Debra Messing
Acting • Born 1968-08-15
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.
Filmography
71 credits
Jesus
Movie • 1999
Mary Magdalene
Lucky You
Movie • 2007
Suzanne Offer
The Mothman Prophecies
Movie • 2002
Mary Klein
Purple Violets
Movie • 2007
Kate Scott
Along Came Polly
Movie • 2004
Lisa Kramer
Open Season
Movie • 2006
Beth (voice)
The Wedding Date
Movie • 2005
Kat Ellis
Nothing Like the Holidays
Movie • 2008
Sarah Rodriguez
A Walk in the Clouds
Movie • 1995
Betty Sutton
Hollywood Ending
Movie • 2002
Lori
The Women
Movie • 2008
Edie Cohen
McHale's Navy
Movie • 1997
Lt. Penelope Carpenter
Like Sunday, Like Rain
Movie • 2014
Barbara
13: The Musical
Movie • 2022
Jessica Goldman
Bros
Movie • 2022
Debra Messing
NBC 75th Anniversary Special
Movie • 2002
Self
The Alto Knights
Movie • 2025
Bobbie Costello
Celebrity
Movie • 1998
TV Reporter
Must See TV: An All Star Tribute to James Burrows
Movie • 2016
Self
Dirty Dancing
Movie • 2017
Marjorie Houseman
Albion: The Enchanted Stallion
Movie • 2016
The Queen
Searching
Movie • 2018
Detective Vick
Garfield
Movie • 2004
Arlene (voice)
Wright vs. Wrong
Movie • 2010
Evelyn Wright
Stucco
Movie • 2019
Counselor
The Dark Divide
Movie • 2020
Thea Pyle
Bombshell in Concert
Movie • 2020
Irresistible
Movie • 2020
Babs Garnett (uncredited)
The Paley Center Salutes Law & Order: SVU
Movie • 2020
Self
October 8
Movie • 2025
Self
The War of the Worlds 2021
Movie • 2021
Sesame Street: Wild Words and Outdoor Adventures
Movie • 2011
Inside the Actors Studio
TV • 1994
Self
Seinfeld
TV • 1989
Beth Lukner
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
TV • 2003
Self
Today
TV • 1952
Self
King of the Hill
TV • 1997
Mrs. Hilgren-Bronson (voice)
The View
TV • 1997
Self
Tamron Hall
TV • 2019
Self - Guest
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
TV • 1992
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
TV • 1999
Alicia Harding
Ned & Stacey
TV • 1995
Stacey Colbert
Prey
TV • 1998
Dr. Sloan Parker
The Starter Wife
TV • 2007
Molly Kagan
Will & Grace
TV • 1998
Grace Adler
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
TV • 1993
Self - Guest
Partners
TV • 1995
Smash
TV • 2012
Julia Houston
The Mysteries of Laura
TV • 2014
Detective Laura Diamond
Billy on the Street
TV • 2011
Self
Project Runway
TV • 2004
Self - Guest Judge
Project Runway
TV • 2004
Self
Will & Grace
TV • 2017
Grace Adler
The $100,000 Pyramid
TV • 2016
Self
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
TV • 1988
Self - Guest
The Graham Norton Show
TV • 2007
Self
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
TV • 2015
Self
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
TV • 2014
Self
Match Game
TV • 2016
Self - Panelist
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
TV • 2009
Self - Guest
The Reichen Show
TV • 2005
Self - Guest
Late Night with Seth Meyers
TV • 2014
Self
Trailblazer Honors
TV • 2014
Self
MADtv
TV • 1995
(uncredited)
Project Accessory
TV • 2011
Self - Guest Judge
The Megan Mullally Show
TV • 2006
Self - Guest
Jesus
TV • 2000
Mary Magdalene
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
TV • 2014
Self
The One Show
TV • 2006
Self
Entertainment Tonight
TV • 1981
Extra
TV • 1994
Self - Guest