Audiences fell in love with Debra Messing as Grace Adler, the quirky interior designer on Will and Grace.
On NBC’s new show Smash, Debra’s role is quite different than a quirky interior designer. Messing plays a songwriter/lyricist married to the musical’s co-writer. The two have a child but the latter is having an affair, mirroring Messing’s actual life. Messing had been married for ten years to Daniel Zelman but is separated. Sources claim that the couple had separated earlier this year and are living in New York for their son Roman. Messing is now dating Will Chase, her co-star on Smash. Chase was married as well, though he recently split from his wife. Seems like life is imitating art in this instance.
Besides her character on Will and Grace, Messing has received critical acclaim for her role in The Starter Wife, a US miniseries that evolved into a ten episode series. The full-blown series couldn’t quite keep the luster of the mini-series and was cancelled after just one season.
Messing has been nominated for six Emmy Awards, eight Golden Globe Awards, and eight Screen Actors Guild Awards. Messing also won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.
Messing attended New York University where she met her ex-husband on the first day of graduate school. Messing earned her Master’s Degree in Fine Arts at NYU. Her New York education makes it seem as if she is perfectly suited for her role in Smash.