DEBRA MESSING (The Started Wife) Debra Messing is best known for her role on NBC's Emmy Award-winning comedy series "Will & Grace” for which she won the 2003 Emmy Award, a total of seven Golden Globe nominations, seven Screen Actor’s Guild nominations, the ensemble award in 2001, five additional Emmy nominations, two American Comedy Award nominations and one individual People's Choice Award nomination. She also collected TV Guide’s Actress of the Year in a Comedy Series honor in 2001. On the motion picture screen, Messing was recently seen in Nothing Like the Holidays alongside John Leguizamo, Freddy Rodriguez, Alfred Molina and Elizabeth Peña, and The Women. Raised in a quiet community outside Providence, Rhode Island, Messing devoted much of her childhood to musical theatre, performing in numerous productions at both school and camp, which ignited her interest in the stage. She attended NYU's elite Graduate Acting Program where she received her M.F.A. Messing garnered much excitement in New York over her portrayal of Harper Pitt in the pre-Broadway workshop of Tony Kushner's Tony Award-winning play “Angels in America: Perestroika.” Other early theater credits include “The Importance of Being Earnest” at the Intiman Theatre, the understudy for both Mary-Louise Parker's and Polly Draper in the New York premiere of John Patrick Shanley's critically acclaimed Off-Broadway play, “Four Dogs and a Bone,” at the Manhattan Theatre Club, and the co-starring role in Paul Rudnick's Off-Broadway play “The Naked Truth.” Messing also co-starred onstage with Maria Tucci in the two-woman, highly acclaimed Off-Broadway production of Donald Margulies' “Collected Stories,” which premiered at The Manhattan Theatre Club and was chosen as a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. After “Will & Grace”, Messing starred in USA Network's six-hour television event, "The Starter Wife”. It picked up 10 Emmy nominations, including Messing’s for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie. Messing has reprised her role as Molly Kagan in a new “The Starter Wife” regular series, which completed airing this Fall on the USA Network. Messing also recently starred in Ed Burns’ film Purple Violets, the first feature film released exclusively on iTunes. It was screened in the Spotlight category at the 6th Annual Tribeca Film Festival in April 2007. Other recent film work also The Wedding Date, and Along Came Polly, with Ben Stiller and Jennifer Aniston. Other television includes Mary Magdalene in the CBS miniseries "Jesus," the 1998 ABC thriller series "Prey" and two seasons as Stacey in the FOX comedy "Ned and Stacey." Additional credits include recurring roles on the hit television series "NYPD Blue" and "Seinfeld," appearing in the latter as Jerry's ideal but elusive love, Beth Lookner. During her free time, Messing supports charities such as The Gay Men's Health Crisis, AmFAR and Best Friend's Pet Sanctuary. Messing currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband, screenwriter Daniel Zelman, and son Roman.