Sean Hayes (actor)

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For other persons named Sean Hayes, see Sean Hayes (disambiguation).
Sean Hayes

Born Sean Patrick Hayes
June 26, 1970 (1970-06-26) (age 37)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

Sean Patrick Hayes (born June 26, 1970) is an Emmy award-winning American actor and comedian. He is perhaps best known for his role as Jack McFarland in the sitcom Will & Grace.[1]

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Hayes was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Mary, a director of a non-profit food bank, and Ronald Hayes, a lithographer.[2] He is of Irish descent and was raised Catholic,[3] attending high school in Glen Ellyn, Illinois at Glenbard West High School. Hayes studied piano performance and conducting at Illinois State University but left before graduating. He worked as a classical pianist and served as a music director at the Pheasant Run Theater in St. Charles, Illinois. He also composed original music for a production of Antigone at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago. He participated in The Second City improvisational comedy troupe.

Hayes moved to Los Angeles in 1995, where he found work as a stand-up comedian, stage actor and as an actor in television commercials, including a 1998 Doritos ad featuring model Ali Landry.

[edit] Career

As a teenager, he was an extra in Winona Ryder's first movie, Lucas (1986), which was filmed at his high school, Glenbard West. He made his professional film debut in the independent film Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss (1998), which brought him wide attention and caught the attention of executives who cast him in the NBC comedy television series Will & Grace, as Jack McFarland, a flamboyantly gay, frequently unemployed actor. The show became a long-running hit and Hayes' performance as Jack earned him seven consecutive Emmy Award nominations (2000–06) as Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He won the Emmy for his first nomination.[1]

Hayes' success led to film appearances in Cats & Dogs (2001), as Jerry Lewis in the made-for-TV movie Martin and Lewis (2002), Pieces of April (2003), The Cat in the Hat (2003) and Win a Date With Tad Hamilton! (2004). He has also guest starred in several television programs, including Scrubs and 30 Rock.

In 2005, Hayes was executive producer for Situation: Comedy for Bravo, a reality show like Project Greenlight but for sitcoms. He also executive produced the two winning scripts, chosen by NBC: The Sperm Donor and Stephen's Life. He guest-starred in 2006 in the Adult Swim cameo-filled show Tom Goes to the Mayor. The actor currently is busy with his own production company, Hazy Mills, with Todd Milliner,[4] his producing partner from college.

In 2007, Hayes was featured in a major role as Thomas in Rob Reiner's film The Bucket List, starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman.

[edit] Personal life

Hayes has played both gay and straight characters during his time as an actor but refuses to discuss his sexual orientation in public. He has stated, "When you see me play Jack, I want you to believe that that's a gay character. After Will & Grace is over, when I play a straight character, I want you to believe that, too."[5]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Stated in interview on Inside the Actors Studio
  2. ^ Sean Hayes Biography (1970-)
  3. ^ L.A. Times article
  4. ^ HazyMills.com Coming Soon - Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner Production Company
  5. ^ Queer Lesbian Gay Arts & Entertainment: Celebrities --Sean Hayes. Gay.com (2004). Retrieved on 2008-04-06.
  • Sean Hayes. Biography Resource Center Online. Gale Group. 1999.

[edit] External links

Awards
Preceded by
Robert Downey Jr.
for Ally McBeal		 Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor - Comedy Series
for Will & Grace
2002, 2003		 Succeeded by
Tony Shalhoub
for Monk
Preceded by
Tony Shalhoub
for Monk		 Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor - Comedy Series
for Will & Grace
2006		 Succeeded by
Alec Baldwin
for 30 Rock
v • d • e
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor - Comedy Series

Ted Knight (1976) · Gary Burghoff (1977) · Rob Reiner (1978) · Robert Guillaume (1979) · Harry Morgan (1980) · Danny DeVito (1981) · Christopher Lloyd (1982) · Christopher Lloyd (1983) · Pat Harrington, Jr. (1984) · John Larroquette (1985) · John Larroquette (1986) · John Larroquette (1987) · John Larroquette (1988) · Woody Harrelson (1989) · Alex Rocco (1990) · Jonathan Winters (1991) · Michael Jeter (1992) · Michael Richards (1993) · Michael Richards (1994) · David Hyde Pierce (1995) · Rip Torn (1996) · Michael Richards (1997) · David Hyde Pierce (1998) · David Hyde Pierce (1999) · Sean Hayes (2000)
v • d • e
Will & Grace
Starring
Main characters
Supporting characters
Supporting characters • List of episodes • Awards