Debra Messing found a "perfect job" in 'Smash'
The 56-year-old actress found mainstream success with the long-running sitcom 'Will and Grace' but revealed that her personal career highlight was when she played lyricist Julia Houston in the short-lived musical drama series on NBC, and she got to work with a host of Broadway icons who made guest appearances
15 April 2025
She told People: "I think it was sitting behind a table, because my character did that all the time, and seeing Bernadette Peters singing right in front of me. And I just was like, 'They're paying me to do this job and there could not be a more perfect job in the world than to watch these unbelievably talented people.'"
'Smash' ran for two seasons from 2012 until 2013 and followed the production of 'Bombshell', a fictional musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe.
Other musical stars to appear in the series throughout its run included Jennifer Hudson and 'Hairspray' star Nikki Blonsky, whilst stage legends such as Liza Minnelli and Harvey Fierstein featured in cameos.
Much of the show centered on the conflict surrounding just who would play the late Hollywood legend, with 'American Idol' runner-up Kaharine McPhee and former 'Wicked' actress Megan Hilty starring as Broadway hopefuls Karen Cartwright and Ivy Lynn respectively.
The series featured an original score by 'Hairspray' writers Marc Shaiman and Scott Witman, and now that the show itself has been adapted into a real-life Broadway show, Debra insisted that numbers such as 'Let Me Be Your Star' and '20th Century Fox Mambo' were "too good" to be kept away from the stage.
Speaking at the opening night of the new production at the Imperial Theater on Thursday (10.04.25), she said: "I am so excited. I saw an early workshop of it and I cried through the whole thing. It was always in the stars for it to come to Broadway. Those songs were just too good not to be heard. And now it's a huge reunion for all of us from the original, so it's the best night ever."
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