Debra Messing

Debra Messing
Full Name	Debra Lynn Messing
Born	August 15, 1968
Spouse	Daniel Zelman (2000-16)
Children	Roman Walker Zelman
Career
Alma mater	Brandeis University NYU Tisch School of the Arts
Other notable work	Garfield (2004) The Starter Wife (2007-08) Smash (2012-13) The Mysteries of Laura (2014-16)

Debra Messing is an American actress who portrayed Grace Adler in Will & Grace.

Grace Adler

Casting

Messing was playing the lead in ABC's sci-fi series Prey when she was asked to audition for the role of Grace. She admits she was unsure if she wanted the role because she had been working for five straight years at that point and was thinking of taking a break. However, she had a goal to work on an NBC sitcom with director James Burrows so she decided to try for the part.

According to Messing, the producers came to her house with a liter of vodka to persuade her to pursue the role. She was told that she was the only one coming in to read that day but later found out two other actresses were told the same thing. Nicollette Sheridan, who would later make a guest appearance as a rival to Grace, was also a front runner for the role but producer Max Mutchnick would later recall her reading to be "too desperate" (a reference to Sheridan's later role in Desperate Housewives). Messing was the last to audition and after reading scenes with Eric McCormack at the den of James Burrows' home, she was offered the role. According to McCormack, Messing won over the casting director because she was the first actress to laugh during the scene, showing how her character Grace enjoys being friends with Will.

Portrayal

Messing, who idolizes comediennes Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett, did not want to play Grace as the "pristine" and "pretty, straight" woman but rather enjoyed more physical comedy in her portrayal.

According to Eric McCormack, Messing tends to have "sudden comic inspirations" including playfully hitting her co-stars when her character is upset and jumping into their arms out of excitement.

Awards and Nominations

Year	Award	Category	Result
2000	American Comedy Award	Best Female Performer in a TV Series	Nominated
	Primetime Emmy Award	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series	Nominated
	Golden Globe Award	Best Actress in a TV Series – Comedy or Musical	Nominated
	Screen Actors Guild Award	Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series	Nominated
		Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (with Sean Hayes, Eric McCormack, and Megan Mullally)	Won
	Viewers for Quality Television Award	Best Actress in a Comedy Series	Nominated
2001	American Comedy Award	Best Female Performer in a TV Series	Nominated
	Primetime Emmy Award	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series	Nominated
	Golden Globe Award	Best Actress in a TV Series – Comedy or Musical	Nominated
	Screen Actors Guild Award	Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (with Hayes, McCormack, and Mullally)	Nominated
	Teen Choice Award	Choice TV Actress	Nominated
	TV Guide Award	Actress of the Year in a Comedy Series	Won
2002	Primetime Emmy Award	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series	Nominated
	Golden Globe Award	Best Actress in a TV Series – Comedy or Musical	Nominated
	Satellite Award	Best Actress in a TV Series – Comedy or Musical	Won
	Screen Actors Guild Award	Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (with Hayes, McCormack, and Mullally)	Nominated
	Teen Choice Award	Choice TV Actress	Nominated
2003	Primetime Emmy Award	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series	Won
	Golden Globe Award	Best Actress in a TV Series – Comedy or Musical	Nominated
	Satellite Award	Best Actress in a TV Series – Comedy or Musical	Won
	Screen Actors Guild Award	Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series	Nominated
		Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (with Hayes, McCormack, and Mullally)	Nominated
	Golden Globe Award	Best Actress in a TV Series – Comedy or Musical	Nominated
2004	Satellite Award	Best Actress in a TV Series – Comedy or Musical	Nominated
	Screen Actors Guild Award	Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (with Hayes, McCormack, and Mullally)	Nominated
2005	Golden Globe Award	Best Actress in a TV Series – Comedy or Musical	Nominated
	People's Choice Award	Best Female TV Star	Nominated
		Best Female Comedic Star	Nominated
2006	Primetime Emmy Award	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series	Nominated
	Teen Choice Award	Choice TV Actress	Nominated

Notes

• Similar to Grace, Messing is also Jewish and originally has brown hair.
• Messing is the last member of the main cast to win an Emmy for the first time. She won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2003 for the episode The Kids Stay Out of the Picture, which features the climactic argument between Will and Grace about having a child together.

  

• Messing's rider requests include a list in accordance to her many allergies: "Debra is allergic to ALL WHITE FISH, chicken, mushrooms, gluten, dairy, butter (except feta and goat cheese). Debra does not eat game, beans, yogurt, broccoli, cauliflower. She is lactose intolerant. She cannot have cheese or milk (only coconut milk)," the rider said, according to Page Six. But the list didn't end there: "Debra is allergic to wool, cats, cashmere, down feathers, FLOWERS and gabardine [a type of woven cloth]. The only flower she is not allergic to is orchids."

  

Media

Debra Messing Clairol Commercial (1995)

Debra Messing wins 2003 Emmy Award for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

 External links

• Debra Messing at the Internet Movie Database
• Debra Messing on Twitter