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HE made a name for himself playing the flamboyantly fabulous Jack McFarland on hit sitcom Will & Grace, but Broadway actor Sean Hayes refused to comment on his sexuality until four years after the series ended.

Hayes said despite being openly gay since his teens, he did not feel comfortable talking publicly about his sexuality after his meteoric rise to fame from the comedy series.

鈥淚 got Will & Grace, and I thought, 鈥極h, this is different. I don鈥檛 know how to handle this. I鈥檓 not bright enough, I鈥檓 not quick enough, I don鈥檛 have the DNA to be a spokesperson for any kind of group of people,'” he said.

鈥淚 had personal issues inside of myself that I regret. I regret not coming out sooner and helping more people, and I regret not coming out during the show.

“Everybody in the gay community knew I was gay, but it was this fight I had with the press because they want you to come out on their terms, and other gay people want you to come out on their terms, and if you don鈥檛 come out on their terms you鈥檙e just an asshole, and you鈥檙e wrong. Well, each individual human being has a lot of stuff that nobody knows about. Nobody knows what anybody else is going through at any point in their lives.鈥�

Hayes said he felt hesitance to come out after witnessing Hollywood end the careers of openly-gay actors while rewarding straight actors for playing gay characters.

鈥淸They] could play gay and be adored and worshipped for it, and I thought, 鈥極h. I鈥檒l just do that. If I just do a good job, I鈥檒l be accepted as an actor, and then I鈥檒l just keep playing any role,” he said.

“But Hollywood doesn鈥檛 work that way, and audiences don鈥檛 work that way because there鈥檚 a stipulation that goes with audiences where if they see a gay person playing straight, they go 鈥榊eah right.鈥欌��

He also called on the public to stop being fascinated with gay actors playing straight characters.

“There鈥檚 nothing mind blowing about that anymore. It鈥檚 been done,鈥� he .

鈥淚鈥檇 like everyone to just be treated equally, to see people look at you and accept you for who you are as a human being and your spirit.”

Will & Grace was a hit sitcom that ran for eight seasons from 1998 to 2006. It has been credited with putting LGBTI characters and rights into the spotlight.