Debra Messing

Debra Messing
Messing in 2009
Born	Debra Lynn Messing (1968-08-15) August 15, 1968 (age 56) [1] New York City, U.S.
Education	Brandeis University (BA) New York University (MFA)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1993–present
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Daniel Zelman ​ ​ (m. 2000;div. 2016)​
Partner	Will Chase (2011–2014)
Children	1

Debra Lynn Messing (born August 15, 1968) is an American actress. After graduating from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Messing starred in the television series, Ned and Stacey on Fox (1995–1997), and Prey on ABC (1998). She achieved her breakthrough role as Grace Adler, an interior designer, on the NBC sitcom Will & Grace (1998–2006, 2017–2020), for which she received seven Golden Globe Award nominations and five Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, winning once, in 2003.

From 2007 to 2008, Messing starred as Molly Kagan, the ex-wife of a Hollywood film mogul, on the television miniseries The Starter Wife , for which she received two Golden Globe nominations, a Primetime Emmy Award nomination, and a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination. Thereafter, she appeared as Broadway playwright Julia Houston on the NBC musical drama Smash (2012–2013) and as homicide detective Laura Diamond on the NBC police-procedural comedy The Mysteries of Laura (2014–2016). From 2017 to 2020, Messing reprised her role as Grace Adler on NBC's three season revival of Will & Grace, garnering a ninth Golden Globe nomination for her performance.

Messing's film work includes A Walk in the Clouds (1995), Jesus (1999), The Mothman Prophecies (2002), Hollywood Ending (2002), Along Came Polly (2004), The Wedding Date (2005), Lucky You (2007), The Women (2008), Nothing Like the Holidays (2008), Searching (2018), and 13: The Musical (2022). She has also lent her voice to animated films such as Garfield (2004) and Open Season (2006).

Early life

Messing was born in Brooklyn, New York, ^{[2] [3]} the daughter of Sandra (née Simons), who worked as a professional singer, banker, and travel and real estate agent, and Brian Messing, a sales executive for a costume jewelry packaging manufacturer. Their Jewish ancestors came from Russia and Poland. ^{[4] [5]} Messing had a Bat Mitzvah ceremony. ^{[6] [7] [8]} When Messing was three, she moved with her parents and her older brother, Brett, to East Greenwich, Rhode Island. ^[9]

While Messing's parents encouraged her dream of becoming an actress, they also urged her to complete a liberal arts education before deciding on acting as a career. Following their advice, she attended Brandeis University, where, at her parents' request, three-quarters of her courses were not theater-related. ^[3]

In 1990, after graduating summa cum laude from Brandeis with a Bachelor of Arts in Theater Arts, Messing gained admission to the elite Grad Acting Program at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, which accepts 16 new students annually. She earned a Master of Fine Arts after three years. ^[10]

Career

In 1993, Messing won acclaim for her performance as Harper in the pre-Broadway workshop production of Tony Kushner's play Angels in America: Perestroika . ^[2] Subsequently, she appeared in several episodes of the television series NYPD Blue during 1994 and 1995.

Messing at the Tribeca Film Festival 2009 premiere of Whatever Works

In 1995, Messing made her film debut in Alfonso Arau's A Walk in the Clouds playing the unfaithful wife of main character Paul Sutton (Keanu Reeves). This exposure led Fox to make her the co-star of the television sitcom Ned & Stacey . The series lasted for two seasons, from 1995 to 1997. Messing appeared as Jerry Seinfeld's romantic interest in two episodes of the series Seinfeld : "The Wait Out" in 1996 and "The Yada Yada" in 1997. Messing turned down a starring role in another television sitcom to appear in Donald Margulies's two-character play Collected Stories, which opened at the off-Broadway Manhattan Theatre Club. She also co-starred in the Tom Arnold vehicle McHale's Navy in 1997.

In 1998, Messing played a lead role as the bioanthropologist Sloan Parker on ABC's dramatic science-fiction television series Prey . During this time, her agent approached her with the pilot script for the television show Will & Grace . Messing was inclined to take some time off, but the script intrigued her, and she auditioned for the role of Grace Adler, beating Nicollette Sheridan, who later guest-starred on the show as Grace's romantic rival. Will & Grace became a ratings success, and Messing received critical acclaim for her performance. ^[2]

Director Woody Allen cast Messing in a supporting role in his film Hollywood Ending (2002). Her film roles since include Richard Gere's ill-fated wife in the supernatural thriller The Mothman Prophecies (2002) and a supporting role as an unfaithful bride in Along Came Polly (2004). The Wedding Date (2005) was Messing's first leading role in a high-profile film. It received mixed reviews but performed fairly well at the box office.

