Sean Hayes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sean Hayes
Hayes in 2010
Born	Sean Patrick Hayes (1970-06-26) June 26, 1970 (age 55) Evergreen Park, Illinois, U.S.
Education	Illinois State University
Occupation	Actor comedian producer
Years active	1996–present
Spouse(s)	Scott Icenogle ​ (m. 2014)​

Sean Patrick Hayes (born June 26, 1970) is an American actor, comedian, and producer. He is well-known for his role as Jack McFarland on the TV show Will & Grace. For this role, he won a Primetime Emmy Award and four Screen Actors Guild Awards. He has also been nominated for many other awards, including six Golden Globe Awards and two Tony Awards, winning one Tony.

Sean Hayes also runs a TV production company called Hazy Mills Productions. This company has produced popular shows like Grimm and Hot in Cleveland. He has appeared in many movies, such as Cats & Dogs (2001) and The Three Stooges (2012). Since July 2020, he has co-hosted a funny podcast called SmartLess with Jason Bateman and Will Arnett.

Hayes first performed on Broadway in 2010 in the musical Promises, Promises. He was nominated for a Tony Award for this role. He also played God in the comedy An Act of God and Oscar Levant in the play Good Night, Oscar. For Good Night, Oscar, he won a Tony Award in 2023. He also hosted the 64th Tony Awards in 2010 and won an Emmy for it.

Early life and education

Sean Hayes was born in Evergreen Park, Illinois, on June 26, 1970. He was the youngest of five children. His mother, Mary Hayes, directed a food bank. His father, Ronald Hayes, left the family when Sean was five years old. Sean grew up in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, near Chicago.

After finishing Glenbard West High School, Hayes went to Illinois State University. He studied how to play the piano there. He left college early to become a music director at a theater. Hayes also worked as a classical pianist. He learned improv comedy at The Second City in Chicago. He also wrote music for a play called Antigone. In 1995, he moved to Los Angeles. There, he worked as a comedian and actor. He even appeared in a commercial for Doritos during the Super Bowl XXXII in 1998.

Acting career highlights

First acting roles

When Sean Hayes was a teenager, he was an extra in the movie Lucas (1986). This movie was filmed at his high school. His first professional acting job was in the movie Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss (1998). This role helped him get noticed by many people.

Starring in Will & Grace

In the same year, 1998, Sean Hayes got a big role in the TV show Will & Grace. He played Jack McFarland, a lively and often unemployed actor. The show became very popular and ran for many years. Hayes's acting earned him seven Emmy Award nominations. He won the award for his first nomination. He was also nominated for six Golden Globe Awards for his work on the show.

Movie appearances

Hayes has been in several movies. These include Cats & Dogs (2001) and Pieces of April (2003). He also played Jerry Lewis in the movie Martin and Lewis (2002). He was the voice of Brain in the animated film Igor (2008). In 2012, he played Larry Fine in The Three Stooges. In 2017, he voiced the devil emoji in The Emoji Movie.

Broadway performances

Sean Hayes made his first appearance on Broadway in April 2010. He starred in the musical Promises, Promises. He was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for this role.

He also hosted the 64th Annual Tony Awards on June 13, 2010. Hayes later starred in the Broadway play An Act of God from June to September 2016.

In 2022, Hayes played the pianist Oscar Levant in the play Good Night, Oscar. This play first opened in Chicago. He brought the role to Broadway in April 2023 at the Belasco Theatre. His performance received great reviews, and he won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. He also won a Drama Desk Award. He is expected to perform this role in London in 2025.

Other television projects

Hayes has appeared in other TV shows. He was a guest star on Scrubs and 30 Rock. In 2010, he was on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He also played Buddy Wood on the NBC show Parks and Recreation.

Producing and other ventures

Hazy Mills Productions

Sean Hayes knew that his role on Will & Grace would not last forever. So, in 2004, he started a TV production company called Hazy Mills Productions. He started it with his friend Todd Milliner.

Hayes was a co-executive producer for the TV Land comedy series Hot in Cleveland. This show started in June 2010 and ran for six seasons. He was also a co-executive producer for the NBC series Grimm. He also created and produced another NBC show, Hollywood Game Night. Other shows produced by his company include The Soul Man and Sean Saves the World.

Projects with his husband

Sean Hayes and his husband, Scott Icenogle, create fun lip-sync videos. They share these videos on their YouTube channel, The Kitchen Sync. They have lip-synced to songs like "Trouble". Hayes has always loved The Nutcracker and knows the whole musical piece by heart.

Podcasting

In July 2020, Hayes, along with Will Arnett and Jason Bateman, started a comedy podcast called SmartLess. He also hosts another podcast called HypochondriActor with Priyanka Wali. Hayes was also an executive producer and star in the Netflix series Q-Force, which came out in September 2021.

Personal life and health

Sean Hayes received an honorary PhD from Illinois State University in February 2013. In November 2014, Hayes announced that he had married his partner of eight years, Scott Icenogle.

In October 2017, Hayes shared that he had been in the hospital for a rare medical condition. He has also spoken about living with a heart condition called atrial fibrillation. He visits the emergency room often to help his heart beat normally.

Acting credits

Film roles

Television roles

Theatre performances

Awards and nominations

See also

In Spanish: Sean Hayes para niños