Sean Hayes
American actor (born 1970)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sean Patrick Hayes[1] (born June 26, 1970)[2] is an American actor, comedian, and producer. Known for his performances on stage and screen, he gained acclaim for his role as Jack McFarland on the NBC sitcom Will & Grace, for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award and four Screen Actors Guild Awards, in addition to nominations for six Golden Globe Awards and a Laurence Olivier Award.[3]
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June 26, 1970
- Actor
- comedian
- producer
Sean Hayes | |
|---|---|
Hayes in 2010 | |
| Born | Sean Patrick Hayes June 26, 1970 Evergreen Park, Illinois, U.S. |
| Education | Illinois State University |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Spouse |
Scott Icenogle (m. 2014) |
On stage, he made his Broadway debut in the musical revival Promises, Promises (2010) for which he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. He portrayed Oscar Levant in the Doug Wright play Good Night, Oscar for which he won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play in 2023. He reprised the role on the West End for which he was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in 2026. He hosted the 64th Tony Awards in 2010 for which he was awarded a Primetime Emmy Award.
Hayes is also known for his work in film. He portrayed Jerry Lewis in the CBS film Martin and Lewis (2002). He is known for his appearances in films such as Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss (1998), Cats & Dogs (2001), Pieces of April (2003), The Cat in the Hat (2003), Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! (2004), The Bucket List (2007), Igor (2008), The Three Stooges (2012), Monsters University (2013), and Am I OK? (2022).
He also runs a television production company called Hazy Mills Productions, which produces shows such as Grimm, Hot in Cleveland, The Soul Man, and Hollywood Game Night. Since July 2020, he has co-hosted the comedy podcast SmartLess alongside Jason Bateman and Will Arnett.
Early life
Hayes was born in Evergreen Park, Illinois, the youngest child of five of Mary Hayes (1939–2018), the director of a non-profit food bank called the Northern Illinois Food Bank,[2][4][5] and Ronald Hayes, a lithographer.[2] He is of Irish descent and was raised as a Roman Catholic in the Chicago suburb of Glen Ellyn, Illinois. His father, an alcoholic, left the family when Hayes was five, leaving his mother to raise him and his siblings. He has been estranged from his father for many years.[1][5]
After graduating from Glenbard West High School,[6] Hayes attended Illinois State University,[5] where he studied piano performance.[7] He left "two or three classes short" of graduation when he became music director at the Pheasant Run Theater in St. Charles, Illinois.[7] Hayes worked as a classical pianist.[8] He practiced improv at The Second City in Chicago.[9] He also composed original music for a production of Antigone at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago.[10] He moved to Los Angeles in 1995,[9] where he found work as a comedian and an actor on stage and on television, including a commercial for Doritos which aired during Super Bowl XXXII in 1998.[9]
Career
Early career
As a teenager, Hayes was an extra in the film Lucas (1986), which was filmed at his high school. He made his professional debut in the independent film Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss (1998), which brought him wide attention.[11]
Will and Grace
The same year, he was cast as Jack McFarland, a flamboyantly gay and frequently unemployed actor, in the NBC comedy series Will & Grace. The show became a long-running hit and Hayes' performance earned him seven consecutive Emmy Award nominations as Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He won the award for his first nomination.[12][13] He was also nominated for six Golden Globe Awards for his performances.
Film
Hayes also made film appearances as the voice of the villainous white Persian cat Mr. Tinkles in Cats & Dogs (2001), as Jerry Lewis in Martin and Lewis (2002), Wayne in Pieces of April (2003) and Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! (2004). He was also the voice of Brain in the 2008 film Igor, and has guest-starred in television shows such as Scrubs and 30 Rock. In 2005, he was executive producer for Bravo's Situation: Comedy, a reality television series about sitcoms. He also executive produced The Sperm Donor and Stephen's Life, the two winning scripts that were chosen by NBC. He guest-starred in 2006 in the Adult Swim cameo-filled show Tom Goes to the Mayor (S2E15, "Bass Fest").[14] Hayes appeared as Thomas in the film The Bucket List (2007). On July 5, 2008, he made his New York stage debut as Mr. Applegate / Devil in New York City Center's Encores! production of Damn Yankees.[1]
He also appeared as Mr. Hank Humberfloob and provided the voice of "The Fish" in The Cat in the Hat.[1] In 2010, he reprised the role of Mr. Tinkles in Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore.
He played Larry Fine in the film The Three Stooges (2012).[15]
In 2017, Hayes played the role of Steven, the devil emoji in The Emoji Movie.[16]
Broadway
He made his Broadway debut in the April 2010 Broadway revival of the musical Promises, Promises. He received a nomination for the Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance, and was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical.
