HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Actor Sean Hayes, who played flamboyant Jack McFarland on NBC's Will & Grace for eight years, is opening up about his sexuality for the first time.
In a wide-ranging new interview, the 39-year-old star reacts to the criticism directed at him over the years for never confirming or denying whether he's gay.
"Why would you go down that path with somebody who's done so much to contribute to the gay community?" he asks The Advocate in response to the gay magazine's past attempt to reveal his sexuality. "That was my beef about it. What more do you want me to do? Do you want me to stand on a float? And then what? It's never enough."
"Really? You're gonna shoot the gay guy down? I never have had a problem saying who I am," he adds. "I am who I am. I was never in, as they say. Never."
Hayes, who will soon star in the Broadway musical Promises, Promises with Kristin Chenoweth, said he never felt like his sexuality was something that needed to be shared with the entire world.
"I believe that nobody owes anything to anybody," he explains. "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?"
"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," he adds. "You're welcome, Advocate."
While not going into detail about his personal life, Hayes does confess that he's very content these days.
"I spend time with a special someone in my life," he says. "That's it. That's all I need. I don't need events. I don't do a lot. I live my life like an 85-year-old man. I'm just quiet. It's fantastic."
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