Why Hollywood Won't Cast Debra Messing Anymore - Nicki Swift (2023)

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ByDianne Gebauer/Updated: Feb. 5, 2023 4:16 pm EST

Debra Messing rose to prominence as Grace Adler on the groundbreaking sitcom Will & Grace in the late '90s, winning anEmmy Award for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series in 2003. When the iconic pop culture machine went off the air in 2006, the actress was at the top of her game, but while she's scored a number of roles since then, including the 2017 Will & Grace reboot, her career hasn't sky-rocketed as much as we expected. So, let's answer the question on everyone's minds: why won't Hollywood cast Messing anymore?

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Messing starred in the short-lived musical drama Smashas Broadway lyricist Julia Houston in 2012. The "Let Me Be Your Star" show premiered with high ratings and favorable reviews, but viewership plummeted quickly, and the series was unceremoniously canceled during its second season in 2013. Let's face it: the show was well-loved among theatre nerds, but it was a flop with the masses. Even creator Theresa Rebeck, wholeft the show after its first season, called it"a complete disaster."

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When Messing and her husband of 10 years, producer Daniel Zelman, announced their separation in December 2011, the timing of the split seemed a little shady. "The decision was mutual, and they remain supportive of one another and committed to raising their son as a family," Messing's rep said in a statement at the time.

Butcheating rumorscirculated after a People source confirmed that the actress had been dating her Smash co-star, Will Chase. "It all happened very fast and it's a difficult situation," the insider said.

Messing and Chase called it quitstwo-and-a-half years later, yet her divorce with Zelman wasn'tfinalizeduntil March 2016.

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Messing was so inspired by the visibility impact Will & Grace had on the LGBTQ community, that she decidedto channel much of her energy into activism instead of the Tinseltown scene.

According to her Makers profile, she's an outspoken supporter of several organizations, such as the Human Rights Campaign, the Joyful Heart Foundation, and Everytown for Gun Safety. In 2009, the actress became aGlobal Ambassador for PSI,promoting HIV/AIDS awareness and visiting HIV prevention programs in Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. This was her "soul work," she toldPSIin 2017, adding, "If I can use my voice to help push things forward, then it's my privilege to use it."

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Messing appeared alongside Leighton Meester, Billie Joe Armstrong, and Julian Shatkin in the Frank Whaley-directed Like Sunday, Like Rain, which marked her return to the big screen after a nearly ten-year hiatus. But the 2014 coming of age flick saw only a limited release and failed to make waves in theindie filmfestival circuit. With a lukewarm 65 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the movie garnered mixed reviews.The New York Timescalled it "a well-played character study whose subtlety is marred by a grating caricature of a role for Debra Messing as Reggie's entitled, brusque, inattentive mother."

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Messing further distanced herself from Hollywood in 2014 and made an impressive Broadway debut inOutside Mullingar. She portrayedRosemary, a middle-aged Irish farmer, inthe John Patrick Shanley play. As she told Broadway Worldat the time, working on Smash "certainly reignited my passion [for] Broadway and live theatre," adding, "I'm terribly anxious but in the best possible way. This is [a] dream come true for me."

In this case, Messing had no reason to be anxious. The show was a hit, earningrave reviewsand scoringa Tony nomination for best play.

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Messing and her ex welcomed their son, Roman, in 2004, and while she loves being a mom, it isn't always easy.

"It's much harder than I anticipated it being," she told The Huffington Post in 2014. "I think one of the biggest challenges is not criticizing myself for not being more of a full-time mom. I never spend enough time with my son... But there is the reality that I have to work."

When Messing and her son do spend quality time together, their adventures are often shared on her Instagram feed, whether itstaking in a hit Broadway showorgoofing around with filters. As the proud mom captioned one sweet snapshot:"Honestly, nothing better."

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Messing has aton of allergies—dairy, gluten, whitefish, wool, cats, flowers, and more. Her condition is so severe, it actually impacted her professional life. "My allergies would take away from my feelings of self-confidence at work," she told Gluten Free & Morein 2014. "I was always worrying that suddenly my eyes would start weeping or I'd be sneezy."

Thankfully, medication helps her keep her condition under control. The actress partnered with Zyrtec, which she credits for saving her career. Asshe told The Huffington Post, it "helps me be the person that I want to be."

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During the 2016 election, Messing threw her support behind democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and evenspoke at the Democratic National Convention. Messing made headlines when she and fellow actress Susan Sarandon hashed out their political differences on social media.

According to The Huffington Post, their infamous argument began when Sarandon,a Bernie Sanders supporter, said she was "going to see what happens" when asked if she would support Clinton over republican candidate Donald Trump. Messing was one of the first celebs to call her out,tweeting:"Susan Sarandon muses tht Trump prezcy wud b better 4 the country thn Hillary. Wonder if she'd say that if she were poor, gay, Muslim or immgrnt."

