Debra Messing was born Aug. 15, 1968, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Her parents wished a quieter life for their daughter and her older brother, and moved the family to a small community just outside Providence, R.I.
Messing received her liberal arts degree from Brandeis University. After appearing in a pre-Broadway workshop theater production of Angels in America-Perestroika, for which she received high praise, she went on to stage roles in The Importance of Being Earnest, Four Dogs and a Bone, The Naked Truth and Collected Stories. Messing then moved to televison and appeared in Ned and Stacey during the years 1995-1997. She also had a recurring role on NYPD Blue; appeared in the short-lived science-fiction series, Prey, in 1998; and appeared in two episodes of Seinfeld.
On the big screen, Messing had roles in A Walk In The Clouds ( 1995 ) and in Woody Allen's Celebrity ( 1998 ) . In 1998, Messing beat out Nicolette Sheridan to obtain the title role on televison's Will & Grace, in which she was nominated for an Emmy Award four consecutive times, winning the coveted prize in 2003. In 2002, Messing was voted by People Magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world.
Messing's other films include The Mothman Prophecies ( 2002 ) , Hollywood Ending ( 2002 ) , Along Came Polly ( 2004 ) and The Wedding Date ( 2005 ) .
In early 2008, Messing completed work in Chicago on Humboldt Park, a film with an all-star cast that includes Freddy Rodriguez, Alfred Molina, Jay Hernandez, Luis Guzman and John Leguizamo, as well as rising stars Vanessa Ferlito and Ramses Jiminez. On March 17, the cast, crew, producers and director Alfredo De Villa celebrated at Chicago's Rumba Supper Club, 351 W. Hubbard, where they lounged in the sumptuous maroon velvet booths; dined on a fabulous cuisine designed by Chef Benjamin Soto; and partied and danced through the night to the Rumba Orchestra and the SouLatina Band, amid the glow of red and gold lights in the elegant decor of 1940s Havana, Cuba.
Debra Messing has been to married actor/writer Daniel Zelman since 2004, and they have a son, Roman.
Photo of Debra Messing taken March 17 at Rumba by Steve Starr
Steve Starr is the author of Picture Perfect-Art Deco Photo Frames 1926-1946, published by Rizzoli International Publications. A photographer, designer and an artist, he is the owner of Steve Starr Studios.
STARRLIGHT-Radiant Photography by Steve Starr is available for portraits and events. His new book, STARRLIGHT-Glamorous Latin Movie Stars of Early Hollywood will be published in 2008.
Phone 773-252-5171 or e-mail ssschicago@ameritech.net for further information.
