Will & Grace star Sean Hayes is a multi-talented entertainer. He is an actor, singer, producer, and comedian. Hayes, who was born on June 26, 1970, in Chicago and is of Irish descent, was attracted to acting at a very young age. His first film role was as an extra in the movie Lucas (1986), which was shot at his high school, Glenbard West High in Glen Ellyn, Chicago. After studying piano at Illinois State, Hayes appeared as a classical pianist for a time before he tried his hand at improvisational comedy and then at stand-up comedy. To improve his chances of success in the entertainment industry, Hayes moved to Los Angeles in 1995, and two years later he made a big hit with his role as Jack McFarland, an extravagant gay man in Will & Grace.
For his role as Jack McFarland, Sean received seven consecutive Emmy Award nominations for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series, his first nomination was in 2000, and he has also been nominated five times in a row for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Mini-series or TV movie. Sean Hayes has won three SAG Awards and one American Comedy Award for his role.
How Much Is Sean Hayes Worth?
Just like the leading actors in first-class TV shows such as Friends, Modern Family, The Big Bang Theory, etc., Sean Hayes has made most of his TV fortune out of Will & Grace. Like the above-mentioned TV shows, the stars of Will & Grace, including Sean Hayes, often negotiate a pay raise that depends on the popularity of the show. In 1998, he allegedly earned $400,000 for each episode of the show.
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His numbers grew exponentially and peaked in 2006 when Hayes earned $600,000 per episode. The series was completed that year after 8 long seasons. To the delight of fans and, of course, Sean’s bank account, the series was revived in 2017, picking up where it left off in season 8.
For the revival, Hayes, who made the wise move in 2004 to form his production company Hazy Mills Productions, took on the dual role of actor and executive producer. In the first season of the revived series, season 9, reports appeared that Sean Hayes, among other top casts of the series, earned $250,000 for each episode. Hayes’ numbers would certainly rise if the revival of the series had what it takes to thrill its fans as it originally did.
While Will & Grace was running, Sean Hayes was busy with other jobs. He starred in movies like Pieces of April (2003) and Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! (2004). On the small screen, he appeared in Scrubs, Martin, and Lewis and hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live.
After Will & Grace first ended in 2006, Hayes became involved with his production company. He became executive producer of shows like Hot in Cleveland, Grimm, The Soul Man, Sean Saves the World. One of the most successful works of Hayes’ production company is his game show Hollywood Game Night.
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Hayes is also known for his numerous voice-over roles. In recent years he has sung characters in Monsters University, How Murray Saved Christmas, and The Emoji Movie.
Sean Hayes’ net worth is estimated at $18 million. His assets include a 4-bedroom house in Hancock Park, Los Angeles, which he bought in 2001 for $1.6 million.
Is He Gay, Who is The Husband?
Sean Hayes was made popular by a gay role, and consequently, his sexuality was one of the main topics of conversation whenever the actor’s name came up. Hayes’ homosexuality was something of an open secret in Hollywood until 2010 when he first hinted that he was gay. The hint came in an interview with The Advocate.
In November 2014, it was revealed that Sean Hayes had married his 8-year-old partner, a certain Scott Icenogle, in a private ceremony during Thanksgiving Day. Scott Icenogle is a composer.
Hayes has always been gay since his high school days. He kept it hidden from his brothers and parents until he turned 18. When his mother told his mother, she asked him to see a therapist as it was not God’s will for his life. Hayes revealed in an interview with Playbill magazine in 2016 that he regretted having kept his sexuality a secret from the world for so long.