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Debra Messing Talks Back-To-School Essentials And The Importance Of Post-Its
Published on: 29 August, 2012 (0) Comments!Each morning I make my husband’s lunch for work, I put in a post-it note in his lunch tote. Usually, it’s a little message that says, “Have a great day at work,” “I love you,” or “How long will it damn it take for your to clean out the water in the fish tank?” We’ve been together for ten years, so our communicative love is special, mind you.
But still, I’ve always loved leaving little post-it notes in the kitchen, on my computer desk or even in my bathroom whenever I had something in my head and needed a good reminder of it for later on (because posting about it in your phone just isn’t the same, right?). Smash star Debra Messing knows exactly what I mean. The Hollywood actress and celebrity mom recently took the time to chat with me about not only the importance of these friendly little yellow reminders, but of how she is planning her back-to-school preparations with her son, Roman.
Babble: Tell me about your work with the Post-it Your Words Stick With Them campaign. Why did you decide to get involved with this program?
Debra: Using Post-it Notes to remind children how special they are, it just resonated with me, it makes complete sense to me. I’ve had an ongoing dialogue with my 8 year old son via Post-it Notes and I’ve left them all over the house for years. He laughs at be now because I put them on the mirror in his bathroom or on the refrigerator or I hide them in books. I think of them as love notes because when you are telling a child that you believe in them and you’re encouraging them to believe in themselves and to have fun and to head into the day with a positive outlook, it feels like an act of love for me. It makes me feel good to do it for him.
Babble: How do you prepare for back-to-school shopping with your son?
Debra: I love school supplies so much! It’s a little bit of a problem, I’ve been very open about it – I have a thing for pens! The most exciting time of the year is back-to-school, we go to the local school supplies store and we get everything we could possibly need and he gets to pick out his notebooks and his pens and pencils and what color Post-it Notes he likes and his backpack – it’s very exciting. It’s a sign that a new adventure is beginning. There are new teachers and new kids he’s going to meet and it’s only positive. That’s another thing that made me want to get involved in this initiative is that the program beneficiary is Adopt A Classroom, which is this wonderful charity that supplies much needed resources to teachers all over the country…I’m actually right now at PS 15, a school that is being adopted by the Post-it Brand [through Adopt A Classroom} so their teachers are going to be able to register online and say exactly what they need and it will given to them… I just think it’s an extraordinary charity.
Babble: Are there any fun before school traditions you two have? Or, is there like a certain backpack or character he’s totally loving right now?
Debra: He’s really in to super heroes, so he had Spiderman last year. But he’s also starting to get in to Spongebob and things like that, so I’m going to let him decide because he’s going to have a very strong opinion once he sees the backpacks all lined up, so I’m going to let him decide.
Babble: In your opinion, what’s the most essential school item that should be in every student’s backpack this year?
Debra: A pocket dictionary and thesaurus
Babble: If you were a teacher, what subject and grade would you teach?
I’d love to be a teacher! I think I would probably be creative writing or English teacher, and I probably teach third grade, which is coincidently the age of my son – or maybe it’s not so coincidental!
Debra Messing Tells Us Her Favorite Will & Grace Episode Ever! Plus, Smash Scoop!
Published on: 26 August, 2012 (0) Comments!Alas, my back-to-school days are over, so waking up extra early yesterday to head to PS 15 Roberto Clemente Elementary School in NYC seemed like a nostalgia-flavored treat. As if that wasn’t exciting enough (it’s the little things, people), I was headed there for an interview with none other than Debra Messing!
Debra was at PS 15 to unveil Post-it Your Words Stick With Them, a program that highlights the power of a handwritten note and asks parents and teachers to share their notes of encouragement to kids throughout the school year. Plus, Post-it partnered with AdoptAClassroom.org to donate much-needed school supplies. Awesome.
I talked to her about the program, Smash, her obsession with Whale Wars, and more. Check it out!
What got you involved with this program?
I just really believe that personal notes on a regular basis to your children makes a difference. I love hiding Post-it notes in my son’s books and backpack and on the refridgerator to let him know that I love him, to tell him to have fun, to have a good day. It makes me feel like I am supporting him, and hopefully it makes him feel during the very, very busy day that I’m with him, even when I’m not with him. Also, I am so proud that the beneficiary of this initiative is Adopt A Classroom, where much-needed school supplies are given to schools and teachers all over the country who can’t afford them.
