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Debra Messing

Acting

Born August 15, 1968 · Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Also known as Дебра Мессинг · Debra Lynn Messing · デブラ・メッシング

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.

Awards & recognition

  • TV Guide Award · 2016
  • TV Guide Award · 2012
  • Lucy Award · 2005
  • Screen Actors Guild AwardOutstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series · 2004
  • Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series · 2003
Show all 13 awards →
  • Satellite AwardBest Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy · 2003
  • Screen Actors Guild AwardOutstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series · 2003
  • Satellite AwardBest Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy · 2002
  • Screen Actors Guild AwardOutstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series · 2002
  • Screen Actors Guild AwardOutstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series · 2001
  • TV Guide Award · 2001
  • Screen Actors Guild AwardOutstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series · 2000
  • star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Filmography48 titles

Seinfeld

1989as Beth Lukner

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

1999as Alicia Harding

Searching

2018as Detective Vick

King of the Hill

1997as Mrs. Hilgren-Bronson (voice)

A Walk in the Clouds

1995as Betty Sutton

Like Sunday, Like Rain

2014as Barbara

The Graham Norton Show

2007as Self

Ned and Stacey

1995as Stacey Colbert

Mad TV

1995as (uncredited)

The Mysteries of Laura

as Detective Laura Diamond

The $100,000 Pyramid

as Self

Will & Grace

1998as Grace Adler

Prey

1998as Dr. Sloan Parker

The Wedding Date

2005as Kat Ellis

Bros

2022as Debra Messing

Hollywood Ending

2002as Lori

Smash

2012as Julia Houston

Billy on the Street

2011as Self

Match Game

as Self - Panelist

Nothing Like the Holidays

2008as Sarah Rodriguez

Project Runway

2004as Self - Guest Judge

The Alto Knights

2025as Bobbie Costello

Open Season

2006as Beth (voice)

The Mothman Prophecies

2002as Mary Klein

13: The Musical

2022as Jessica Goldman

Irresistible

2020as Babs Garnett (uncredited)

Along Came Polly

2004as Lisa Kramer

Celebrity

1998as TV Reporter

October 8

2025as Self

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

2014as Self - Guest

Purple Violets

2007as Kate Scott

Albion: The Enchanted Stallion

2016as The Queen

Lucky You

2007as Suzanne Offer

Garfield: The Movie

2004as Arlene (voice)

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

2003as Self

LIVE with Kelly and Mark

1988as Self - Guest

Dirty Dancing

2017as Marjorie Houseman

Late Night with Seth Meyers

2014as Self

The Women

2008as Edie Cohen

The Dark Divide

2020as Thea Pyle

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

2009as Self - Guest

Tamron Hall

2019as Self - Guest

McHale's Navy

1997as Lt. Penelope Carpenter

The Starter Wife

2007as Molly Kagan

The View

1997as Self

The One Show

as Self

Variety Studio: Actors on Actors

2014as Self

Sesame Street: Wild Words and Outdoor Adventures

2011