Portrait of Debra Messing

Debra Messing

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.

Born: August 15, 1968

Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Filmography

2025
The Alto Knights

as Bobbie Costello

2025
October 8

as Self

2022
Bros

as Debra Messing

2022
13: The Musical

as Jessica Goldman

2020
Irresistible

as Babs Garnett (uncredited)

2020
The Dark Divide

as Thea Pyle

2019
Tamron Hall

as Self - Guest

2019
Stucco

as Counselor

2018
Searching

as Detective Vick

2017
Will & Grace

as Grace Adler

2017
Dirty Dancing

as Marjorie Houseman

2016
Match Game

as Self - Panelist

2014
The Mysteries of Laura

as Detective Laura Diamond

2012
Smash

as Julia Houston

2011
Project Accessory

as Self - Guest Judge

2010
Wright vs. Wrong

as Evelyn Wright

2008
Nothing Like the Holidays

as Sarah Rodriguez

2008
The Women

as Edie Cohen

2007
The Starter Wife

as Molly Kagan

2007
Lucky You

as Suzanne Offer

2007
Purple Violets

as Kate Scott

2006
Open Season

as Beth (voice)

2006
2006
2005
The Reichen Show

as Self - Guest

2005
The Wedding Date

as Kat Ellis

2004
Project Runway

as Self - Guest Judge

2004
2004
Garfield

as Arlene (voice)

2004
Along Came Polly

as Lisa Kramer

2002
2002
2000
Jesus

as Mary Magdalene

1999
Jesus

as Mary Magdalene

1998
Will & Grace

as Grace Adler

1998
Celebrity

as TV Reporter

1998
Prey

as Dr. Sloan Parker

1997
The View

as Self

1997
McHale's Navy

as Lt. Penelope Carpenter

1997
King of the Hill

as Mrs. Hilgren-Bronson (voice)

1995
MADtv

as (uncredited)

1995
Ned & Stacey

as Stacey Colbert

1995
A Walk in the Clouds

as Betty Sutton

1989
Seinfeld

as Beth Lukner

1988
1952
Today

as Self