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 and the eponymous tv series, for which she in total 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), 13: The Musical (2022), and The Alto Knights (2025). She has also lent her voice to animated films such as Garfield (2004) and Open Season (2006).
Early life and education
Messing was born in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of Sandra Ellen (), 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. Her family is Jewish, and emigrated to the U.S. from Russia; Przecław, Poland; and London, England. Messing had a Bat Mitzvah ceremony. When Messing was three, she moved with her parents and her older brother, Brett, to East Greenwich, Rhode Island.
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.
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.
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. 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.
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. In May 2011, it was reported that NBC picked up the show as a series for the 2011–2012 season. The show premiered on February 6, 2012. The show was later renewed for a second season after which it was cancelled.
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.
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. Outside Mullingar was nominated for Best Play for the 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. 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.
In 2022 she come back to Broadway acting in the leading role on Birthday Candles at the American Airlines Theatre being nominated at the Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Actress in a Play. In 2024 she starred as on Off-Broadway play Shit. Meet. Fan at MCC Theater.
Activism
In 2004, Messing started working on political campaigns by knocking on doors and making phone calls. She has frequently criticized Donald Trump since his presidential run in 2016. In 2018, Messing and Mandana Dayani founded a nonpartisan organization called "I am a voter" to educate and mobilize voters. , Messing supported the Democratic Party.
Gaza war
Messing has been a vocal supporter of Israel since the October 7 attacks. In November 2023, she gave a speech at the March for Israel in Washington, D.C. On a December 2023 trip to Israel organized by the Creative Community for Peace, Messing met with members of the Israeli military and families of the hostages.
Some social media users have expressed gratitude to Messing for sharing stories about the hostages and their families, while others have criticized her posts about the Gaza war as disregarding the Gaza humanitarian crisis and the Palestinian death toll.
Messing has also signed open letters related to the Gaza war, including letters criticizing Jonathan Glazer's Oscars acceptance speech for The Zone of Interest, Bisan Owda's Emmy nomination, and the Film Workers for Palestine boycott of Israeli film institutions.
Messing appeared in and served as executive producer for October 8, a 2025 documentary about antisemitism during the Gaza war.
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. They have a son. In 2011, she and Zelman separated, and were officially divorced in 2016. Messing dated her Smash co-star Will Chase from the end of 2011 to October 2014.
Filmography
Film
{| class = "wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
|1995
|'
|Betty Sutton
|
|-
|1997
|McHale's Navy
|Lt. Penelope Carpenter
|
|-
|1998
|Celebrity
|TV reporter
|
|-
| rowspan=2| 2002
|'
|Mary Klein
|
|-
|Hollywood Ending
|Lori
|
|-
|2003
|Marion's Triumph
| Narrator
|
|-
|rowspan=2| 2004
|Along Came Polly
|Lisa Kramer
|
|-
|Garfield
|Arlene (voice)
|
|-
|2005
|'
|Kat Ellis
|
|-
|2006
|Open Season
|Beth (voice)
|
|-
|rowspan=2| 2007
|Purple Violets
|Kate Scott
|
|-
|Lucky You
|Suzanne Offer
|
|-
| rowspan=2| 2008
|'
|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
|
|-
| rowspan=2| 2020
| Irresistible
| Babs Garnett
|
|-
| The Dark Divide
| Thea Linnea Pyle
|
|-
| rowspan=2| 2022
| 13: The Musical
| Jessica Goldman
|
|-
| Bros
| Herself
|
|-
| rowspan=2| 2025
| October 8
|Herself
- 2025: Honored with the Israeli Film Festival Achievement In Film And Television Award.
