Yup, he's gay in real life, too.
Sean Hayes, who played flamboyant Jack McFarland on NBC's Will and Grace for eight years, has publicly confirmed his sexuality for the first time.
The resolutely private actor recently gave his first interview to gay newsmagazine The Advocate after many denied requests.
The Advocate and other media had long criticized Hayes, 39, for not confirming what many have called the "open secret" of his sexual orientation.
"Really? You're gonna shoot the gay guy down? I never have had a problem saying who I am," Hayes says in the new cover story.
"I am who I am. I was never in, as they say. Never," he states.
The actor, about to star in the Broadway musical Promises, Promises with Kristen Chenowith, still bristles at the idea that he was somehow obligated to come out earlier. "Nobody owes anything to anybody," he says. "You are your authentic self to whom and when you choose to be, and if you don't know somebody, then why would you explain to them how you live your life?"
The star of the popular, Emmy-winning gay sitcom adds, "I feel like I've contributed monumentally to the success of the gay movement in America, and if anyone wants to argue that, I’m open to it."
Hayes remains hesitant to reveal too much about his personal life, however. "I spend time with a special someone in my life," he says simply. "That's all I need…I don't do a lot. I live my life like an 85-year-old man. I'm just quiet. It's fantastic."
