This manic comic performer initially supported himself as a musician before becoming an actor. After joining the legendary improv group Second City, he started appearing in TV commercials and series. But his life and career kicked into overdrive in 1998 when he played the lead role of a gay photographer obsessed with a model in the indie comedy Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss and also signed on to Will & Grace as a self-absorbed gay actor, a part that netted him an Emmy Award. Although he appeared sporadically in outside projects, notably as Jerry Lewis in the TV-movie Martin and Lewis, Hayes remained inextricably linked to his signature sitcom role. Off screen, he leads a private life and refuses to disclose his sexual orientation for fear of being pigeonholed.