Debra Messing
Biography
Debra Messing is an American actress and New York University graduate who first drew attention in the Fox sitcom Ned and Stacey and the ABC science-fiction series Prey. Her breakthrough came as the interior designer Grace Adler on NBC's Will & Grace, a part that earned her seven Golden Globe nominations and five Emmy nominations for lead actress in a comedy, with a win in 2003. She then led the miniseries and series The Starter Wife, receiving two Golden Globe nominations and an Emmy nomination, and later headlined the musical drama Smash and the police comedy The Mysteries of Laura. Her film credits include The Mothman Prophecies (2002), The Wedding Date (2005), and Searching (2018), plus A Walk in the Clouds (1995), Along Came Polly (2004), Hollywood Ending (2002), and The Alto Knights (2025); she lent her voice to Garfield (2004) and Open Season (2006). She reprised Grace Adler in the Will & Grace revival from 2017 to 2020.
58years old
Turns 59 on August 15in 306 days
- Born Brooklyn
- Star sign: LeoThe sign runs July 23 to August 22
- Also credited as Debra Lynn Messing, Debra Moessing, Debra Lynn Moessing and Debra Messing-Zelman
Movie Career
- Films
- 21
- Career span
- 30 years1995 to 2025
Genres
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Big break
Messing beat Nicollette Sheridan for the role of Grace Adler on Will & Grace, after her agent sent her the pilot script while she was inclined to take time off.
A role that slipped away
Messing passed on a starring role in a different television sitcom so she could act in Collected Stories, a two-character play by Donald Margulies that opened at the off-Broadway Manhattan Theatre Club.
First role
Messing's portrayal of Harper in the 1993 pre-Broadway workshop production of Tony Kushner's play Angels in America: Perestroika brought her acclaim.
Early training
Messing earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theater Arts from Brandeis in 1990, graduating summa cum laude. She then joined New York University's Tisch School of the Arts Grad Acting Program, which accepts 16 students each year, and got a Master of Fine Arts three years later.
First role
In January 2014, Messing made her Broadway debut in John Patrick Shanley's play Outside Mullingar. She appeared alongside Tony Award winner Brían F. O'Byrne, and previews started at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.
Debra Messing movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Worked with
Debra Messing shares two films with Freddy Rodríguez, and one with each of the others. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Freddy Rodríguez's page
Robert De Niro's page
Alec Baldwin's page
Dermot Mulroney's page
James Hong's page
John Leguizamo's page
Aneesh ChagantyDirector, 1 film, 2018
All films by Aneesh Chaganty
All films by John Hamburg
Jill CultonDirector, 1 film, 2006
All films by Jill Culton
Box office
What Debra Messing's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$911 million
14 of the 21 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 21 films: 14 worldwide figure; 2 us gross only; 1 never in cinemas; 4 figure not found.
- 14Worldwide figure
- 2US gross only
- 1Never in cinemas
- 4Figure not found
Top grosser
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 94% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$201M22.1% of the total
- 2$201M22.1% of the total
- 3$178M19.6% of the total
- 4$76M8.3% of the total
- 5$55M6.1% of the total
- 6$50M5.5% of the total
- 7$50M5.5% of the total
- 8$47M5.2% of the total
$52.6 millionfrom the other 6 films with a worldwide figure, 6% of the total
Awards
Eleven awards and honors from 2000 to 2012, six of them major.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emmy Awards | |||
| 2003 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Will & Grace | Won |
| SAG Awards | |||
| 2004 | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Will & Grace | Won |
| 2003 | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Will & Grace | Won |
| 2002 | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Will & Grace | Won |
| 2001 | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Will & Grace | Won |
| 2000 | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Will & Grace | Won |
| Other honors | |||
| 2012 | TV Guide Award | Smash | Won |
| 2005 | Lucy Award | Won | |
| 2002 | Satellite Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy | Will & Grace | Won |
| 2001 | TV Guide Award | Won | |
| Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame | Honored | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.