So, if you wrote a Post-it to your son right now, what would you write?
Laugh hard today.
We can’t wait for Smash to return! What’s new this season?
Just lots of changes; lots of new cast members. Jennifer Hudson was just on last week, and she is wonderful to work with—hearing her sing live is just a gift. And there’s lots of surprises!
I heard your Will & Grace co-star Sean Hayes is coming to Smash!
I am beyond excited that Sean Hayes is coming. It’s going to be a giggle-fest.
So, what’s your all-time favorite episode of Will & Grace?
It’s called “Das Boob,” and it’s the exploding water bra episode. For me, it was classic Lucille Ball.
Now on to a mini-Obsessed questionnaire! What’s your current obsession?
My current obsession is 1stdibs.com. It’s a website that has estate jewelry, old, old furniture, fashion… and everyday you go on and there’s something else that’s on there. It’s a visual inspiration for me. I love it.
The TV show you’re obsessed with?
Oh, Whale Wars. I’m completely obsessed with it; I’ve watched every season. They are so heroic. It’s exciting; it’s just the perfect show.
The movie you’re so obsessed with you know every word?
It might be The Way We Were or The Lion King!
What’s been your craziest Hollywood moment so far?
I think walking into the bathroom at the Met Ball and seeing Vanessa Redgrave smoking a cigarette at the sink. [laughs]
Next time you have time to yourself, what are you going to do?
Read. Right now I’m in the middle of a book called Canada, and I’m loving it.
Debra Messing Talks ‘Smash’ Season 2, Sean Hayes, Barbra Streisand And More
Published on: 26 August, 2012 (0) Comments!Shooting for Season 2 of “Smash” is in full swing, and Debra Messing, known for her portrayal of the musically talented, romantically challenged Julia, says the cast is having a blast.
While at the launch event for her partnership with Post-it Your Words Stick With Them in New York City on Wednesday, Messing sat down with HuffPost TV to talk “Smash” Season 2, reuniting with her “Will & Grace” co-star Sean Hayes, dream guest stars and more.
How’s filming for Season 2 of “Smash” going?
We’re on Episode 4 right now, and it’s going well. It’s very exciting and we have fabulous guest stars. Jennifer Hudson was on last week, and she is so lovely, a great mom and fit seamlessly into the ensemble. Sean Hayes is coming on the show, which is beyond exciting. It’s a dream come true.
So what do you think about working with Sean Hayes again?
I can’t imagine a more fun day!
Will you have any scenes with him specifically?
I asked for it! I’m hoping the writers will accommodate. They promised me I would have scenes with him, so I think they know I’ll have a horrible temper tantrum if I don’t get to act with him.
When I spoke with Megan Hilty, she told me there’s a lot more music this season. Does Julia have more singing time?
Not yet. I was told that Julia would be singing this season, which is a little terrifying, but also a little exciting. But the music is one of the things that makes “Smash” so special. And as Julia, I get to sit on the other side of the table and listen to the music being sung. So I get to go to work and get front row center seats. I love it!
In terms of Julia’s love life in the upcoming season, I know she’s moved on completely from her Season 1 love interests. How have fans reacted to that? And how do you feel about it?
There have been so many changes from last season. FIve characters of the 11 are not back, so it’s an adjustment for all of us. Obviously really exciting new characters are coming in, and that’s really fun. As for Julia’s love interests, the fans have very strong opinions about who Julia should be with, and they voice their demands and concerns pretty forcefully on Twitter. It’s going to be, if nothing else, complicated.
Ellis was the big villain last season. Will a new, unexpected villain emerge now that Ellis is out of the picture?
I don’t know where the show is going. Everything is a surprise for us, but this is the world of Broadway theater. There are people to root for and people to root against in the real world because people have different agendas. There’s art, and then there’s money. So I don’t doubt that there will be some kind of villain asserting him or herself.
Who would your dream “Smash” guest star be?
I think it would have to be Barbra Streisand. “Funny Girl” was my favorite movie growing up, and she was my idol. She started out on Broadway, and I think it would be great if she would come on and play my mother. [Laughs.]
Tell me about your partnership with Post-it Your Words Stick With Them. Why is education so important to you?
I think it was the way I was brought up. My parents always made education and school the number one priority. They believed that an education is the best gift you can give to your child. I think having lived that and having been encouraged on a daily basis by them has informed a lot of how I parent. So my son is very curious, which is fantastic. He loves school. So I don’t have to encourage him too much, but I love to do it because I know it’s meaningful and words are powerful.
