Debra Messing is the actress who plays Grace Adler on the NBC sitcom Will and Grace. Messing has had a successful acting career and starred in three different TV series' on three different networks in a two year period. She was a Golden Globe nominee for best actress in a comedy series for her role in Will and Grace.
Debra Messing was born in Brooklyn, New York on August 15, 1968. She grew up near Providence, Rhode Island. She graduated summa cum laude from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts with a B.A. major in Theater Arts. While attending Brandeis she went to Great Britain and studied under teachers from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, Cambridge University and Oxford University. Back in the USA she continued her education and received her M.F.A. from the Graduate Acting Program at NYU.
Messing has performed in many stage productions in New York but she is better known for her acting career on television as well as on film. One of her first appearences on television was on NYPD Blue as
"Dana Abandando", Donna's sister. She played "Stacey" on an episide of Partners, and she has been on Seinfeld as Jerry's perfect but fleeting girlfriend "Beth Lookner". But her first starring role was in the TV series Ned and Stacey where she played "Stacey Colbert", a journalist. Ned and Stacey ran from 1995 to 1997. She played the scientist, "Dr. Parker Sloan" for a few episodes of Prey in 1998. Messing has been starring as interior decorator "Grace Adler" since 1998 on Will and Grace.
Messing has had major roles in several films.
In Sept. 2000 she married Daniel Zelman, a former NYU classmate. They reside in Los Angeles. Messing has a fondness for antique jewelry which probably stems from the fact that her father had a jewelry store in Rhode Island. Will and Grace has extended their contract for three years. Messing's contract runs out after two years. The season premiere of Will and Grace starts tonight at 9:00 Eastern Time.
Sources:
Debra's Biography. (http://stone.simplenet.com/debra/bio.html)
Debra Messing. (http://us.imdb.com/Name?Messing,+Debra)