Hayes was host of the 64th Annual Tony Awards on June 13, 2010, on CBS.[17]
Hayes starred in the Broadway production An Act of God, June 6 to September 4, 2016, after engagements in Los Angeles and San Francisco.[18]
In 2022, Hayes portrayed pianist Oscar Levant in the play by Doug Wright entitled Good Night, Oscar which premiered at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago.[19] He reprised the role on Broadway at the Belasco Theatre, beginning in April 2023.[20][21] He received rave reviews for his performance earning a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. He also received the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play. In February 2025, it was announced that Hayes would make his debut on the West End reprising this role in a production at the Barbican Theatre in the summer of 2025.[22]
Hayes currently starts in the one-man play The Unknown, Off-Broadway at Studio Seaview, having begun previews on January 31, 2026, with the run slated to end on April 12, 2026.[23][24][25]
Other television work
On November 15, 2010, he appeared in a satirical PSA for the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.[15] In a 2008 interview in The New York Times, Hayes talked about a television project, BiCoastal, about "a guy with a wife and kids in California and a boyfriend in New York" for Showtime.[26] He was the host of An All Star Tribute to James Burrows.[18] Hayes has also guest starred as Buddy Wood on the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation.[27]
Producing and production company
Aware that his role in Will & Grace "wouldn't go on forever,"[28] Hayes teamed up with friend Todd Milliner, whom he met at Illinois State University,[6] to create the television production company Hazy Mills Productions in 2004.[28][29][30][31] Hayes was co-executive producer of the TV Land original comedy series Hot in Cleveland, which premiered in June 2010 and ran for six seasons.[32] He was also a co-executive producer of the NBC series Grimm,[33] as well as creator and executive producer on another NBC series, Hollywood Game Night.[34] Other television series produced by the company include The Soul Man and Sean Saves the World.[31]
Ventures with his husband
Hayes and his husband, Scott Icenogle, produce lip-sync videos under their YouTube channel, The Kitchen Sync.[35] They lip-synced to songs such as "Trouble" and "Burnitup!"[18] Hayes always had an interest in The Nutcracker and memorized the whole musical piece. Given his interest, Hayes went on to write a prequel to the holiday play with his husband.[36]
Podcasting
In July 2020, Hayes, along with Will Arnett and Jason Bateman, created a comedy and talk podcast called SmartLess.[37] He also hosts another podcast with Priyanka Wali called HypochondriActor.[38] Hayes starred in and was one of the executive producers for the Netflix series Q-Force, released September 2, 2021.
Personal life
Hayes refused to discuss his sexual orientation for many years, saying he believed that audiences would therefore be more open-minded about his characters.[39] Nevertheless, after the success of Will & Grace, he was frustrated to find himself typecast, only receiving offers for gay roles. To avoid questions about his sexuality, he declined interview offers from gay publications during the run of the show. In response to a satirical piece run in The Advocate, which criticized him for being opaque about his sexual orientation, he appeared to imply that he is gay, stating: "Really? You're gonna shoot the gay guy down? I never have had a problem saying who I am. I am who I am." He also indicated that he was in a relationship. He feels he has "contributed monumentally to the success of the gay movement in America, and if anyone wants to argue that, I'm open to it."[9] After he received Outfest's Trailblazer Award in 2016 he addressed this criticism in his speech, saying in part: "Looking back at my choice to stay silent, I am ashamed and embarrassed. What was I thinking? [...] I know I should've come out sooner, and I'm sorry for that, especially when I think about the possibility that I might have made a difference in someone's life."[40]
He received an honorary PhD from Illinois State University in February 2013.[7] In November 2014, Hayes announced that he had married his partner of eight years, Scott Icenogle.[41] In October 2017, while appearing on an episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Hayes revealed that he had been hospitalized with a rare condition in which his small intestine burst. The intestine was repaired.[42]
