'Playboy Club' and 'Firefly' Actor Sean Maher: I'm Gay

[Ian David]

Sean Maher, an actor best known for his role as Dr. Simon Tam in Firefly, and now the recently-premiered NBC drama The Playboy Club, tells Entertainment Weekly that like his closeted character on the show, he's gay:

<snip>

“It was so exhausting, and I was so miserable. I didn’t really have any life other than work and this façade I was putting on. So I kept my friends from college separate from my work friends, and that was very confusing. I just kept going on and on painting this picture of somebody I wasn’t. I didn’t have time for a personal relationship anyway. And you just don’t realize that it’s eating away at your soul.”

And Maher's role in The Playboy Club, as a closeted husband, is not coincidental:

Maher decided to use his role on NBC’s The Playboy Club — a character coincidentally also named Sean, a closeted man who’s married to lesbian Playboy Bunny Alice (Leah Renee Cudmore) – to finally engage in a dialogue about how being closeted has strained his life in Hollywood. “I was working on other stuff, and then this role came up, which was like a light bulb going off,” Maher remembers. “I was like, This is perfect. I want to do this, and I want to use it as a platform to come out.”

As viewers saw in the premiere episode on Sept. 19, his character is involved with launching the Chicago chapter of the Mattachine Society, an underground gay-rights group from the ’50s and ’60s.

More:
http://www.towleroad.com/2011/09/playboy-club-and-firefly-actor-sean-maher-im-gay.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Towleroadfeed

[msongs]

1. who? and who cares? nt

[MADem]

2. That was my first reaction, too--and not to dump on this guy's career,

I hope more people who never heard of him or the shows he appeared in have that same POV.

I would hope we're past the whole "ELLEN" drama of who's zoomin' who in this century.

[joeybee12]

4. We haven't...nt

[roguevalley]

9. I'm glad he's happy. good for him.

[TheWraith]

12. Then I would say that you really need to watch Firefly.

Seriously.

[MADem]

27. Keep in mind I am a geezer. I have never heard of it.

I have nothing against this guy, more power to him.

I would hope more people would stop caring about the private lives of celebrities, enjoy the show, and leave it at that.

[TheWraith]

30. I'm just saying: it's awesome, and I recommend it to everyone. nt

[Bluenorthwest]

3. If no one cares then why don't we have equal rights?

Clearly many straight people care very, very much, including the President who yammers on about 'sanctity' and all kinds of crap without being called on it by the 'who cares' crowd.

[Kalidurga]

5. Well it is still somewhat of a big deal...

it might not keep him out of work. But, how many producers are going "hey we should get a gay guy to play this role" or is it more likely they are thinking if not out right saying "no he would be good, but he is gay" when parts come up and they are discussing this sort of thing. It was also obviously something he was not comfortable with so coming out was a brave thing. I hope someday it takes no more bravery to say you are gay than it takes to say that you prefer chocolate to vanilla ice cream.

[Smarmie Doofus]

24. +1. "Who cares?" is a dodge. Denial, if you will. nt

[MADem]

28. The point is valid. Americans are not equal--people of color, women,

the GLBT community, disabled people--there's still a lot of discrimination happening in the nation. It's a long road.

However, if fewer people "care" one way or another (as opposed to claiming to be outraged or shocked) about the private love lives of public figures from a moralistic standpoint, it's a step in the right direction.

[Rabblevox]

6. I care. A: Firefly was an outstanding show, B: Every person who comes out makes it a bit easier...

for the next, and C: HE'S CUUUUTE!

[Behind the Aegis]

8. DITTO! A: Yes!; B: Absolutely; C: Ain't that the truth!

:)

[Ian David]

11. He's still flying. It's enough. :) n/t

[Gari]

13. He is very talented

Thanks for the Firefly mention, I really enjoyed that show!

Good actor, good looking, great at what he does, who cares if he is gay? I know, I know, other people WILL care. For those folks, here's a head exploder for you - Rock Hudson was gay and played romantic straight male lead roles throughout his career. AND he served in the Navy during WWII.

