Style Watch PollFashion lookbook

Biography

Debra Messing was born in Brooklyn on August 15, 1968, and raised in a quiet community just outside Providence, Rhode Island. Messing majored in theater arts at Brandeis University, where she received her liberal arts degree. Half of her junior year was spent in London's prestigious B.E.S.G.L. program. Upon graduating from Brandeis, Debra was accepted into New York University's Graduate Acting Program and received a master's degree in fine arts three years later. Messing's talents were quickly noticed when she received praise for her performance in the pre-Broadway workshop of Tony Kushner's award-winning play, Angels in America: Perestroika. Debra also enjoyed success playing the role of Cecily in The Importance of Being Earnest, and she appeared in other productions such as Four Dogs and a Bone, The Naked Truth and Collected Stories, which was chosen as a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Debra soon moved on to television, where she starred as Stacey for two seasons of the NBC comedy Ned and Stacey (from 1995 to 1997), and had a recurring role on NYPD Blue playing Dana, Gail O'Grady's sister. In 1998, Debra starred as young bioanthropologist Dr. Sloan Parker on the short-lived sci-fi series Prey. She also appeared as Beth on two episodes of Seinfeld -- "The Wait Out" and "The Yada Yada."