My girlfriend from Will and Grace, Debra Messing!
(audience cheering)
Hi!
Hello, everybody!
(audience cheering)
Look at you!
They're jumping
outta their seats! I see you.
They're going like this!
I see you. It looks like popcorn!
That's so exciting!
Hi! Hi, my friend!
Hello.
So, we have the same vintage.
We both turned 50 this year.
(audience cheering)
Yes, we did!
And this one went on a birthday party tour.
(Debra laughing)
Like, she had touring partays. I did.
I got invited to the one in New York.
It is the same night my mom wanted me to go to something.
Guess who won.
My mom.
It's okay. I know, but she's my mother.
That's right. What are you gonna do?
And she's Sicilian.
You don't mess with that.
(Debra laughing)
But did you have fun?
What did I miss at the party?
Was it amazing? Oh my God.
I had just an amazing time.
I have to preface it by saying
that I have never had a party my entire life.
(Rachel mumbles)
Until, and I was like, you know what?
I'm turning 50, it is time I'm going to have a party.
(audience cheers)
I'm usually just with my family
and I play bocce and I make dinner.
That's right.
That's right!
So, it was just, you know, bringing friends
and family and everyone together
and we just ate great food and just drank great cocktails
and just hung out, it was-
And healthy food.
She has a lot of dietary restrictions
but that keeps her eating like so clean, so I thought
for her birthday, I'm gonna bring her
all of my vegetables from my garden.
So, I made these huge bushel baskets
and I got to New York, the party was the day before,
and I thought she'd still be here.
She had to get on a plane and go back to work.
But so many people on our staff ate so many vegetables.
(audience laughs)
I am so glad that I could help facilitate that.
Facilitate better dietary fiber for the staff.
Fiber's good.
How do you feel being 50?
You know, I love it.
Like 40, first of all, I always rounded up on my age
so that when I got to be whatever age,
I would already have been it, do you know what I mean?
So I lied up.
That's clever.
Yeah, right?
So, you'd be used to it.
And when I was 40, it drove me nuts
because when you're 40, people start saying
oh, you look good for 40.
(audience laughs)
And I had, like, 5 years of,
when are you gonna have children?
And I'm like, really?
Do I sleep with you?
Why do you care?
(audience laughs)
Right?
Amen.
But at 50, they're just like, ah!
You look great, how are ya?
You know what I mean?
Do you feel that?
Like, I don't get a lot of weird comments.
I do, I do, you know.
It's like, I love being 50.
I love it too!
All of a sudden, I feel like, you know what,
I'm awesome and I can say it now.
Yes!
(audience cheers and applauds)
Right?
I mean, I do not care what people think about me anymore.
Right!
I'm like,
bring it on! It's very liberating.
I'm having a good time and it is cool to be 50.
Yes!
Yes, right?
(audience applauds)
I agree, I'm loving it so far.
I mean, it is just-
A month.
Yeah, about a month old,
but we'll see.
You know, better knock on wood now,
jeez, I'm so superstitious, right?
Knock on wood, both of us.
I just did.
Okay, good.
So, the birthday tour, how many parties did you have?
I had two.
I had one in New York and one in LA,
because I'm bi-coastal right now.
And, did you, there's footage of something.
Did they surprise you, your friends?
Oh, that was on the set of Will and Grace.
Oh, that's sweet.
Yes.
I haven't seen it yet.
I filmed on my birthday.
Oh, of course you did.
So, I was like, I'm not, it's my birthday.
I'm not gonna be able to celebrate.
I'm working all day.
And then, when we came out to say hi
to the whole audience,
Eric started making everybody sing happy birthday
to me and the whole audience and it was really sweet.
I had a 29 year old smoking hot co-star
and unbelievably today,
I have a still smoking hot
50 year old co-star.
(audience cheers and applauds)
Will you help me sing happy birthday
to Debra Messing?
♪ Happy birthday to you ♪
(audience applauds)
Aw.
It was, yeah.
I love that.
One time, I was working, I was doing 30-minute meals
on my birthday and they brought out 30 cupcakes
or something, and they were all stacked up,
and I leaned in to blow out the candles
(gasps)
Whoosh, set both sides of my hair on fire, totally.
(laughs)
It was very memorable though.
Oh my god, too much hairspray.
I know, I know.
Wow. Super flammable.
I didn't need to get a trim though for quite a while.
(audience applauds)