The feud escalated quickly...

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In response to Messing's harsh tweet, Sarandonhit backwith: "[Hillary] is not protective till it's easy. Bernie makes morally correct choices when unpopular,"adding, "it is a dilemma" for "first-time voters."

"You are not a first time voter. Your position, as a life long advocate 4 the underepresented, is what matters to me," Messingargued,adding,"Your voice is powerful and influential. You not clearly disavowing Trump implies that u consider him (vs Hillary)."

Messing called Sarandon out again at a Clinton-hosted LGBTQ event. "@SusanSarandon Where are you?!" she captioned anInstagramsnapshot of herself with talk show host Rosie O'Donnell. "Hillary's asking for you! Rosie covered, said you were in the bathroom."

We're all for spirited political discourse, but mean-spirited snark can sometimes overshadow one's professional attributes.

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Messing starred as Detective Laura Diamond in the police procedural dramedy The Mysteries of Laurain 2014. Although the show maintained steady ratings throughout its run, the series was panned by critics, receiving a brutal 23 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. "Despite a talented cast,The Mysteries of Laurais dated both as a cop show and as a representation of single, working mothers," the website said.

While the actress' performance was generally praised, with writerEmilie Ariescalling it"the best depiction of women on the small screen," this was yet another Messing-led project that failed to get off the ground. It wascanceled after two seasons in 2016.

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Despite her best intentions, Messing stirred major controversy when she shared a gun safety selfie following a tragic murder-suicide shooting in June 2017. "HORRENDOUS Watching news about shooting at UCLA with casualties while taking selfie 2bring awareness to Gun Violence," she captioned a black-and-white snapshot of herself wearing an orange t-shirt.

After the actress was slammed for her poor timing, she deleted the photo and apologized in a text post. The selfie was "part of a predetermined day of advocacy whose goal is to bring awareness to gun violence in America," Messing wrote in the wake of the backlash, adding, "I am heartbroken and embarrassed that many people misconstrued my actions and that I caused offense."

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In 2016, ABC announced itsmusical remake of the 1987 classic Dirty Dancing, casting Messing asMarjorie Houseman, Baby's mother.

"The offer just came in. I read the script and loved it," the actress toldHaute Living.

The only problem? Pretty much no one else wanted the remake to begin with. "ABC's bloated, unconvincingly musical remake has no reason to exist," a critic forThe Hollywood Reporter wrote, adding that "nobody is likely to truly enjoy" it. Even Messing's performance failed to impress, as the critic noted, "I didn't buy the expanded arc for Messing's character at all, but she plays it decently."

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In 2017, Messing fit a new role into her busy schedule as the global brand ambassador for CoolSculpting, a non-surgical fat-reduction treatment.

"I never stop. I work all the time," she told E! News. "Here's something that you literally just walk into your dermatologist's office and they put something on my belly for an hour and then you put your clothes back on and you walk out the door and then a couple of months later [the fat] is gone."

"I'm still naturally a slim person but I had a baby and it's like I exercised but that little bit of fat is not going away," the actress explained, adding, "I'm already seeing changes."

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It's no secret that Hollywood and the media often objectify women and serve up terrible critiques, especially as they age. In 2017, theNational Enquirerran a shocking piece about Messing's supposed "health crisis" as the actress, then 48, "packs on the pounds."

According to the gossip rag's "medical expert," Messing had gained "at least 20 pounds" since her Will & Grace days. The article alleged she was the "perfect example of an American doing everything wrong with her health. We don't know her diet, but it's clear it's not a healthy one, given her ever-increasing weight," which "greatly increased her risk of premature heart attack or even death."

Wow. Why would a celeb even want to pursue the Hollywood spotlight if it leads to ridiculous press like this?

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WhenWill & Gracefinally received its long-overduerevivalin 2017,Messing and her castmates, Eric McCormack, Sean Hayes, and Megan Mullally, seemed just as excited as the rest of us for their highly-anticipated return to the small screen.

"We have so much to say in [today's polarizing sociopolitical climate] the only way we can say it," Messing toldE! News."Which is always putting the funny first but also always commenting on what is happening in politics and pop culture and social norms."

The series was well-received following its September 2017 premiere, and even earned two Golden Globe Award nominations, including best television comedy.

"We reunited after 11 years, which was kind of crazy, and we have loved every minute of it," Messing wrote onInstagram. "It's so gratifying to know that the show is resonating with people."

The actress spent the previous decade expanding her resume to varying success, but it looks like Will & Grace has finally put Messing right back where she started—at the top of her game!