STAYING ALIVE: Sean Hayes!

Episode of SmartLess · October 29, 2026 · 49 min

Staying Alive hosts Adam Pally and Jon Gabrus interview Sean Hayes about his bloodwork, diet, medications, exercise, sleep, line memorization, and the physical demands of Broadway.

Summary

In this Staying Alive episode shared on the SmartLess feed, hosts Adam Pally and Jon Gabrus spoke with Sean Hayes about his health. Hayes said recent bloodwork had come back very poor, with high triglycerides, cholesterol, early soft plaque, and insulin resistance, which he linked to a lifelong habit of eating pints of Häagen-Dazs. He described trying to learn balance, cutting back sugar and white flour, and taking metformin, thyroid medication, and a statin. Pally and Gabrus discussed their own use of GLP-1 drugs, with Pally relaying his physician father's view that the drugs prevent strokes and heart attacks, and Gabrus describing feeling full for the first time.

The conversation moved to performing. Hayes compared Broadway actors to athletes, argued that the eight-shows-a-week schedule is inhuman, and described the difficulty of timing meals and sleep around performances. He praised director James Burrows's fast multicam pace on Will & Grace and argued that classic sitcoms worked because actors played scenes to each other as in a play. Gabrus discussed his upcoming improvised multicam series DINKs with Marta Kauffman, and Pally talked about multicam versus single-camera work.

The three also compared methods for memorizing lines, with Hayes recounting forgetting he played every role in his one-man show The Unknown. They recalled the game show Hair Jacked, which Gabrus hosted and Hayes's company Hazy Mills produced. Hayes said he hates exercise but has recently started seeing results and looking forward to it. After Hayes left, the hosts praised him as one of the funniest people they know.

Chapters

0:09
Cold open and introduction
A teaser clip plays and Pally and Gabrus introduce their show Staying Alive to SmartLess listeners.
1:56
The Crocs story
Hayes tells a story about a pun-filled encounter with a fan family after a performance of Promises, Promises.
3:56
Bad bloodwork and Häagen-Dazs
Hayes describes alarming blood test results tied to his ice cream habit, and the group discusses sleep problems.
9:11
Clean plates and workouts
The hosts and Hayes discuss childhood clean-plate habits and how similar ingrained rules shape exercise.
11:08
Broadway as athletics
Pally recalls eating and drinking heavily during a Broadway run, and Hayes compares stage actors to athletes.
14:06
Multicam sitcoms and DINKs
The group discusses multicam work, James Burrows's pace, Gabrus's new improvised series DINKs, and what makes sitcoms feel like plays.
23:02
Medications and GLP-1s
Hayes lists his metformin, thyroid medication, and statin, while the hosts discuss their GLP-1 use and appetite.
28:01
Hair Jacked and current projects
Gabrus recalls hosting Hayes's game show Hair Jacked, and Pally mentions working on Sam Mendes's Beatles films.
30:05
Memorizing lines
Each describes his method for learning lines, and Hayes recounts an autopilot moment in his one-man show The Unknown.
34:18
Eight shows a week
Hayes criticizes the Broadway schedule and describes his hypochondria, vocal care, and the challenge of timing meals and sleep.
41:07
Exercise results and appearance
Hayes says he is finally seeing workout results, and the hosts discuss their bodies and partners' wardrobe notes.
46:04
Post-interview wrap
After Hayes leaves, the hosts praise his humor and read the credits.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

