DCR-DVD808E video camera , 
Early life
Messing was born in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, the daughter of Sandra (ne Simons), who has worked as a professional singer, banker, travel and real estate agent, and Brian Messing, a sales executive for a costume jewelry packaging manufacturer. Messing is Jewish, a descendant of immigrants from Russia and Poland. When Messing was three, she moved with her parents and her older brother, Brett, to East Greenwich, a small town outside Providence, Rhode Island.
During her high school years, she acted and sang in a number of high school productions, including the starring roles in the musicals Annie and Fiddler on the Roof. Messing took lessons in dance, singing, and acting. In 1986, she was Rhode Island's Junior Miss and competed in Mobile, Alabama in the America's Junior Miss scholarship program. While her parents encouraged her dream of becoming an actress, they also urged her to complete a liberal arts education before deciding on acting as a career. Following their advice, she attended Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. During her junior year, she studied theater at the prestigious London-based British European Studio Group program, an experience that solidified her desire to act.
In 1990, after graduating summa cum laude from Brandeis University with a bachelor's degree in theater arts, Messing gained admission to the elite Graduate Acting Program at New York University which accepts approximately fifteen new students annually. She earned a Master's Degree in Fine Arts after three years.
Caree , visor magnifier .
In 1993, Messing won praise for her acting in the pre-Broadway workshop production of Tony Kushner's play Angels in America: Perestroika. Subsequently, she appeared in several episodes of the television series NYPD Blue during 1994 and 1995 , laptop video camera .
Messing at the premiere of Woody Allen's Whatever Works.
In 1995, Messing made her film debut in Alfonso Arau's A Walk in the Clouds playing the unfaithful wife of main character Paul Sutton (Keanu Reeves). This exposure led the Fox network to make her the co-star of the television sitcom, Ned and Stacey. The series lasted for two seasons, from 1995 to 1997. Messing appeared as Jerry Seinfeld's date in two episodes of the series Seinfeld: "The Wait Out" in 1996 and "The Yada Yada" in 1997. Messing turned down a starring role in another television sitcom to appear in Donald Margulies's two-character play Collected Stories, which opened at the Off-Broadway Manhattan Theater Club. She also co-starred in McHale's Navy in 1997.
In 1998, Messing played a lead role as the bio-anthropologist Sloan Parker on ABC's dramatic science fiction television series Prey. During this time her agent approached her with the pilot script for the television show Will & Grace. Messing was inclined to take some time off, but the script intrigued her, and she auditioned for the role of Grace Adler, beating out Nicollette Sheridan, who later guest-starred on the show as a romantic rival of Grace's. Will & Grace became a ratings success, and Messing gained renown.
In 2002, she was named one of the "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" by People Magazine. TV Guide picked her as its "Best Dressed Woman" in 2003. Messing was cast by director Woody Allen in a small role in his 2002 film Hollywood Ending. Her film roles since include a happily married but ill-fated wife in the supernatural thriller The Mothman Prophecies (2002) and a supporting role in Along Came Polly (2004). The Wedding Date (2005) was Messing's first leading role in a high-profile film. It received mixed reviews but performed fairly well at the box office. Messing was featured as a judge on the season finale of the second season of Bravo's reality show, Project Runway. She also starred in the television mini-series The Starter Wife, which was nominated for ten Emmy awards including one for Messing for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie.
In 2008, Messing reprised her role as Molly Kagan in the television series The Starter Wife, which included 10 episodes. In early 2009, Messing's untitled comedy series was picked up by NBC for the 2009-10 primetime season. Messing is also featured on the new self-titled album "Say Anything" the band leader Max Bemis has said on his official web site. http://lists-j-records.sonybmgemail.com/read/archive?id=8888&e=moroofeo1989%40yahoo.com&x=2d2e57e7&utm_medium=jrecords-email&utm_source=sayanything&utm_campaign=jrecords-email|sayanything|20090730
Personal life
Messing met her husband, Daniel Zelman, an actor and screenwriter, on their first day as graduate students at NYU in 1990. They were married on September 3, 2000, and live in New York City. On April 7, 2004, Messing gave birth to their son, Roman Walker Zelman.
