Debra Messing's Graceful Pregnancy

Debra Messing isn't too lucky in love on Will & Grace, where her estranged TV spouse has gone off to Cambodia. And she's no prize in Along Came Polly — currently in theaters — as Ben Stiller's cheating bride. Off camera, however, she and husband Daniel Zelman are quite happily married and eagerly awaiting the birth of their first child.

"I feel wonderful," sighs Messing, 35. "I am beside myself with happiness. [Having a baby] is something I wanted my whole life, and it is everything that I hoped for. I can't wait to meet our child."

In case you're wondering, Messing's baby bliss will stay out of her story line on Will & Grace. With Grace's marriage to Leo crumbling, it was bad timing for the sitcom's writers to incorporate a child. After all, the show's supposed to be a comedy, not a tragedy! But was the idea ever considered?

"For, like, a second," she acknowledges. "It just very quickly became apparent that [hiding the pregnancy] seemed like the right way to go. We have been a little creative with the way we block [my scenes] and the way I dress. I have lots of shopping bags, pocketbooks and coats that cover my tummy."

Do they really think they're foolin' anyone? Seems like they're only half trying. Will (Eric McCormack) commented that Grace had put on a few pounds in last week's episode, which only called attention to the tentlike top Messing wore to cover her protruding belly. "I think it is sort of a wink to the audience," she says. "We do our best, but you are never going to be able to hide it entirely. Our fans know that I am pregnant, and I think part of the fun now is tuning in and seeing how we hide it."

With motherhood and more movies in her future, has the actress thought of quitting the series that made her a star? "As of now, we're still having a fantastic time doing it every day," she insists. "And the writers are still coming up with really fun story lines for us. I think, as long as both of those things are in place, I don't see why we shouldn't be able to continue."