Surprise Appearance! Sean Hayes Wanders the West Hallways
Sean Hayes in the Black Box Theater. Photo courtesy of Avnika Surapaneni.
Emmy Award-winning actor and comedian Sean Hayes – a star in the hit TV show Will and Grace – made a surprise appearance at his former high school, Glenbard West, on Wednesday, January 31.
During his tour, he entered the Black Box Theatre, which had yet to have been built during Hayes’ time at West. Mr. Moran, the teacher in class, said that Hayes entered the classroom in the middle of the period and thanked the teachers for their work with the program. In response to comments about his success as an actor he told the students, pointing to himself, “If this idiot can do it, anybody can do it, you guys can all do it.”
The visit was unexpected and unplanned, said Mr. Moran, who also described Hayes to be funny, humble, and grateful. “We gave him a round of applause, and he was as nice as could possibly be.” According to Dr. Monaghan, Hayes was back home dealing with family matters.
The NBC show Will and Grace was first broadcast in 1998 for eight seasons then rebooted in 2017. Six of the seven main actors in the show have won an Emmy and the show itself has won dozens of other awards, including seven GLAAD Outstanding Comedy Series awards and a Rose d’Or Best Sitcom award.
Hayes has won many awards for his efforts in Will and Grace, including an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and American Comedy Awards’ Funniest Supporting Male Performer in a TV Series. Since his graduation, Hayes has remained a large supporter of the Glenbard West Theatre Club.