Filmography
Television
Year
Title
Role
Notes
19941995
NYPD Blue
Dana Abandando
Episodes: "Double Abandando" (1994), "A Murder with Teeth in It" (1995), "Bombs Away" (1995)
1995
Partners
Stacey
Episode: "City Hall"
19951997
Ned and Stacey
Stacey
19961997
Seinfeld
Beth Lookner
Episodes: "The Wait Out" (1996), "The Yada Yada" (1997)
1998
Prey
Dr. Sloan Parker
19982006
Will & Grace
Grace Adler
Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (2003)
Satellite Award for Best Actress Television Series Musical or Comedy (2002, 2003)
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2001), with Eric McCormack, Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally
Nominated American Comedy Award for Funniest Female Performer in a TV Series (Leading Role) (2000, 2001)
Nominated Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (2000-2002, 2006)
Nominated Golden Globe Award for Best Actress Television Series Musical or Comedy (2000-2005)
Nominated Satellite Award for Best Actress Television Series Musical or Comedy (2004)
Nominated Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series (2001, 2004)
Nominated Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2002-2005), with Eric McCormack, Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally
Nominated Teen Choice Award for Choice Actress, TV (2001, 2002, 2006)
1999
Jesus
Mary Magdalene
2002
King of the Hill
Mrs. Hilgren-Bronson, Jordan's Mom
Episode: "Get Your Freak Off" (voice only)
2006
Will & Grace: Say Goodnight Gracie
Grace Adler
retrospective special
2007
The Starter Wife
Molly Kagan
5 part miniseries
Gracie Allen Award
Nominated Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Miniseries or Movie
Nominated Golden Globe Award for Best Actress Miniseries or Television Film
Nominated Satellite Award for Best Actress Miniseries or Television Film
Nominated Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie
2008
The Starter Wife
Molly Kagan
10 episode series
Nominated Golden Globe Award for Best Actress Miniseries or Television Film
Film
Year
Title
Role
Notes
1995
A Walk in the Clouds
Betty Sutton
1997
McHale's Navy
Lt. Penelope Carter
1998
Celebrity
TV reporter
2002
The Mothman Prophecies
Mary Klein
Hollywood Ending
Lori
2004
Along Came Polly
Lisa Kramer
Garfield
Arlene
voice only
2005
The Wedding Date
Kat Ellis
2006
Open Season
Beth
voice only
2007
Purple Violets
Kate Scott
Lucky You
Suzanne Offer
2008
The Women
Edie Cohen
Nothing Like the Holidays
Sarah Rodriguez
Nominated Satellite Award for Best Actress Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
Notes
^ a b c Stated in interview on Inside the Actors Studio
^ Debra Messing Biography (1968-)
^ American Jewish Life Magazine
^ JewishJournal.com
^ Debra Messing: Actress - Most Beautiful, Debra Messing : People.com
^ Williams, Jeannie (2002-05-03). "Debra Messing yells 'Hooray!' for 'Hollywood'". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/2002/2002-05-03-messing.htm. Retrieved on 2007-12-09.
^ http://tv.yahoo.com/the-starter-wife/show/39277/news/urn:newsml:tv.reuters.com:20071017:messing_dc__ER
^ "NBC picking up Debra Messing comedy". Hollywood Reporter. 2009-04-20. http://login.vnuemedia.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i5d08aae04387a06d43a41edbb441b040. Retrieved on 2009-05-24.
^ The Debra Messing Picture Pages
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Debra Messing
Debra Messing Official Website
Debra Messing at the Internet Movie Database
Debra Messing at TV.com
Newsweek interview (2005)
MovieHole interview (January 12, 2004)
The Jewish Journal interview (May 3, 2002)
USA Today interview (May 3, 2002)
Erin Corbett noteworthy alumni, Debra Messing Look Alike Champion
v d e
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Comedy Series
Patricia Heaton (2001) Jennifer Aniston (2002) Debra Messing (2003) Sarah Jessica Parker (2004) Felicity Huffman (2005) Julia Louis-Dreyfus (2006) America Ferrera (2007) Tina Fey (2008)
Complete list: (19501975) ...
