Debra Messing is an Emmy Award-winning Actress, Producer, and Human Rights Activist.
She is best known for her Emmy & SAG Award-winning role as “Grace Adler” on NBC’s Emmy Award-winning comedy series “Will & Grace,” and starred in “The Mysteries of Laura,” and “SMASH,” both on NBC. Notable film credits include the award-winning “Searching,” “Along Came Polly,” “The Wedding Date” “Nothing Like The Holidays,” “The Women,” and “The Dark Divide.” Messing has been honored with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Women In Film’s Lucy Award, The Gracie Allen Award, American Comedy Award, among 50 more nominations.
Most recently, Messing filmed the Warner Brothers mob drama, “Alto Knights,” opposite Robert De Niro.
Messing returned to Broadway in the Spring of 2022 to star in Noah Haidle’s new play, “Birthday Candles.” She last starred on Broadway in John Patrick Shanley’s Tony Award-nominated, “Outside Mullingar.” Off Broadway credits include Four Dogs and a Bone by John Patrick Shanley, Collected Stories by Donald Marguiles, and The Naked Truth by Paul Rudnick.
Messing has worked as Global Health Ambassador for PSI focusing on HIV/AIDS, and has traveled extensively in Africa in support of the organization. She has testified before the House Foreign Affairs sub-committee on Africa and Global Health and spoke at the International AIDS conference. She is now on the founding board of a new organization called The Body Agency Collective, a non-profit that drives healthcare accessibility for women, education, job creation, advocacy, and innovation around the world.
She has been honored by the HRC as one of the world’s greatest supporters of the LGBTQ+ community both on screen and off screen, and by The Trevor Project with The Trevor Life Award in recognition of her contributions to the LGBTQ+ community. Messing is also a founding member of the nonpartisan civic engagement organization, i am a voter, and co-hosted the activism-focused podcast, “The Dissenters,” which spotlighted 22 individuals who have made an impact.
Messing grew up in Rhode Island, received her BA from Brandeis University and earned her Masters of Fine Arts from NYU’s The Tisch School of the Arts. She resides in New York City with her son.