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Debra Messing

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Debra Messing
Messing in 2009
Born
Debra Lynn Messing

(1968-08-15) August 15, 1968 (age 55)[1]
New York City, U.S.
EducationBrandeis University (BA)
New York University (MFA)
OccupationActress
Years active1993–present
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2000; div. 2016)​
PartnerWill Chase (2011–2014)
Children1

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

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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.[4][5] Messing is Jewish and had a Bat Mitzvah ceremony. Her Jewish ancestors emigrated from Poland and Russia.[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

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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

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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

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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

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Film

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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

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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 Main role
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 The Starter Wife Molly Kagan 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 Herself 1 episode
2016–17 Nightcap Herself 2 episodes
2017 Dirty Dancing Marjorie Houseman Television film

Awards and nominations

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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

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  • 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

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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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  1. ^ "Rotten Tomatoes: Movies | TV Shows | Movie Trailers | Reviews - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on April 16, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Stated in interview on Inside the Actors Studio
  3. ^ a b Ouzounian, Richard (March 9, 2012). "Debra Messing in Smash". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on February 5, 2013. Retrieved March 9, 2012.
  4. ^ a b "The Calling". The Gentlewoman. March 2020. Archived from the original on July 23, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  5. ^ "Debra Messing Biography". www.debramessing.com. Archived from the original on April 30, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  6. ^ Miller, Gerri (March–April 2006). "Lady of Grace". American Jewish Life Magazine. Archived from the original on January 9, 2010. Retrieved April 7, 2010.
  7. ^ Pfefferman, Naomi (May 2, 2002). "Messing Up Stereotypes". The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles. Archived from the original on February 22, 2008. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  8. ^ "Debra Messing: Actress". People. May 13, 2002. Archived from the original on June 6, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  9. ^ Williams, Jeannie (May 3, 2002). "Debra Messing yells 'Hooray!' for 'Hollywood'". USA Today. Archived from the original on January 31, 2008. Retrieved December 9, 2007.
  10. ^ "Select Alumni Bios". NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Archived from the original on January 9, 2021. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  11. ^ "Past Recipients". Women In Film. Archived from the original on August 30, 2011. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
  12. ^ Nordyke, Kimberly (October 17, 2007). "Messing returns in "Starter Wife" series". Yahoo! Entertainment. Archived from the original on October 23, 2007.
  13. ^ Abrhams, Natalie (March 24, 2010). "Cheryl Hines, Carrie Fisher Join Wright vs. Wrong". Archived from the original on September 6, 2014. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  14. ^ Ross, Robyn (February 7, 2011). "Debra Messing to Headline NBC's Musical Pilot – Today's News: Our Take". TV Guide. Archived from the original on February 17, 2013. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
  15. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 11, 2011). "NBC Picks Up Whitney Cummings & Emily Spivey Pilots, 'Smash' & 'Prime Suspect'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 16, 2014. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
  16. ^ Roots, Kimberly (May 10, 2013). "It's Curtains: NBC Officially Cancels Smash". TVLine. Archived from the original on September 6, 2013. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  17. ^ "2014 Winners". Williamsburg Independent Film Festival. Archived from the original on May 16, 2018. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  18. ^ Voss, Brandon (January 4, 2014). "Gracing Broadway — Debra Messing Returns to the Stage in MTC's Outside Mullingar". Playbill. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  19. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (January 14, 2016). "'Dirty Dancing' ABC Remake Casts Debra Messing, Gets Firm Green Light". Deadline Hollywood. New York City. Archived from the original on March 16, 2016. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  20. ^ "The Debra Messing Picture Pages". Superiorpics.com. Retrieved April 7, 2010.[dead link]
  21. ^ Finn, Natalie (December 20, 2011). "The Finished Wife: Debra Messing and Husband Separate". E! News. Archived from the original on April 9, 2012. Retrieved December 20, 2011.
  22. ^ Shira, Dahvi (June 5, 2012). "Debra Messing Files for Divorce". People. Archived from the original on June 6, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  23. ^ "Judge ends Debra Messing's marriage to writer-producer". The Charlotte Observer. Associated Press. March 2, 2016. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  24. ^ Chiu, Melody (October 27, 2014). "Debra Messing and Will Chase Split". People. Archived from the original on April 21, 2016. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
  25. ^ "The Naked Truth: Five Celebrities Go Nude for Allure". Allure. April 17, 2012. Archived from the original on July 10, 2016. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
  26. ^ Dovere, Edward-Isaac (July 5, 2022). "After string of Supreme Court setbacks, Democrats wonder whether Biden White House is capable of urgency moment demands". CNN. Archived from the original on July 5, 2022. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
  27. ^ "'Register a Friend' Day seeks to boost civic engagement". Morning Joe (MSNBC). September 18, 2023. Archived from the original on September 19, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  28. ^ "Debra Messing and Mandana Dayani want to make voting sexy". Good Morning America. October 7, 2020. Archived from the original on November 15, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  29. ^ "Debra Messing on Instagram: "Georgia is one of the strictest voter ID states in the country. For Georgians voting in person- ID is required to cast a ballot and 820,000 Georgians currently do not have govn't issued ID. Most likely to be affected by ID rules: Black voters, young voters, women, Latinx voters, voters with disabilities, Trans voters, voters over 65, voters with lower income @thevoteriders provides FREE HELP to ALL Georgians who need to get their ID in check! Go to VoteRiders.org for more information. #idcheck #Georgia #georgiaonmymind #election #vote #voterid #senate #jonossoff #raphaelwarnock #johnlewis #votingrights #civil rights #Atlanta #GwinnettCounty #CobbCounty"". Instagram. December 19, 2020. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  30. ^ Nolan, Alia Chughtai, Marium Ali, Delaney. "Boycotts and protests – how are people around the world defying Israel?". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on December 29, 2023. Retrieved December 29, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  31. ^ Maheshwari, Sapna (November 16, 2023). "Jewish Celebrities and Influencers Confront TikTok Executives in Private Call". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 20, 2023. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  32. ^ Froim, Yoni (December 21, 2023). "American actor Debora Messing visits in Israel: 'Wouldn't want to be anywhere else'". Ynetnews. Archived from the original on December 27, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  33. ^ Thalen, Mikael (January 25, 2024). "'You sit inside your luxury home': Debra Messing sparks furor for mocking Palestinian journalist's decision to leave Gaza". The Daily Dot. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  34. ^ Soloski, Alexis (May 18, 2022). "Crafting a Rom-Com That's True to 21st-Century Gay Life". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 18, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  35. ^ "Debra Messing". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Archived from the original on October 3, 2018. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
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