My Celebrity Valentine - and My BFF

It's almost that time again; Valentine's Day, the time when we buy cards with syrupy verses, boxes of candy, and celebrate and honor the persons we like (love?) and admire. Who among us hasn't at one time or another had a secret crush on, or wanted to have a famous celebrity as a Valentine? This year, my funny Valentine from the celebrity world is a woman known and loved by millions of fans.

She's best known for her portrayal of Grace Adler on the wildly popular sitcom "Will and Grace." Debra Messing, born Debra Lynn Messing on August 15, 1968 in Brooklyn, NY, the second child of a sales representative for a costume jewelry manufacturer, she was bitten by the acting bug early in life. At age 3, she and her older brother Brett, moved with their parents to East Greenwich, Rhode Island. During high school in East Greenwich, she acted in sang in high school productions.

In 1986, Debra Messing won the Rhode Island Junior Miss title, and competed nationally in Mobile, Alabama. Her family supported her desire to be a performer, but her mother insisted that she also get an education. Proving that she was as smart as she was beautiful, Messing graduated summa cum laude from Brandeis University in 1990 with a degree in theater arts. She then went on to get a Master of Fine Arts degree from New York University in 1993, in a program that only admits 15 highly qualified scholars each year.

She began her cinematic work with roles in the TV series NYPD Blue in 1994 and 1995, and appeared in her first film, A Walk in the Clouds, in 1995. She appeared on two episodes of Seinfeld in 1996, playing the role of Jerry Seinfeld's girlfriend, and in 1997 had a part in McHale's Navy. Her first starring role in a sitcom was in Ned and Stacey, a show that only lasted two seasons (1995-1997). From there she went to a lead role in the ABC show Prey. While working on Prey she was shown a script for a new show, Will and Grace. She had been thinking about taking a break from acting, but fortunately for fans, she read for and got the part of Grace Adler. The show became an instant hit, and exposed her to an adoring public, who had probably not paid too much attention to her before. In 2006, she had her first lead role in a high profile film, The Wedding Date. She's been nominated many times for awards for her performances, winning an Emmy in 2003 for her work in Will and Grace.

She's now preparing another TV series, which I predict will be a hit, and at the same time is serving as Population Services International's (PSI) Ambassador for Youth AIDS, a job that takes her to many parts of the world to spread the word on this dreaded disease. It was during her November 2009 trip to Zimbabwe as PSI Youth AIDS Ambassador that I had a chance to meet her in person for the first time. I was struck most by how much she was like, and at the same time, unlike her TV persona. Friendly and outgoing, and totally unaffected by her fame, she was, and always will be, my favorite Valentine.

References:

http://www.fandango.com/debramessing/filmography/p224925

http://www.debramessing.com/biography/

http://www.nbc.com/will_&_grace/bios/Debra_Messing.html