Hayes has been open about living with atrial fibrillation, a cardiac disorder that causes him to frequently visit the ER to get his heart shocked back into sinus rhythm whenever his heartbeat is too irregular or rapid. About his condition, Hayes has said, "When I go to the ER, I'm like Norm from 'Cheers.' They're like, 'Sean!', because I'm in there all the time."[43]
Acting credits
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | A&P | Sammy | Short film |
| 1998 | Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss | Billy Collier[44] | |
| 2000 | Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins | Brain Pod No. 13 | Voice |
| 2001 | Cats & Dogs | Mr. Tinkles[45] | |
| 2003 | Pieces of April | Wayne | |
| The Cat in the Hat | Mr. Hank Humberfloob / Voice of the Fish | ||
| 2004 | Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! | Richard Levy the Shameless | |
| 2005 | Roberto the Insect Architect | Narrator | |
| 2007 | The Bucket List | Matthew | |
| 2008 | Soul Men | Danny Epstein | |
| Igor | Brain | Voice | |
| 2010 | Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore | Mr. Tinkles | |
| 2012 | The Three Stooges | Larry Fine | |
| Hit and Run | Sandy Osterman | ||
| 2013 | Monsters University | Terri Perry | Voice |
| 2017 | The Emoji Movie | Steven the Devil | |
| 2020 | Lazy Susan | Susan O'Connell | |
| 2022 | Am I OK? | Stu | |
| 2025 | Is This Thing On? | Stephen | |
| The Running Man | Gary Greenbacks |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Silk Stalkings | Roger | Episode: "Services Rendered" |
| 1998–2006, 2017–2020 | Will & Grace | Jack McFarland | 246 episodes |
| 2001 | Rugrats | Talent Show Director | Voice, episode: "And the Winner Is.../Dil's Bathtime/Bigger Than Life" |
| Scrubs | Nick Murdoch | Episode: "My Super Ego" | |
| Saturday Night Live | Himself/host | Episode: "Sean Hayes/Shaggy" | |
| 2002 | Martin and Lewis | Jerry Lewis[46] | Television film |
| 2006 | Tom Goes to the Mayor | Tour Guide | Episode: "Bass Fest" |
| Lovespring International | Victor | Episode: "A Rear Window" | |
| Will & Grace: Say Goodnight Gracie | Jack McFarland | Television film | |
| 2006–2007 | Campus Ladies | Marshall | 2 episodes |
| 2007 | 30 Rock | Jesse Parcell | Episode: "Hiatus" |
| 2008 | Man Stroke Woman | Various | Television film |
| 2010 | 64th Tony Awards | Host | Television special |
| 2010–2015 | Hot in Cleveland | Chad | Episode: "One Thing or a Mother" Also executive producer; 124 episodes |
| 2011–2017 | Grimm | Executive producer; 108 episodes | |
| 2012–2016 | The Soul Man | Executive producer; 11 episodes | |
| 2012 | Portlandia | Sean | Episode: "Cops Redesign" |
| Parks and Recreation | Buddy Wood | Episode: "Lucky" | |
| Up All Night | Walter | 4 episodes | |
| 2013 | Smash | Terrence Falls | 3 episodes |
| American Dad! | Foster | Voice, episode: "Lost in Space" | |
| 2013–2014 | Sean Saves the World | Sean Harrison | 15 episodes Also executive producer |
| 2013–2020 | Hollywood Game Night | Himself | 2 episodes Also creator, executive producer; 6 episodes |
| 2014–2015 | The Millers | Kip Finkle | 11 episodes |
| 2014 | The Comeback | Himself | Episode: "Valerie Gets What She Really Wants" |
| How Murray Saved Christmas | Edison Elf | Voice, television special | |
| 2015 | The Late Late Show | Himself/Guest Host | 3 episodes |
| 2016 | Crowded | Executive producer; 13 episodes | |
| Maya & Marty | Himself/various | 2 episodes | |
| An All Star Tribute to James Burrows | Himself/host | Television special Also executive producer[47] | |
| Hairspray Live! | Mr. Pinky | Television special | |
| 2017–2020 | Tangled: The Series | Pete the Guard | Voice, 21 episodes |
| 2019 | Live in Front of a Studio Audience | Mr. Frank Lorenzo | Episode: "Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons" |
| 2020, 2022 | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | Himself/host | 6 episodes[48][49] |
| 2021 | Q-Force | Steve Maryweather | Voice, main role |
| 2022 | Murderville | Santa Claus | Episode: "Who Killed Santa? A Murderville Murder Mystery" |
| Lego Masters | Himself | Episode: "Start Your Engines" | |
| 2024 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Christopher Mantle | Episodes: "Fish Stuck" and "The Colostomy Bag" |
Theatre
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Damn Yankees | Applegate | New York City Center, Encores! | [50] |
| 2010–2011 | Promises, Promises | Chuck Baxter | Broadway Theatre, Broadway | [50] |
| 2015 | An Act of God | God | US Tour | [50] |
| 2016 | Booth Theatre, Broadway | [50] | ||
| 2022 | Good Night, Oscar | Oscar Levant | Goodman Theatre, Chicago | |
| 2023 | Belasco Theatre, Broadway | |||
| 2025 | Barbican Theatre, London | [51] | ||
| 2026 | The Unknown | Elliott | Studio Seaview, Off-Broadway | [52] |
