'Playboy Club' star Sean Maher comes out as gay

The Playboy Club actor Sean Maher has revealed that he is gay.

The 36-year-old star, also known for his roles in Party of Five and Firefly, said that he has kept his sexual orientation a secret for years, mainly due to his former manager.

"Right before I left New York, I had my manager tell me, 'You need to get a girl on your arm or people will start talking'," Maher told Entertainment Weekly.

"I remember telling him, 'I'm gay.' He had no idea, and he said, 'All the more reason to get a girl on your arm.'"

Maher studied at New York University, graduating in drama during 1997.

The actor also recalled pressure from a former agent, adding: "My agent was also like, 'It's best if you keep your options open. Maybe bisexual?' I went so far as to sleep with women a couple [of] times. It was a very confusing time for me."

Maher added that he is happy to be finally coming out as gay, and that he is enjoying life with partner Paul and their two children Sophie Rose, four, and Liam Xavier, 14 months.

"This is my 'coming out' ball. I've been dying to do this," he said. "I have these beautiful children and this extraordinary family.

"To think in any way shape or form that that's wrong or that there's shame in that or that there's something to hide actually turns my stomach."