Jack McFarland

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Sean Hayes as Jack McFarland

John Philip "Jack" McFarland (born in 1969) was a fictional character on the American television sitcom Will & Grace, played by Sean Hayes.

1 Character personality
2 Character history
3 Relationships
4 External links

[edit] Character personality

A "campy" gay man, Jack has always had a passion for acting and the theatre, although many people doubt his abilities in this area. Very whimsical, he changes careers rapidly from Banana Republic and Barneys New York salesman to acting teacher to student nurse (which may be a nod to Scrubs, which Sean also guest-starred in) to surfer to back-up dancer for Jennifer Lopez and Janet Jackson. Although he considers all his relationships serious, only one lasted longer than a few weeks (with Stuart, a client of Will's played by Dave Foley), and even that one ended with Jack's cheating.

Jack is unashamedly vain and self-absorbed, with an adoration of all gay icons, particularly Cher, of whom he has a rare doll. (He met her once, although he mistook her for a drag queen and declared, "You're not that great, Mr. Sister. I do a better Cher than you." It was only when she slapped him and exclaimed "Snap out of it!" that he realized and promptly fainted.) He also collects clippings of celebrities' hair, including a complete collection from the four main actresses on The Golden Girls, as well as Bernadette Peters and — as of season seven — Patti LuPone. He is also decidedly hyperactive and air-headed, causing Will to once refer to him as "Jumping Ferret Jack," and another time thinking that he had set Will and himself up on dates with twins, but soon realizing it was just one guy taking his glasses on and off.

[edit] Character history

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Jack was raised by his mother Judith (Veronica Cartwright) and stepfather Daniel (Beau Bridges). His mother did not know he was gay ("How could she not know? What is she, headless?" Karen demanded), and his stepfather was not close to him. He claims to have come out as early as preschool. While he was in high school, Jack befriended college student Will Truman (Eric McCormack) and helped Will realize his own homosexuality. They have been best friends ever since.

When the series begins, Jack is homeless and moving in with Will, but when Will takes in his other best friend Grace Adler (Debra Messing), Jack agrees to sublet Grace's apartment — although Will, Karen, and his mother pay the rent. (In "Moveable Feast Part 1," it emerged that each of the three pays one half of the cost, meaning that Jack is actually collecting one and a half times the actual amount of his rent.)

Since the first season, Jack has established a close bond with alcoholic socialite Karen Walker (Megan Mullally), who chooses to work merely as a source of distraction. At the end of season one, Jack agrees to marry Karen's maid Rosario (Shelley Morrison) in order to secure her green card. After a year together, the marriage is annulled when Rosario wants to date Karen's gardener.

In season three, Jack undertakes a search for his real father, which ends when he discovers that his father died. Jack does, however, meet Elliot (Michael Angarano), his own biological son, whom he fathered by depositing at a sperm bank as a teenager so that he could buy a coat. He later discovers that the boy's mother Bonnie (Rosie O'Donnell) is a lesbian; she was a nurse at the sperm bank who stole Jack's deposit and was inseminated with it.

Jack's most consistent vocation results from his taking over the class of his acting teacher Zandra (Eileen Brennan) after she is fed up with his lack of talent. After taking everyone's money and leaving, another student takes over the class and begins teaching the "McFarland method" ("acting is attracting") without Jack's knowledge. He trains to be a student nurse, but ultimately gives it up when, during Karen's fourth wedding, he meets Jennifer Lopez and becomes her back-up dancer (and, for a short time, Janet Jackson's back-up dancer), a career that fizzles as well.

In the seventh season, Jack embarks on a proper career as a producer on OutTV, a new gay television network. By season's end, his profile rises to the point that he is given a talk show of his own to host.

In season eight, Jack loses his job at the network after he speaks out against the new right-wing ownership of the show, which has given him a conservative cohost named Amber Louise (played by Britney Spears). Shortly after this, he auditions for a role on a television show and - going against his natural over-dramatic acting style - he ends up getting the lead role of Chuck Rafferty, a straight alcoholic cop.

In the show's series finale, Jack is shown to have lived with Karen for the rest of his life after the show ended, still close to her.

[edit] Relationships

Jack's longest relationship is with Stuart Lamarack (Dave Foley), which lasts several months during the sixth season, until Jack cheats on Stuart.

Jack is also the owner, or former owner, of a dog (Klaus Von Puppy) and a parrot (Guapo). Since the start of season three until he moves into Karen's mansion at some point after the eighth season, Jack lives across the hall from Will and Grace, and in his spare time he operates a one-table café, Jacques, in the hallway outside his front door.