Pretty but also pretty quirky, Debra Messing honed her acting skills on stage before segueing to a small-screen career. Her first screwball sitcom,
Ned and Stacey, lasted only two seasons, but her next similarly titled series,
Will & Grace — where she played the straight woman to her gay best friend — made her a star and fashion plate, and earned her an Emmy. Although the auburn-haired actress tackled a few small film roles, she devoted most of her energy to her hit show and off-camera life with her screenwriter-actor husband Daniel Zelman and their son.
Debra Messing Fast Facts:
- Won the Rhode Island Junior Miss pageant in 1986.
- Made her professional stage debut playing Cecily in a production of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest at Seattle's Intiman Theatre.
- Debra Messing Relationships:
- Brett Messing - Brother
- Brian Messing - Father
- Daniel Zelman - Husband
- Roman Walker Zelman - Son
- Sandy Messing - Mother
- Debra Messing Awards:
- 2000 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - Nominee
- 2001 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - Nominee
- 2002 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - Nominee
- 2003 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - Winner
- 2006 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - Nominee
- 2000 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy - Nominee
- 2001 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy - Nominee
- 2002 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy - Nominee
- 2003 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy - Nominee
- 2004 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy - Nominee
- 2005 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy - Nominee
- 2007 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie - Nominee
- 2008 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television - Nominee
- 2009 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy - Nominee
- College:
- Brandeis University, Waltham, MA (BA in Theater Arts, 1990); attended Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London, England; attended London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, London, England; New York University, New York, NY (MFA in Acting, 1993)
