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Debra Messing

Born 1968-08-15
📍 Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

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.

Filmography 72

The Alto Knights
as Bobbie Costello
2025
October 8
as Self
2025
Bros
as Debra Messing
2022
13: The Musical
as Jessica Goldman
2022
The War of the Worlds 2021
2021
Irresistible
as Babs Garnett (uncredited)
2020
Bombshell in Concert
2020
The Dark Divide
as Thea Pyle
2020
The Paley Center Salutes Law & Order: SVU
as Self
2020
Tamron Hall
as Self - Guest
2019
Stucco
as Counselor
2019
Searching
as Detective Vick
2018
Will & Grace
as Grace Adler
2017
Dirty Dancing
as Marjorie Houseman
2017
The $100,000 Pyramid
as Self
2016
Match Game
as Self - Panelist
2016
Albion: The Enchanted Stallion
as The Queen
2016
Must See TV: An All Star Tribute to James Burrows
as Self
2016
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
as Self
2015
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
as Self
2014
The Mysteries of Laura
as Detective Laura Diamond
2014
Trailblazer Honors
as Self
2014
Like Sunday, Like Rain
as Barbara
2014
Late Night with Seth Meyers
as Self
2014
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
as Self
2014
Smash
as Julia Houston
2012
Billy on the Street
as Self
2011
Project Accessory
as Self - Guest Judge
2011
Sesame Street: Wild Words and Outdoor Adventures
2011
Wright vs. Wrong
as Evelyn Wright
2010
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
as Self - Guest
2009
Nothing Like the Holidays
as Sarah Rodriguez
2008
The Starter Wife
as Molly Kagan
2008
The Women
as Edie Cohen
2008
The Starter Wife
as Molly Kagan
2007
Lucky You
as Suzanne Offer
2007
Purple Violets
as Kate Scott
2007
The Graham Norton Show
as Self
2007
Open Season
as Beth (voice)
2006
The Megan Mullally Show
as Self - Guest
2006
The One Show
as Self
2006
The Reichen Show
as Self - Guest
2005
The Wedding Date
as Kat Ellis
2005
Project Runway
as Self - Guest Judge
2004
Project Runway
as Self
2004
Garfield
as Arlene (voice)
2004
Along Came Polly
as Lisa Kramer
2004
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
as Self
2003
NBC 75th Anniversary Special
as Self
2002
Hollywood Ending
as Lori
2002
The Mothman Prophecies
as Mary Klein
2002
Jesus
as Mary Magdalene
2000
Jesus
as Mary Magdalene
1999
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
as Alicia Harding
1999
Celebrity
as TV Reporter
1998
Will & Grace
as Grace Adler
1998
Prey
as Dr. Sloan Parker
1998
The View
as Self
1997
McHale's Navy
as Lt. Penelope Carpenter
1997
King of the Hill
as Mrs. Hilgren-Bronson (voice)
1997
MADtv
as (uncredited)
1995
Ned & Stacey
as Stacey Colbert
1995
Partners
1995
A Walk in the Clouds
as Betty Sutton
1995
Extra
as Self - Guest
1994
Inside the Actors Studio
as Self
1994
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
as Self - Guest
1993
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992
Seinfeld
as Beth Lukner
1989
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
as Self - Guest
1988
Entertainment Tonight
1981
Today
as Self
1952