“Playboy Club” and “Firefly” Star Sean Maher Comes Out

After working in Hollywood for 14 years, actor Sean Maher has decided to finally come out of the closet.  In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly, Maher openly discusses his sexuality for the first time,

"I was nervous coming here today because I've just never talked about it.  But, it's so liberating. It was interesting to be coming to have a conversation that I was always afraid to have.  This is my coming out ball. I've been dying to do this."

The 36-year-old actor has never been publicly asked about his sexuality, but he does admit that he did go to some lengths to keep the possibility from coming up.  After graduating college in 1997, Maher decided to keep his sexuality quiet due to the attitude in Hollywood at the time.  While meeting with publicists for his first starring role on the short-lived Fox show "Ryan Caulfield: Year One", Maher was assumed to be straight.  The publicists asked Maher to keep his girlfriend a secret so they could appeal to the female demographic, something Maher decided not to correct them about.  Maher's own manager wasn't aware of Maher's sexuality when he suggested Sean get a girlfriend to keep the rumors at bay.  When Maher told his manager he was gay, the manager said that was an even better reason to get a girl on his arm.

Maher is best known for his role in another short-lived Fox series "Firefly" and its film follow-up "Serenity".  During his time of "Firefly" though, Maher was still silent about his personal life.

"Looking back, on "Firefly" for instance, I do wish on day one I had told them because these are some of the most amazing people who are still like family to me.  I am so grateful for that show because they saved me. I was so unhappy and lonely and to come to work everyday with that group was wonderful. It really was all I had at that point in my life."

As an interesting side note, the runner-up for the role of Simon in "Firefly" was Neil Patrick Harris.  Looks like that part was going to a gay man either way.

Maher currently live with his parter Paul in Los Angeles with this two children, Sophia Rose, 4, and Xander Liam, 14 months.

via CNN & Entertainment Weekly