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Debra Messing

Debra Messing

Department: Acting

Biography

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 shortlived 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). Description above from the Wikipedia article Debra Messing, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

Jesus

Jesus

1999

Lucky You

Lucky You

2007

The Mothman Prophecies

The Mothman Prophecies

2002

Purple Violets

Purple Violets

2007

Along Came Polly

Along Came Polly

2004

Open Season

Open Season

2006

The Wedding Date

The Wedding Date

2005

Nothing Like the Holidays

Nothing Like the Holidays

2008

A Walk in the Clouds

A Walk in the Clouds

1995

Hollywood Ending

Hollywood Ending

2002

The Women

The Women

2008

McHale's Navy

McHale's Navy

1997

Like Sunday, Like Rain

Like Sunday, Like Rain

2014

13: The Musical

13: The Musical

2022

Bros

Bros

2022

NBC 75th Anniversary Special

NBC 75th Anniversary Special

2002

The Alto Knights

The Alto Knights

2025

Celebrity

Celebrity

1998

Must See TV: An All Star Tribute to James Burrows

Must See TV: An All Star Tribute to James Burrows

2016

Dirty Dancing

Dirty Dancing

2017

Albion: The Enchanted Stallion

Albion: The Enchanted Stallion

2016

Searching

Searching

2018

Garfield

Garfield

2004

Wright vs. Wrong

Wright vs. Wrong

2010

Stucco

Stucco

2019

The Dark Divide

The Dark Divide

2020

Bombshell in Concert

Bombshell in Concert

2020

Irresistible

Irresistible

2020

The Paley Center Salutes Law & Order: SVU

The Paley Center Salutes Law & Order: SVU

2020

October 8

October 8

2025

The War of the Worlds 2021

The War of the Worlds 2021

2021

Sesame Street: Wild Words and Outdoor Adventures

Sesame Street: Wild Words and Outdoor Adventures

2011

Inside the Actors Studio

Inside the Actors Studio

1994

Seinfeld

Seinfeld

1989

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

2003

Today

Today

1952

King of the Hill

King of the Hill

1997

The View

The View

1997

Tamron Hall

Tamron Hall

2019

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

1992

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

1999

Ned & Stacey

Ned & Stacey

1995

Prey

Prey

1998

The Starter Wife

The Starter Wife

2007

Will & Grace

Will & Grace

1998

Late Night with Conan O'Brien

Late Night with Conan O'Brien

1993

Partners

Partners

1995

Smash

Smash

2012

The Mysteries of Laura

The Mysteries of Laura

2014

Billy on the Street

Billy on the Street

2011

Project Runway

Project Runway

2004

Project Runway

Project Runway

2004

Will & Grace

Will & Grace

2017

The $100,000 Pyramid

The $100,000 Pyramid

2016

LIVE with Kelly and Mark

LIVE with Kelly and Mark

1988

The Graham Norton Show

The Graham Norton Show

2007

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

2014

Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter

Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter

2015

Match Game

Match Game

2016

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

2009

The Reichen Show

The Reichen Show

2005

Late Night with Seth Meyers

Late Night with Seth Meyers

2014

Trailblazer Honors

Trailblazer Honors

2014

MADtv

MADtv

1995

Project Accessory

Project Accessory

2011

The Megan Mullally Show

The Megan Mullally Show

2006

Jesus

Jesus

2000

Variety Studio: Actors on Actors

Variety Studio: Actors on Actors

2014

The One Show

The One Show

2006

Entertainment Tonight

Entertainment Tonight

1981

Extra

Extra

1994