An article from Greg in Hollywood

[Source]

Congratulations to “Firefly” and “Playboy Club” cast member Sean Maher who is now an openly gay actor
By Greg Hernandez on Sep 26, 2011 6:37 pm

As a gay blogger, this is the kind of post that makes all the effort worth it.
Actor Sean Maher, currently starring on NBC’s The Playboy Club as a closeted gay man, has come out publicly as a gay man in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.

“I’ve never discussed it publicly,” the 36-year-old told EW during an exclusive interview at a restaurant in his Los Feliz neighborhood. “I’ve never been asked about it publicly, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t paint a different picture. … 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 [where he was out] 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.””

Sean is best known for his role on the series Firefly but his handsome looks got him a lot of attention when he starred in Fox’s short-lived cop drama Ryan Caulfield: Year One. (pictured, left).

You’ve got to figure Sean was encouraged to see someone like Neil Patrick Harris absolutely thrive as an openly gay performer. He joins the ranks of NPH, Luke Macfarlane, T.R. Knight and others who decided to come out while starring on a network television show.

I hope he becomes a bigger star than ever so that some of the other well-known actors out there, who are also gay, will be encouraged to also come out.

Sean and his partner, Paul, have been together for nearly nine years and have two children: Sophia Rose, 4, and Liam Xavier, 14 months.

So does Maher regret spending 14 years in the closet professionally?

“I don’t think I have regrets,” he said. “I do believe that sort of this journey took me to the place where I got and I don’t think I would feel so strongly about doing what I’m doing now had I not suffered for the years that I did.”