'Lazy Susan' – Sean Hayes Plays a Slacker, This Time as a Woman

Sean Hayes is likely America's best-loved LGBTQ scamp after years of playing Jack on "Will & Grace." But his latest roles offers him something completely different... at least in terms of gender. In "Lazy Susan," the new comedy available for streaming from Shout Studios directed by Nick Peet, Hayes plays the title character. And, yes, she's true to her name.

Like Jack, she's something of a slacker – she's a self-absorbed, middle-aged Wisconsin, unable to hold a job or a relationship, and something of a disgrace to her family. Having been fired from her latest job, she spends her days making elaborate collages, hanging out with her best friend (Carrie Aizley, with whom Hayes co-wrote the screenplay) and hitting her mom (Margo Martindale)�up for spending money. And when she attempts a romance with a man who runs an indoor trampoline park, it lands her jail.

"Sean Hayes is a droll delight as Susan, who uses cynicism and snappy put-downs as a defense mechanism but has a real heart," writes Richard Roeper in reviewing the film in the Chicago Sun-Times. "Allison Janney and Margo Martindale turn in their usual stellar work, and we even get a drop-in cameo by Matthew Broderick as the superintendent at the building where Susan lives."

EDGE spoke to Hayes recently about playing a cisgender woman, what the success of "Will & Grace" meant for him, and how he is social distancing.

Why are you doing this movie?

EDGE: What was the typical response when you told people you were doing this movie?

Sean Hayes: Why?

EDGE: And why did you do it?

Sean Hayes: Because it makes me laugh. I am a huge fan of independent films like "Welcome to the Dollhouse" and "Napoleon Dynamite." I love character-driven films that tell great stories.

EDGE: Why cast yourself as Susan?

Sean Hayes: As an actor, I love challenging myself to play roles that I wouldn't get a chance to play. I like roles that make me feel uncomfortable in my skin. That's the challenge of an actor - to embody roles that you don't usually associate with or normally play and that is what I love about playing Susan.

Worried about backlash?

EDGE: Were you concerned there would be some backlash that a gay white male actor is playing a cisgender woman?

Sean Hayes: Never, because I wouldn't give them the time of day to listen to their negative feedback.

EDGE: Let's talk about Susan's wardrobe choices.

Sean Hayes: Didn't you just love them? I had so much fun with Susan's costumes. I loved that they really represented her personality and her laziness.

EDGE: The film has a great cast, Matthew Broderick, Margo Martindale, and Allison Janney! Was it written with these actors in mind?

Sean Hayes: This was one of those rare moments in Hollywood that as Carrie Aizley, Darlene Hunt and I were writing the script, that we were able to get the actors we were writing the roles for. That never happens in Hollywood.

EDGE: I felt like Susan's family dysfunction wasn't perfectly wrapped up at the end. Why was that?

Sean Hayes: Well, wouldn't we all love to have the perfect happy ending, but that just doesn't happen in real life. Susan was never going to get the hug she wanted from her mother or the respect she deserved from her brother. I think it may eventually happen, but it can be a long and slow process and the movie is just not that long.

EDGE: A lot has changed on television since you first started playing Jack on "Will & Grace." What has excited you most about seeing more LGBTQ representation on television?

Sean Hayes: Wonderful! It makes me feel great. If I even had the tiniest bit in helping to educate America about the gay lifestyle, I am so proud and grateful that I had the opportunity to do so. I will continue to do that as we still have a long way to go. If everyone does their part, however big or small, I think we can continue to make great change and the world will start seeing gay people as humans first.

EDGE: How has being apart of a ground-breaking show like "Will & Grace" changed your life?

Sean Hayes: It has brought me so much fulfillment from an actor's point-of-view to play such an incredibly fun limitless character. Personally and professionally, I hope that it has opened more doors for actors who are gay to work. I never liked the phrase "gay actor." That is a horrible phrase. It's like saying my "gay doctor, my gay postman, gay baker." It's the person's occupation and their sexuality shouldn't even be a part of it. We will only be equal when we don't have to identify our sexuality before a job description.

EDGE: In the future, more writing, less acting?

Sean Hayes: There is both. I love to write. Writing is definitely and permanently part of my life. I do have a new show coming out on Netflix: "Q-Force." It's an animated show. The short description is gay James Bond.

EDGE: What does your ideal lazy day look like?

Sean Hayes: Well, you're going to find out in the next few weeks. I should just take a picture of how I spent the last couple of days and that's my answer. I love Sundays where you will find me hanging out on the couch and watching "This Old House" on PBS.

For more on "Lazy Susan" and where you can stream it, visit the film's website.

Watch the trailer to "Lazy Susan":