Accolades
{|class=wikitable
!width=10%|Organizations
!width=2%|Year
!width=18%|Category
!width=6%|Work
!width=4%|Result
|-
! scope=row rowspan="2" |American Comedy Awards
|2000
| rowspan="2" |Funniest Female Performer in a Television Series
| rowspan="2" |Will & Grace
|
|-
|2001
|
|-
!scope="row" rowspan="2"|Audie Awards
|rowspan=2|2010
||Audiobook of the Year
|rowspan=2|Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales
|rowspan=2
|-
| Multi-Voiced Performance
|-
! scope=row rowspan="1" |Critics' Choice Movie Awards
|2019
|Best Actress in a Comedy Television Series
| rowspan="6" |Will & Grace
|
|-
! scope=row rowspan="6" |Emmy Awards (Primetime)
|2000
| rowspan="5" |Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
|
|-
|2001
|
|-
|2002
|
|-
|2003
|
|-
|2006
|
|-
|2007
|Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Television Movie
|The Starter Wife
|
|-
! scope=row rowspan="2" |Gold Derby Awards
|2004
|Best TV Comedy Lead Actress
|Will & Grace
|
|-
|2007
|Best TV Movie/Miniseries Actress
|The Starter Wife
|
|-
! scope=row rowspan="9" |Golden Globe Awards
|2000
| rowspan="6" |Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy
| rowspan="6" |Will & Grace
|
|-
|2001
|
|-
|2002
|
|-
|2003
|
|-
|2004
|
|-
|2005
|
|-
|2008
|Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film
| rowspan="2" |The Starter Wife
|
|-
|2009
| rowspan="2" |Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy
|
|-
|2019
|Will & Grace
|
|-
! scope=row |Gracie Awards
|2008
|Outstanding Female Lead – Miniseries
|The Starter Wife
|
|-
! scope=row rowspan="12" |Online Film & Television Association Awards
| rowspan="3" |1999
|Best Actress in a New Comedy Series
| rowspan="11" |Will & Grace
|
|-
|Best Ensemble in a New Comedy Series
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |Best Actress in a Comedy Series
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2000
|
|-
|Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2001
|Best Actress in a Comedy Series
|
|-
|Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2002
|Best Actress in a Comedy Series
|
|-
|Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series
|
|-
|2003
| rowspan="2" |Best Actress in a Comedy Series
|
|-
|2006
|
|-
|2007
|Best Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television
|The Starter Wife
|
|-
! scope=row |Outer Critics Circle Awards
|2022
|Outstanding Actress in a Play
|Birthday Candles
|
|-
! scope=row rowspan="2" |People's Choice Awards
|2005
|Favorite Female Television Star
|Will & Grace
|
|-
|2015
|Favorite Actress in a New Television Series
|The Mysteries of Laura
|
|-
! scope=row rowspan="5" |Satellite Awards
|2002
| rowspan="3" |Best Actress in a TV Series Comedy or Musical
| rowspan="3" |Will & Grace
|
|-
|2003
|
|-
|2004
|
|-
|2007
|Best Actress in a Miniseries or TV Film
|The Starter Wife
|
|-
|2008
|Best Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical
|Nothing like the Holidays
|
|-
! scope=row rowspan="8" |Screen Actors Guild Awards
| rowspan="2" |2001
|Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
| rowspan="7" |Will & Grace
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
|
|-
|2002
|
|-
|2003
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2004
|Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
|
|-
|2005
|
|-
|2008
|Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
|The Starter Wife
|
|-
! scope=row rowspan="3" |Teen Choice Awards
|2001
|Choice TV Actress
| rowspan="5" |Will & Grace
|
|-
|2002
| rowspan="2" |Choice TV Actress – Comedy
|
|-
|2006
|
|-
! scope=row rowspan="3" |TV Guide Awards
|2001
|Best Actress of the Year in a Comedy Series
|
|-
|2006
|Editor's Choice Award
|
|-
|2012
|Favorite Comeback
|Smash
|
|-
! scope=row rowspan="2" |Viewers for Quality Television Awards
|1999
| rowspan="2" |Best Actress in a Quality Comedy Series
| rowspan="2" |Will & Grace
|
|-
|2000
|
|-
! scope=row |Williamsburg Independent Film Festival
|2014
|Best Featured Actress
|Like Sunday, Like Rain
|
|-
|}
References
External links
- Debra Messing Video produced by Makers: Women Who Make America