Will & Grace is back!
The cast has reunited for the NBC sitcom that broke new ground and entertained millions
from 1998 to 2006.
If you just can't get enough of Will, Grace, Jack, and Karen, here’s the behind-the-scenes
scoop on the stars of the game-changing sitcom.
"Will" he or won't he?
The entire leading cast initially passed on their roles, according to Megan Mullally,
who played the boozy, eccentric Karen Walker.
Mullally was hesitant because she felt the character was too similar to Christine Baranski's
role on Cybill.
And then I though, ' Well, I don't know how I could make it any different, because she did a pretty damn good job."
Regarding the casting of Will, she said,
"Eric McCormack had been playing a manly cowboy in a series in Canada and he didn't want to
play gay."
However, McCormack has never confirmed Mullally's claim that he didn't want to "play gay."
The A.V.
Club reported that McCormack told Will & Grace co-creator Max Mutchnick he simply wasn't
ready to commit to the series because he was still exploring options.
"Max called me, 'This is the best part you're ever gonna get in your life, you're insane
if you walk away!'
But I did, I walked away for about a month and then I said, 'I think I made a terrible
mistake.'"
Regardless of why the actors were hesitant at first, we're just happy they signed on
and created some of television's greatest characters.
"Denied.
Denied.
Approved."
Persuasion and booze
Though Karen was always the resident lush on Will & Grace…
"Honey you say potato I say vodka!"
...it was Debra Messing who required a bottle of vodka and two persuasive showrunners to
get her to sign on for the series.
Speaking with the New York Daily News, Messing said that when she initially turned down the
role, Mutchnick and co-creator Dave Kohan showed up at her door with booze — and a
lot of determination.
Messing recalled, "They poured me several shots, we spoke for several hours and they
pitched me the show.
I'm a lightweight.
I didn't need much to be a little giddy.
By the end of the evening, they said, 'Will you do it?'
I said, 'Let's talk tomorrow.'"
Obviously, she came around, and in case you're thinking she was tricked into the gig, don't
worry — Messing loved the attention.
She said,
"To come from a time when you have to beg your agents to beg their friends to get you
in the door to allow you to audition, it's a much different feeling to know people have
faith in your work.
It's really a wonderful, encouraging, exciting feeling."
In the closet
It may seem shocking today that an actor would be fearful of coming out of the closet, but
1998 was a very different time.
Sean Hayes, who plays the unapologetically flamboyant Jack McFarland, felt conflicted
about sharing his orientation.
He had come out to those who knew him, but remained closeted publicly for what he now
feels like was too long a time.
Hayes told the Los Angeles Times, "I didn't want the responsibility, I didn't know how
to handle the responsibility of speaking for the gay community.
I always felt like I owed them a huge apology for coming out too late."
He also noted that the show received violent threats and said, "It was a really rough time
for me, but I was also having the time of my life."
Years of bullying
In 2014, McCormack participated in My Life My Power, a mentorship program founded by
mixed martial artist Daniel Puder.
In a powerful video for the organization, McCormack, who is straight, shared some very
personal stories of how he endured bullying as a kid.
"I was called 'f--' pretty early on."
There was one particularly painful event in sixth grade when bullies restrained him and
forced him to participate in a mock wedding — with his male best friend.
"My best friend, Bill and I had been misunderstood for many years, it was of course, when two
guys are that close and play a lot of games, they must be gay."
Allergic to everything
In 2017, Messing issued a lengthy list of forbidden items before attending a swanky
Manhattan event — mostly based on her numerous allergies.
According to Page Six, it read:
"Debra is allergic to ALL WHITE FISH, chicken, mushrooms, gluten, dairy, butter (except feta
and goat cheese).
Debra does not eat game, beans, yogurt, broccoli, cauliflower.
She is lactose intolerant.
She cannot have cheese or milk (only coconut milk).
Debra is allergic to wool, cats, cashmere, down feathers, FLOWERS and gabardine [a type
of woven cloth].
The only flower she is not allergic to is orchids."
"Oh.
My.
Gah."
Messing has been open about her allergies in the past and has even credited allergy
medication for saving her career.
A complicated family
While appearing on an episode of TLC's Who Do You Think You Are?, Hayes discovered a
lot about his paternal lineage — and it turned out to be pretty messy.
His great-grandfather, Patrick Hayes Jr., did a stint in prison after being accused
of assault by his father, Patrick Hayes Sr, who struggled with alcoholism.
Additional research led Sean to believe that the strained family dynamic is what led his
great-grandfather to flee to America.
It's a sad tale of grief and attempted redemption, a pattern Sean said he repeated when he packed
his car and went to LA at age 24.
"I wanted to get away from it, and Patrick Jr. did too, I think.
I feel this sense of camaraderie with him."
Not exactly what you'd expect from the guy whose infectious energy made him the expert
of "making an entrance," right?
"Huge promotion!"
An attempt to avoid stereotypes
Though she isn't a household name, Shelley Morrison earned her comedic stripes as Rosario,
Karen's fiery El Salvadorian housekeeper.
"Listen lady, I'm gonna snap you like a twig and throw you in a bush."
Ironically, this career-changing role happened to also be a well-worn TV trope — something
Morrison had actively tried to avoid.
Speaking with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Morrison said,
"I had to change my name in the mid-'50s so I wouldn't be locked into only playing ethnics.
But obviously that didn't work.
Someone once asked me, 'Is there anything you would like to play that you haven't played?'
And I said, yes, a Swedish milkmaid."
Clearly, comedy was always going to be in the cards for her, regardless of her character's
background.
"Talk about a basket of deplorables."
Karen: The Musical
In what was probably a crushing blow to diehard Karen fans, Mullally's plans to star in a
spin-off Broadway show called Karen: The Musical got scrapped at the last minute.
According to USA Today, Mullally was all set to hit the boards in 2007, but the Will & Grace
creators got cold feet.
Mullally said, "I wasn't thrilled about it.
We had an email exchange in which they gave me written permission.
And the way that they let me know was they didn't contact me personally, they did it
through their lawyer.
And I was really creeped out by that."
"I don't think I can go on."
"Don't do it!"
"Karen, don't be ridiculous!"
"There we go, nice and cold."
Clearly, all parties involved let bygones be bygones, and reunited for the Will & Grace
reboot — but honestly, wouldn't Karen: The Musical be amazing?
"Ta-taaaas.
Woo!"
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