Linked moment · 6:40Skip to 6:40 using a listen link in the info box.
Sean Hayes
Hayes says he estimated a pint of Häagen-Dazs contains roughly 80 to 100 grams of sugar, which he had eaten several times a week for decades.
“So it's probably like 80 to 100 grams of sugar, which is insane in one sitting”
Listen from 6:40 · Häagen-Dazs
Sean Hayes
Hayes says that after poor bloodwork he did not cut out sugar entirely but is trying to learn balance for the first time.
“I didn't cut out sugar, but I've never, ever learned balance in my entire life”
Listen from 8:13 · Blood lipids and cholesterol
Adam Pally
Pally says he drank and ate worse during his Broadway run than at any other time in his life.
“When I did it, I've never drank more or eaten worse in my entire life”
Listen from 11:25 · Broadway theatre
Sean Hayes
Hayes argues that Broadway performers are like athletes because they repeat the same physical movements night after night.
“everybody's an athlete because you're doing the same movements over and over, and your body and your muscles get really”
Listen from 13:32 · Broadway theatre
Adam Pally
Pally describes his season on a multicam sitcom as a great job with good hours, like hitting a slot machine.
“I did a multicam for, for one season and it felt like hitting a slot because you're like, Oh, this is, it's a great job”
Listen from 14:30 · Multi-camera setup
Sean Hayes
Hayes recalls that James Burrows worked so quickly on Will & Grace that the cast worked only about four hours a day.
“we would get to work at 10 and we'd been done at two, four hours a day”
Listen from 14:53 · Will & Grace
Jon Gabrus
Gabrus describes his upcoming Amazon multicam series DINKs, which stars Paul Scheer and June Diane Raphael and is partly improvised.
“It's called Dinks, Double Income, No Kids. Paul Scheer and June Diane Raphael play like a married couple”
Listen from 15:28 · DINKs (TV series)
Sean Hayes
Hayes argues that classic sitcoms worked because actors played scenes to each other as in a play, unlike many modern sitcoms.
“They're all acting in the scene. They're not performing for the audience”
Listen from 18:38 · Multi-camera setup
Sean Hayes
Hayes says he is not on GLP-1 drugs but was insulin resistant and pre-pre-diabetic.
“No, I'm not on those, but I was pre-pre-diabetes”
Listen from 24:45 · Metformin
Adam Pally
Pally reports that his physician father prescribes GLP-1 drugs to many patients over 45 because he believes they prevent strokes, heart attacks, and some cancers.
“he believes that it does prevent stroke and heart attack and even some cancers”
Listen from 25:31 · GLP-1 receptor agonists
Jon Gabrus
Gabrus says that taking Zepbound let him experience feeling satiated for the first time.
“I now will eat a meal and go like, I can't believe that was enough food”
Listen from 26:35 · GLP-1 receptor agonists
Sean Hayes
Hayes argues that adults do not need three meals a day because they are no longer growing.
“We don't need to eat three meals a day because we're not growing anymore”
Listen from 27:11
Jon Gabrus
Gabrus says he memorizes lines by writing them all out by hand before running them.
“When I'm trying to go off book, off book, I have to write all my lines out”
Listen from 30:40 · Memorization of lines
Sean Hayes
Hayes describes his recent one-man thriller The Unknown, in which he played ten characters in a 70-minute monologue.
“a one-man show called The Unknown, where I played 10 different characters”
Listen from 31:32 · The Unknown (play)
Sean Hayes
Hayes argues that the eight-shows-a-week Broadway schedule was created by producers for money and is inhuman.
“the more shows you do the more money but it's like i think it's inhuman”
Listen from 34:18 · Broadway theatre
Sean Hayes
Hayes says he negotiated a 7 p.m. curtain and seven shows a week in his contract.
“when we were doing the contract, I was like, I'm not doing eight. I'm doing seven o'clock”
Listen from 37:16 · Broadway theatre
Sean Hayes
Hayes explains that performers must time meals carefully to avoid acid reflux affecting their voice.
“you got to make sure you eat lunch at the right time so it digests so you don't have acid reflux”
Listen from 38:05 · Broadway theatre
Jon Gabrus
Gabrus says he now feels depressed after several days without exercise, something he didn't believe when younger.
“I get depressed after day four of not exercising”
Listen from 41:31 · Exercise and personal training
Sean Hayes
Hayes says he hates exercise but feels glad after working out and has recently started seeing results.
“I fucking hate it. But when I'm there, I'm so glad I went. And knowing that feeling makes me go back”
Listen from 41:33 · Exercise and personal training

People

In the conversation

Adam PallyAmerican comedian and co-host of Staying Alive podcast
Jon GabrusAmerican comedian and improviser, co-host of Staying Alive
Sean HayesAmerican actor and comedian, co-host of SmartLess

Discussed

James BurrowsAmerican television director of Cheers, Will & Grace, and Friends
Marta KauffmanAmerican television writer and producer, co-creator of Friends
Paul ScheerAmerican comedian and actor starring in DINKs
June Diane RaphaelAmerican actress and comedian starring in DINKs
Sam MendesBritish director making a series of Beatles films
Tim MeadowsAmerican comedian whose improv performance inspired Barinholtz
Jason BatemanAmerican actor and director, co-host of SmartLess
Will ArnettCanadian-American actor and comedian, co-host of SmartLess

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From the publisher

Hey, Smarties! Please enjoy this hilarious, wide-ranging interview with Sean Hayes on SmartLess Media’s show Staying Alive! Hosts Jon Gabrus and Adam Pally sit down with Sean to ask him about his fitness, diet, sleep, hypochondria, memorization tricks, Broadway endurance, and the dangers of getting into a comedic flow state. Plus: the time Sean and Gabrus made a hair-based game show (let’s bring back Hair Jacked, Gabrus is tech avail). Go to the Staying Alive feed and hit subscribe! Full video episodes available HERE. Check out Staying Alive merch at siriusxmstore.com/stayingalive This episode was recorded September 9, 2026 on the information superhighway Staying Alive is produced by Devon Torrey Bryant and Anne Harris Engineered and edited by Devon Torrey Bryant, who also wrote the music Associate producer and video editor is Maddie McCann Executive produced by Jon Gabrus, Adam Pally, Sean Hayes, Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, Bernie Kaminski, and Rich Korson Keywords for this episode: Megan Mullally, Grammy, Netflix, Crocs, Promises Promises, Bitcoin wallet, pacifier, bloodwork, Häagen-Dazs, sleep, CBD, soft plaque, Ezekiel bread, Clean Plate Club, “I’m Out!”, mutton, Broadway, Rocky, multicam, James Burrows, Saturday Night Live, DINKs, Marta Kauffman, Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael, craft services, Sandy Flowers, pierogi, teleplays, August: Osage County, Supersized episodes, Metformin, thyroid, cod, Hair Jacked, Hazy Mills, Indigo Girls, The Unknown, McGruff, Catholic guilt, Sunset Marquee, Momoa

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on October 30, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: Comedy Interviews·Health & Fitness·Performing Arts