Acting credits
70
Established
Large and steady acting portfolio.
Actor
Debra Messing
Acting
Career Snapshot
ExplainedThese indicators come from TMDB. They are relative signals, not review ratings.
TMDB popularity
2.4
Moderate attention
TMDB internal trend index. Higher usually means more searches and page activity now.
Movies: 32Series: 38Crew credits: 1
TMDB ID: 23959
IMDb ID: nm0005226
Known for: Acting
Born: August 15, 1968
Age: 58
Place of birth: Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
Gender: Female
Adult content flag: No
Career span: 1952 - 2025
Years active: 74
Average TMDB rating: 6.16
Wikidata: Q228739
Also known as
Дебра Мессинг • Debra Lynn Messing • デブラ・メッシング • 戴博拉·梅西 • دبرا مسینگ
Other jobs
Executive Producer (1)
Biography
Debra Lynn Messing (born August 15, 1968) is an American actress. After graduating from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Messing starred in the shortlived television series, Ned and Stacey on Fox (1995–1997), and Prey on ABC (1998). She achieved her breakthrough role as Grace Adler, an interior designer, on the NBC sitcom Will & Grace (1998–2006, 2017–2020), for which she received seven Golden Globe Award nominations and five Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, winning once, in 2003. From 2007 to 2008, Messing starred as Molly Kagan, the ex-wife of a Hollywood film mogul, on the television miniseries The Starter Wife, for which she received two Golden Globe nominations, a Primetime Emmy Award nomination, and a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination. Thereafter, she appeared as Broadway playwright Julia Houston on the NBC musical drama Smash (2012–2013) and as homicide detective Laura Diamond on the NBC police-procedural comedy The Mysteries of Laura (2014–2016). From 2017 to 2020, Messing reprised her role as Grace Adler on NBC's three season revival of Will & Grace, garnering a ninth Golden Globe nomination for her performance. Messing's film work includes A Walk in the Clouds (1995), Jesus (1999), The Mothman Prophecies (2002), Hollywood Ending (2002), Along Came Polly (2004), The Wedding Date (2005), Lucky You (2007), The Women (2008), Nothing Like the Holidays (2008), Searching (2018), and 13: The Musical (2022). She has also lent her voice to animated films such as Garfield (2004) and Open Season (2006).
Photos
Movies
Movies
Movie credits linked with Debra Messing.
The Alto Knights
as Bobbie Costello
2025 Movie
October 8
as Self
2025 Movie
Bros
as Debra Messing
2022 Movie
13: The Musical
as Jessica Goldman
2022 Movie
The War of the Worlds 2021
2021 Movie
Irresistible
as Babs Garnett (uncredited)
2020 Movie
Bombshell in Concert
2020 Movie
The Dark Divide
as Thea Pyle
2020 Movie
The Paley Center Salutes Law & Order: SVU
as Self
2020 Movie
Stucco
as Counselor
2019 Movie
Searching
as Detective Vick
2018 Movie
Dirty Dancing
as Marjorie Houseman
2017 Movie
Albion: The Enchanted Stallion
as The Queen
2016 Movie
Must See TV: An All Star Tribute to James Burrows
as Self
2016 Movie
Like Sunday, Like Rain
as Barbara
2014 Movie
Sesame Street: Wild Words and Outdoor Adventures
2011 Movie
Wright vs. Wrong
as Evelyn Wright
2010 Movie
Nothing Like the Holidays
as Sarah Rodriguez
2008 Movie
The Women
as Edie Cohen
2008 Movie
Lucky You
as Suzanne Offer
2007 Movie
Purple Violets
as Kate Scott
2007 Movie
Open Season
as Beth (voice)
2006 Movie
The Wedding Date
as Kat Ellis
2005 Movie
Garfield
as Arlene (voice)
2004 Movie
Series
Series
Series credits linked with Debra Messing.
The Tamron Hall Show
as Self - Guest • 2 eps
2019 Series
Will & Grace
as Grace Adler • 52 eps
2017 Series
The $100,000 Pyramid
as Self • 1 eps
2016 Series
Match Game
as Self - Panelist • 1 eps
2016 Series
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
as Self • 1 eps
2015 Series
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
as Self • 1 eps
2014 Series
The Mysteries of Laura
as Detective Laura Diamond • 38 eps
2014 Series
Trailblazer Honors
as Self • 1 eps
2014 Series
Late Night with Seth Meyers
as Self • 1 eps
2014 Series
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
as Self - Guest • 1 eps
2014 Series
Smash
as Julia Houston • 32 eps
2012 Series
Billy on the Street
as Self • 1 eps
2011 Series
Project Accessory
as Self - Guest Judge • 1 eps
2011 Series
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
as Self - Guest • 5 eps
2009 Series
The Starter Wife
as Molly Kagan • 10 eps
2008 Series
The Starter Wife
as Molly Kagan • 6 eps
2007 Series
The Graham Norton Show
as Self • 1 eps
2007 Series
The Megan Mullally Show
as Self - Guest • 2 eps
2006 Series
The One Show
as Self • 1 eps
2006 Series
Project Runway
as Self - Guest Judge • 2 eps
2004 Series
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
as Self • 4 eps
2003 Series
Jesus
as Mary Magdalene • 2 eps
1999 Series
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
as Alicia Harding • 1 eps
1999 Series
Will & Grace
as Grace Adler • 194 eps
1998 Series