' or 'you are inspiring me to come out soon.'"

The actress isn't one to shy away from speaking about her sexuality, saying, "It's really exciting to be able to speak publicly about it."

"I don't think I would have been able to do so five years ago even," Shipp said. "And now to be able, to be honest about it and to be able to be more open and to inspire other people to be themselves, it's just a gift."

Shipp came out two years ago, telling PEOPLE she "always thought [her sexuality was] nobody's business."

"But I was seeing someone and they told me that, 'Actually, I think it might be really impactful and inspirational for other people,' and I was like, 'Yeah, it would be!'"

In June, Shipp opened up about her journey toward self-acceptance in a candid Instagram post, writing, "I didn't come out until I was 28. Though I don't believe in regrets, this would definitely be #1 for myself."

"I denied denied denied. I struggled with not only my sexuality, but my femininity," she continued. "I was scared it was too late. I was scared I wasn't going to be able to get work. I was scared no one would ever love me. Scared. Scared. Scared."

"It's exhausting being scared all the time," she wrote. "It's exhausting chasing other people's ideas and opinions of who you should be. Today I'm happy in ways I don't think my kid self could imagine. I get to be exactly who I want to be EVERY F------ DAY and it feels incredible!!"

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Shipp then reminded her followers that "it's never too late to be you."

"If I don't work because of a flawed, racist and homophobic system, then it was never the right thing for me," she added. "I KNOW multiple someone's love me and I'm so fortunate and grateful for the love they show me on a daily basis.

"I'm not denying anything anymore. I'm not scared anymore. I have #pride in who I am and what I'm doing on this planet. I am myself and I love LOVE. Sure, we get a month. But for the past 3 years and for the rest of my life, I'll be celebrating every day. Because I choose me."

Tick, Tick... Boom! arrives on Netflix Nov. 19.