Jack McFarland

John Philip "Jack" McFarland (born in 1969) is a character on the American television sitcom Will & Grace, played by Sean Hayes.

A camp homosexual, Jack has always had a passion for acting and the theater, although many people doubt his abilities in this area. Very whimsical, he changes careers rapidly from department store salesman to acting teacher to student nurse to surfer to back-up dancer for Jennifer Lopez and Janet Jackson. Although he considers all his relationships serious, only one lasted longer than a few weeks, and even it ended with him cheating.

Jack is unashamedly vain and self-absorbed, with an adoration of all gay icons, particularly Cher, of whom he has a rare doll. He also collects celebrities' hair, including a complete collection from the actresses of The Golden Girls, as well as Bernadette Peters and — as of season seven — Patti LuPone.

Jack was raised by his mother Judith (Veronica Cartwright) and stepfather Daniel (Beau Bridges). His mother did not know he was gay, and his stepfather was not close to him. While he was in high school, Jack befriended college student Will Truman (Eric McCormack) and helped Will realize his own homosexuality. They have been best friends ever since.

When the series begins, Jack is homeless and moving in with Will, but when Will takes in his other best friend Grace Adler (Debra Messing), Jack agrees to sublet Grace's apartment — although Will, Karen, and his mother pay the rent. (In Moveable Feast Pt 1, it emerged that each of the three pays half of the cost).

Since the first season, Jack has established a close bond with alcoholic socialite Karen Walker (Megan Mullally), who chooses to work merely as a source of distraction. At the end of season one, Jack agrees to marry Karen's maid Rosario (Shelley Morrison) to secure her green card. After a year together, the marriage is annulled when Rosario wants to date Karen's gardener.

In season three, Jack undertakes a search for his real father, which ends when he discovers his father died. Jack does, however, meet Elliot (Michael Angarano), his own biological son, whom he fathered by depositing at a sperm bank as a teenager so he could buy a coat. He later discovered the boy's mother Bonnie (Rosie O'Donnell) is a lesbian; she was a nurse at the sperm bank who stole Jack's deposit and was inseminated with it.

Jack's most consistent vocation results from his taking over the class of his acting teacher Zandra (Eileen Brennan) after she is fed up with his lack of talent. After taking everyone's money and leaving, another student takes over the class and begins teaching the "McFarland method" ('acting is attracting') without Jack's knowledge. He trains to be a student nurse, but ultimately gives it up when, during Karen's fourth wedding, he meets Jennifer Lopez and becomes her back-up dancer, a career that fizzles as well.

In the seventh season, Jack embarks on a proper career as a producer on OutTV, a new gay television network. By season's end, his profile rises to the point he is given a talk show of his own to host.

In season eight, Jack loses his job at the network after he speaks out against the new right-wing ownership of the show. Shortly after this, he auditions for a role on a television show and - going against his natural over-dramatic acting style - he ends up getting the lead role of Chuck Rafferty, a straight alcoholic cop.

His longest relationship is with Stuart Lamarck (Dave Foley), which lasts several months during the sixth season, until Jack cheats on Stuart.

Jack is also the owner, or former owner, of a dog (Klaus Von Puppy) and a parrot (Guapo). He lives across the hall from Will and Grace, and in his spare time operates a one-table café, Jacques', in the hallway outside his door.

Controversy?

The over-the-top and flamboyant Jack is percieved with some scorn in the gay community for being too stereotypical. While he is written as such for comedic reasons, this makes the character hard to argue as a "progressive" character by the network as some feel the character in fact ridicules the homosexual community. [1]