Kinda of an actor's job to perform the role, not necessary that they are just exactly like the character themselves. Maybe those folks really believed Jeannie could blink and shrink down to fit in her bottle?

[Smarmie Doofus]

23. Me too. And the truth is most people "care".

One way or another.


Homophobes sure care.

[Ignis]

31. +1

[closeupready]

17. Just about every "heterosexual" and "100% straight" person in America.

nt

[dsc]

7. clearly it still matters

name one openly gay actor who is the lead in a currently playing or played this year, major film. Similarly there is no openly gay actor heading a major dramatic series.

[FiveGoodMen]

10. "there is no openly gay actor heading a major dramatic series"

Neil Patrick Harris on How I Met Your Mother comes pretty close.

He's not the only star, but he's one of five equals.

[Amimnoch]

14. It may not be dramatic, but Jim Parsons on the Big Bang Theory comes to mind.

Openly gay and award winning.

[FiveGoodMen]

18. That's right.

I hadn't heard that he was gay till just last week or so.

[dsc]

19. actually has he said he is gay?

I know he is living the class closet thing but I hadn't heard he had said he was gay.

[FreeState]

32. He has not come out publicly n/t

[dsc]

15. that is a comedy

where we have made tremendous inroads. Modern Family has an openly gay male playing gay and a straight man playing his husband in a lead role. In addition there are other comedies but on the drama front we haven't gotten very far.

[Amimnoch]

20. Well, let me introduce you to my husband, it doesn't get any more gay drama than him!

Of course, I kid.

I've never really given it much thought before to be honest, but on a quick search, I did find this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dramatic_television_series_with_LGBT_characters

Just on a quick look it looks pretty extensive, but being more of a citcom/comedy person, I really don't know anything about the vast majority of those listed.

[Ian David]

22. Torchwood needed a whole paragraph :)

The series' creator, Russell T Davies (who is gay), has described Torchwood as "a very bisexual series". The lead character, Captain Jack Harkness, was previously established on Doctor Who as bisexual or pansexual. Ianto begins the series in a secretive heterosexual relationship, but eventually enters a relationship with Jack. Toshiko is similarly, bisexual, entering a relationship with a woman named Mary while attracted to teammate Owen. Jack's namesake, the real Captain Jack Harkness (Matt Rippy) from 1941 was also revealed to be gay, amd was subject to a parting kiss. Jack's ex partner, Captain John Hart James Marsters appears in the second series premiere and the second series finale. In Series Four Jack has a one night stand with Brad, a Washington DC barman. A previous past relationship with an Italian Immigrant is also explored in the seventh and eighth episodes of the series. In episode nine of series four, recurring character Charolotte Willis reveals herself to be a lesbian.

[Rabblevox]

25. Yay Torchwood!!! I still vividly remember the Dr. Who episode that introduced Capt. Jack...

There was a flirtation scene between Jack and the Dr. that lit up the screen, and was not being played for laughs or shock value, just two hunky men, on a "family-hour" science fiction show, obviously attracted to each other, and no more of a big deal made of it than male/female attraction.

It was then I realized that TV was finally starting to grow up (at least in the UK).

And Torchwood has really been pushing the envelope the past few seasons. Definitely the most LGBTQ-friendly show not created for a gay audience.

[dsc]

26. Torchwood is British

and they are better on this issue.

[Amimnoch]

21. On a side note, It's important to state that I'm not arguing the point that it doesn't matter.

I'm of the belief that any and all exposure, especially from the entertainment industry helps us tremendously. All actors/actresses have followings, and helping people see us in the myriad of lights and walks of life that we range can only help garner support for our human rights movement.

[Bluenorthwest]

29. No, it does not, a dramatic show is a breakthough of it's own

How I Met...is a half hour sit com, taped before a live audience. Same for Big Bang. The difference is not the size of the role or the status in the character's position in the show, but the type of show. If I must, I will point out that GLBT people are not the only group that has been said to be 'fine in musicals and comedy, those people are good at that stuff, but serious drama? There are issues, like their speech....'
The hour long drama thing is a first. Very important, to me personally, in fact.

[closeupready]

16. Glad to hear it.

:) K&R