Sean Maher was born in Pleasantville, New York on April 16, 1975. He attened New York University and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in drama, where he studied at the Tisch School of the Arts. His training included work with the Collaborative Arts Project Twenty-One, Shakespeare Scenework, the Experimental Theater Wing and Playwrights Horizons Theater School, as well as the Tisch School of the Arts in London. Maher recently received critical acclaim for his portrayal of football player Brian Piccolo in the Wonderful World Of Disney remake of Brian's Song.

Maher's theater credits include such regional productions as "Doors," "Yerma," "Berlin, Berlin," "Over the Tavern, Part II," "Book of the Night," "Severity's Mistress" and "Into the Woods." Sean Maher is familiar to FOX television viewers from his performances in three of the network's drama series. Maher most recently was seen in the Darren Star ensemble The $treet and appeared in the final season of the award-winning series Party of Five. Maher made his television debut in the title role of the police drama Ryan Caufield: Year One. Hoping for a more stable primetime presence, Mahar next signed on as a member of the crew of the futuristic spaceship Serenity on the sci-fi pilot "Firefly," from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" creator Joss Whedon.

During the FOX 2002 summer press tour, Maher told assembled journalists about how he got the role of Dr. Simon Tam. "I had a meeting, then got the role a couple of weeks later. There was no script available. There were only scenes. There were only sides. I had to go on the sides. They were fantastic. Then meeting Joss ... he's one of the most amazing people I've ever met in my life. He's a genius." "[Simon] is on the run. He's a fugitive, but he dresses well. He's not very trusting of anybody. All of his relationships are going to be hesitant. There's a whole storyline with his sister. We find out more of what's going on with her. I think initially he's going to want to leave the ship. She makes connections and all that. She makes relationships, so she's staying."

"Firefly" marks the first time Maher has appeared in a science-fiction project. "Initially, I was turned off by the idea of that, because I wouldn't want to do science fiction. But it's not really science fiction. It's Joss' version. It almost feels like a post-apocalyptic Western. [The sets are] phenomenal," Maher says. "They built one-half of the ship on one soundstage and another half of the ship on another soundstage. I was like a kid in a candy shop."

According to his bio, Maher is single and resides in both New York and Los Angeles.