Nearly four years after the final episode of Will & Grace, actor Sean Hayes who plays Jack in the series confirms that he is gay in an interview with The Advocate. On the verge of his Broadway debut the revival of the 1968 musical Promises, Sean chats with Ari Karpel over lunch at the Italian restaurant Marino Ristorante in Los Angeles.

Sean Hayes Interview - The Advocate

For some it’s no surprise that Sean is gay after playing over the top gay character Jack for eight years, but this is the first open interview on the subject since a brush with press over his sexuality, not wanting to jeopardize his career the standard answer was always:

“When I play a gay character I want to be as believable as possible. And when I’m playing a straight character I also want to be as believable as possible. So the less that people know about my personal life, the more believable I can be as a character.”

It was following his performance in the gay romantic comedy film Billy’s Hollywood Screen Kiss that he was spotted and asked to audition for Will & Grace.