Messing was featured as a judge on the season finale of the second season of Bravo's reality show Project Runway . Also in 2005, along with Megan Mullally, she was awarded the Women in Film Lucy Award in recognition of her excellence and innovation in her creative works that have enhanced the perception of women through the medium of television. ^[11]

She also starred in the television miniseries The Starter Wife (2007), which was nominated for ten Emmy Awards, including one for Messing for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie. In 2008, Messing reprised her role as Molly Kagan in the television series The Starter Wife , consisting of 10 episodes. ^[12] In early 2010, Messing starred in the ABC comedy pilot Wright vs. Wrong for the 2010–2011 primetime season, but ABC did not pick-up the pilot. ^[13]

In July 2011, Messing was ranked no. 22 on the TV Guide Network special, Funniest Women on TV. In February 2011, producers announced that Messing would star in a new NBC musical pilot called Smash for the 2011–2012 primetime season. ^[14] In May 2011, it was reported that NBC picked up the show as a series for the 2011–2012 season. ^[15] The show premiered on February 6, 2012. The show was later renewed for a second season after which it was cancelled. ^[16]

Messing appeared with Green Day singer Billie Joe Armstrong and Leighton Meester in Frank Whaley's drama film Like Sunday, Like Rain in 2014. For her performance, Messing won the 2014 Best Actress Award at The Williamsburg Independent Film Festival. ^[17]

She made her Broadway debut in John Patrick Shanley's play Outside Mullingar alongside Tony Award winner Brían F. O'Byrne, which began previews at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on January 3, 2014. ^[18] Outside Mullingar was nominated for Best Play for the 2014 (68th Annual) Tony Awards.

Messing starred in The Mysteries of Laura , a police procedural television show that premiered in September 2014. The series lasted for two seasons and ended in 2016. Messing portrayed Marjorie Houseman in the television remake of the film Dirty Dancing (1987). It aired on ABC in May 2017. ^[19] She starred again as Grace Adler in the revival of Will & Grace on NBC. The revival aired for three seasons, from September 2017 to April 2020.

Personal life

Messing met Daniel Zelman, an actor and screenwriter, on their first day as graduate students at New York University in 1990. They were married on September 3, 2000, and lived in Manhattan. On April 7, 2004, Messing gave birth to their son, Roman. ^[20] In December 2011, she and her husband separated after 11 years of marriage. ^[21] Messing filed for divorce on June 5, 2012, ^[22] and the divorce became official on March 1, 2016. ^[23] Messing dated her Smash co-star Will Chase from the end of 2011 to October 2014. ^[24] In 2012, she posed nude for the May issue of Allure magazine. ^[25]

Activism

Politically, Messing supports the Democratic Party. ^[26] In 2004, Messing started working on campaigns by knocking on doors and making phone calls. ^[27] In 2018, Messing co-founded I am a voter. with Mandana Dayani, a nonpartisan civic movement to educate and mobilize voters. ^[28] Before the runoff election in Georgia in 2021, Messing posted a message on Instagram directing followers to VoteRiders for information on voter ID requirements and assistance with obtaining an ID to vote. ^[29]

In October 2023, following the outbreak of the 2023 Israel-Hamas War in Gaza, Messing was one of the signatories of an open letter supporting the Israeli military, published by the pro-Israel organization Creative Community For Peace. ^[4]

In November 2023, amid growing criticism of the Israeli military, Messing was among more than a dozen creators and celebrities who confronted TikTok executives in a private phone call, during which she accused the site of being "the main platform for the dissemination of Jew hate". The company reportedly pushed back against claims that it was promoting pro-Palestine, anti-Israel content through its feeds, stating instead that while the platform regularly moderates anti-semitic, anti-Arab racist, and Islamophobic content, it does not moderate or amplify the spread of content that accuses Zionism of being settler colonialism, the alleged apartheid, or the ethnic cleansing and genocide of Palestinians. ^{[30] [31]} In December 2023, Messing was photographed supporting the Israeli military in the company of political commentator Douglas Murray. ^{[32] [33]}

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1995	A Walk in the Clouds	Betty Sutton
1997	McHale's Navy	Lt. Penelope Carpenter
1998	Celebrity	TV reporter
2002	The Mothman Prophecies	Mary Klein
	Hollywood Ending	Lori
2003	Marion's Triumph	Narrator
2004	Along Came Polly	Lisa Kramer
	Garfield	Arlene	Voice role
2005	The Wedding Date	Kat Ellis
2006	Open Season	Beth	Voice role
2007	Purple Violets	Kate Scott
	Lucky You	Suzanne Offer
2008	The Women	Edie Cohen
	Nothing like the Holidays	Sarah Rodriguez
2014	Like Sunday, Like Rain	Barbara
2016	Albion: The Enchanted Stallion	The Queen
2018	Searching	Detective Sergeant Rosemary Vick
2020	Irresistible	Babs Garnett
	The Dark Divide	Thea Linnea Pyle
2022	13: The Musical	Jessica Goldman
	Bros	Herself	[34]
2025	Alto Knights	Bobbie Costello	Post-production

