Quotes

When I came out of my mom's womb, I had 'sitcom' stamped on my forehead.

"Being an actor, the less people know about my personal life, the more open-minded they can be about each role I play".

When you see me play Jack, I want you to believe that that's a gay character. After Will & Grace (1998) is over, when I play a straight character, I want you to believe that, too. - Etcetera interview

If you see a movie and I'm in it, and the first thing you think of is who I'm sleeping with, then you're not watching the performance; you're watching the personality.

Really? You're gonna shoot the gay guy down? I never have had a problem saying who I am. I am who I am. I was never in, as they say. Never. [In The Advocate Magazine, responding to what he saw as negative prior coverage from The Advocate]

[When asked about the early pressures of playing a gay character, Jack, on "Will & Grace" starting in the late 1990s] I was so young. It made me go back in the closet [with the media] because I was so overwhelmed at 26 or 27. I didn't want the responsibility, I didn't know how to handle the responsibility of speaking for the gay community. I always felt like I owed them a huge apology for coming out too late. Some people in the gay community were very upset with me for not coming out on their terms. They don't stop to think about what's going on in somebody's personal life, and the struggles that they're having. It was all very scary. We got death threats. It was a really rough time for me, but I was also having the time of my life.