Biography
It was during this masterful run as the ditzy Adler that Messing received the ultimate compliment for any comedienne, an oft-cited comparison to Lucille Ball. During and after the show's run, Messing found time to make her mark in feature films like "Hollywood Ending" (2002), "Along Came Polly" (2004) and "The Wedding Date" (2005), while even voicing characters in animated films like "Garfield: The Movie" (2004) and "Open Season" (2006). She …
Debra Messing SlideShow
1 - 4 of 165
Career Milestones
| Gained attention of entertainment industry as Harper Pitt in student workshop production of "Angels in America: Perestroika" | ||
| Made professional stage debut in production of "The Importance of Being Earnest" at Seattle's Intiman Theatre | ||
| Raised in East Greenwich, RI | ||
1994 | Appeared off-Broadway in "Four Dogs and a Bone" and "The Naked Truth" | |
1994 | Landed recurring role of scheming Dana Abandando on "NYPD Blue" (ABC) | |
1995 | Feature film debut in "A Walk in the Clouds" | |
1995 | Starred as Stacey Colbert, a liberal journalist who enters into a marriage of convenience on the Fox sitcom "Ned and Stacey" | |
1996 | Played the female lead in "McHale's Navy" opposite Tom Arnold | |
1997 | Made a guest appearance as Jerry's unavailable crush on an episode of "Seinfeld" (NBC) | |
1998 | Cast in a small role as a journalist in Woody Allen's "Celebrity" | |
1998 | Co-starred opposite Eric McCormack as roommates on the NBC sitcom "Will & Grace"; earned Emmy (2000, 2001, 2006), Golden Globe (2002, 2003, 2004) and SAG (2004) nominations for Best Actress in a Comedy | |
1998 | Replaced Sherilyn Fenn on the short-lived ABC series "Prey" | |
2000 | Starred as Mary Magdalene in the CBS miniseries "Jesus" | |
2002 | Appeared opposite Woody Allen in "Hollywood Ending" | |
2002 | Cast opposite Richard Gere in "The Mothman Prophecies" | |
2004 | Cast as Ben Stiller's cheating wife in "Along Came Polly" | |
2004 | Voiced Arlene, Garfield's girlfriend in "Garfield: The Movie" | |
2005 | Starred with Dermot Mulroney in the romantic comedy "The Wedding Date" | |
2006 | Voiced forest ranger Beth in the animated comedy "Open Season" | |
2007 | Cast in a supporting role opposite Eric Bana and Drew Barrymore in "Lucky You" | |
2007 | Played Molly Kagan, the ex-wife of a Hollywood studio executive in the USA Network miniseries "The Starter Wife"; earned Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG nominations for Best Actress | |
2008 | Featured in Diane English's female ensemble "The Women," a remake of the 1936 play by Clare Boothe Luce | |
2008 | Reprised the role of Molly Kagan in the USA Network series "The Starter Wife"; earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy Series in 2009 | |
2010 | Executive produced and starred in the ABC comedy film "Wright vs. Wrong" | |
2012 | Co-starred as a songwriter and creator of a Broadway musical on NBC's "Smash" | |
Awards
1999 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy Or Musical in Will & Grace |
2000 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy Or Musical in Will & Grace |
2000 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in Will & Grace |
2001 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy Or Musical in Will & Grace |
2001 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in Will & Grace |
2001 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series in Will & Grace |
2001 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in Will & Grace |
2002 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy Or Musical in Will & Grace |
2002 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in Will & Grace |
2002 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in Will & Grace |
2003 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy Or Musical in Will & Grace |
2003 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in Will & Grace |
2003 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in Will & Grace |
2004 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy Or Musical in Will & Grace |
2004 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series in Will & Grace |
2004 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in Will & Grace |
2005 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in Will & Grace |
2006 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in Will & Grace |
2007 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television in The Starter Wife |
2007 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie in The Starter Wife |
2008 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy Or Musical in The Starter Wife |
2008 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries in The Starter Wife |