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1994–1995	NYPD Blue	Dana Abandando	3 episodes
1995	Partners	Stacey	Episode: "City Hall"
1995–1997	Ned & Stacey	Stacey Colbert	Main role
1996, 1997	Seinfeld	Beth Lookner	Episodes: "The Wait Out" & "The Yada Yada"
1998	Prey	Dr. Sloan Parker	Main role
1998–2006 2017–2020	Will & Grace	Grace Adler
1999	Jesus	Mary Magdalene	Television film
2002	King of the Hill	Mrs. Hilgren-Bronson	Episode: "Get Your Freak Off"
2006, 2012	Project Runway	Herself / Guest judge	Season 2, Episode: "Finale – Part 2" Season 10, Episode: "I Get a Kick Out of Fashion"
2007	The Starter Wife	Molly Kagan	Miniseries (6 episodes)
2008			Main role
2009	Sesame Street	Herself	Episode #4190
2011	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit	Alicia Harding	Episode: "Pursuit"
2012–2013	Smash	Julia Houston	Main role
2014, 2016, 2019	Project Runway All Stars	Herself / Guest judge	3 episodes
2014–2016	The Mysteries of Laura	Detective Laura Diamond	Lead role
2015	Jeopardy!	Herself	4 episodes
2016	Match Game		1 episode
2016–17	Nightcap		2 episodes
2017	Dirty Dancing	Marjorie Houseman	Television film

Awards and nominations

Messing's most honored role is as Grace Adler on Will & Grace , which earned her seven Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Lead Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical; five Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, one of which she won in 2003; and seven Screen Actors Guild Award nominations: two for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series and five for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series – winning one in 2001.

Honors

• 2005: Nominated for Favorite Funny Female Star by the People's Choice Awards.
• 2005: Honored with the Lucy Award, by the Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards – to recognize women and men and their creative works that have enhanced the perception of women through the medium of television.
• 2017: Honored with the Excellence in Media Award by the GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) – to individuals in the media and entertainment industries who through their work have increased the visibility and understanding of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community.
• 2017, October 6: Inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame and received a star for her contribution to Television – located at 6201 Hollywood Blvd. ^[35]

Accolades

Organizations	Year	Category	Work	Result
American Comedy Awards	2000	Funniest Female Performer in a Television Series	Will & Grace	Nominated
	2001			Nominated
Audie Awards	2010	Audiobook of the Year	Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales	Won
		Multi-Voiced Performance
Critics' Choice Movie Awards	2019	Best Actress in a Comedy Television Series	Will & Grace	Nominated
Emmy Awards (Primetime)	2000	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series		Nominated
	2001			Nominated
	2002			Nominated
	2003			Won
	2006			Nominated
	2007	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Television Movie	The Starter Wife	Nominated
Gold Derby Awards	2004	Best TV Comedy Lead Actress	Will & Grace	Nominated
	2007	Best TV Movie/Miniseries Actress	The Starter Wife	Nominated
Golden Globe Awards	2000	Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy	Will & Grace	Nominated
	2001			Nominated
	2002			Nominated
	2003			Nominated
	2004			Nominated
	2005			Nominated
	2008	Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film	The Starter Wife	Nominated
	2009	Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy		Nominated
	2019		Will & Grace	Nominated
Gracie Awards	2008	Outstanding Female Lead – Miniseries	The Starter Wife	Won
Online Film & Television Association Awards	1999	Best Actress in a New Comedy Series	Will & Grace	Nominated
		Best Ensemble in a New Comedy Series		Nominated
		Best Actress in a Comedy Series		Nominated
	2000			Nominated
		Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series		Won
	2001	Best Actress in a Comedy Series		Nominated
		Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series		Won
	2002	Best Actress in a Comedy Series		Nominated
		Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series		Nominated
	2003	Best Actress in a Comedy Series		Nominated
	2006			Won
	2007	Best Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television	The Starter Wife	Nominated
Outer Critics Circle Awards	2022	Outstanding Actress in a Play	Birthday Candles	Nominated
People's Choice Awards	2005	Favorite Female Television Star	Will & Grace	Nominated
	2015	Favorite Actress in a New Television Series	The Mysteries of Laura	Nominated
Satellite Awards	2002	Best Actress in a TV Series Comedy or Musical	Will & Grace	Won
	2003			Won
	2004			Nominated
	2007	Best Actress in a Miniseries or TV Film	The Starter Wife	Nominated
	2008	Best Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical	Nothing like the Holidays	Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards	2001	Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series	Will & Grace	Nominated
		Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series		Won
	2002			Nominated
	2003			Nominated
	2004	Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series		Nominated
		Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series		Nominated
	2005			Nominated
	2008	Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries	The Starter Wife	Nominated
Teen Choice Awards	2001	Choice TV Actress	Will & Grace	Nominated
	2002	Choice TV Actress – Comedy		Nominated
	2006			Nominated
TV Guide Awards	2001	Best Actress of the Year in a Comedy Series		Won
	2006	Editor's Choice Award		Won
	2012	Favorite Comeback	Smash	Nominated
Viewers for Quality Television Awards	1999	Best Actress in a Quality Comedy Series	Will & Grace	Nominated
	2000			Nominated
Williamsburg Independent Film Festival	2014	Best Featured Actress	Like Sunday, Like Rain	Won

References

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2. Stated in interview on Inside the Actors Studio
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External links

• Debra Messing at IMDb
• Debra Messing Video produced by Makers: Women Who Make America
• Debra Messing at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
• Debra Messing on Instagram