Debra Messing will reunite with Sean Hayes on Season 2 of ‘Smash’
Published on: 23 August, 2012 (0) Comments!An Oscar winner and a Tony nominee guest-star on “Smash” when it returns midseason, but Debra Messing has eyes for “Just Jack.”
The lead actress on NBC’s musical theater series is “giddy” about working with her “Will & Grace” co-star Sean Hayes on the hit show’s second season,
“It’s a reunion that’s going to be full of giggles,” says Messing. “I’m champing at the bit on getting back on set with him again.”
Hayes, best known as the flamboyant Jack McFarland on “Will & Grace,” reprises a comic-relief role in “Smash” as Terrence Falls, a funny TV and film star making his Broadway debut in a musical based on the novel “Les Liaisons Dangereuses.”
Messing also expects plenty of laughs from Hayes off camera.
“The joking on set was relentless,” she said, recalling the eight years they worked together. “I’m sure we’re gonna fall right back into it.”
Hayes joins Academy Award-winner Jennifer Hudson and Broadway actor Jeremy Jordan from “Newsies” in the star-studded second season.
Messing mused over how the show’s originality draws in so many celebrity cameos, including Uma Thurman and Nick Jonas in season one.
“Broadway is something that is glamorous and fantastical and has never been explored on prime-time television before,” she said. “So to show the ins and outs, and the difficulties and the challenges of that whole world, is really exciting.”
It also makes the Great White Way more accessible. “Broadway tickets are not cheap,” said Messing. Now, she notes, “a little Broadway can go into everyone’s living room.”
The Brooklyn-born star studied acting at NYU’s Tisch school before landing roles in “A Walk in the Clouds” with Keanu Reeves and the short-lived Fox sitcom “Ned & Stacy,” which led to “Will & Grace.”
But it was her passion for theater that pushed her to take a chance on “Smash.”
“It was the thing that drew me back to television, and I felt inspired to move across the country for it,” says Messing during a Wednesday visit to P.S. 15 in Alphabet City to promote Adopt-A-Classroom’s “Post-It Your Words Stick With Them” charity campaign.
“Smash” films in New York at locations like Times Square. “New York has a certain energy to it, a certain rhythm to it,” she says. “I can’t imagine doing this show in Southern California on a back lot. It would be very hard to feel the grit.”
Messing takes her 8-year-old son, Roman, to Broadway matinees whenever she can.
“It’s a luxury and a privilege and a joy to be in the presence of these brave and special actors, singers and dancers,” she says. “It’s just amazing. That’s New York.”
Debra Messing interviewed her friend Ali Wentworth for Hamptons Magazine, you can read a little snippet below and follow the link to the full interview (worth reading!).
I love a funny woman. I was a fan of Ali Wentworth first. It was during a late-night airing of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, circa 1994, when I first saw her: this strange, bold, wonderful animal. She was cute—all blonde hair and big eyes—a kooky energy. Then I saw the braces…. I think this is true, or maybe I just created it in my fantasy of Ali’s oeuvre, but she was in the audience, and I was confused. Is this real? Is this a skit? Then I saw her on Leno again, and she did this bit on supermodels, and I fell in love. She was subversive. Ali was clearly an u?ber-smarty-pants and played the supermodel persona to the hilt, but she was fearless and unapologetic, and ironic and subtle—and then not. And did I say cute? I became vaguely obsessed.
Years passed, and I saw that she was acting in TV shows and movies and marrying the brilliant strategist George Stephanopoulos. Then came the books. And, of course, in between there she had two gorgeous daughters and became a Martha Stewart mini-me. It was around this time I actually met her. Our mutual, dear friend Mariska Hargitay said to me one day, “You know who you have to meet? Ali Wentworth. You would love her. She is the funniest person I know.” Stifling the impulse to say, “What am I—chopped liver?” I smiled and said, “I’d love to.” Ali was living in DC; I was in LA, but Mariska got us together through her Joyful Heart Foundation gala, and a friendship was born. Yes, she is hilarious. She makes me pee in my pants a little on a regular basis. But, more importantly, she is a good soul. She is generous and welcoming, focused and serious, playful and enthusiastic, devoted and proud. She loves her family and protects her friendships. She is intellectually curious and ever finding outlets for her boundless creativity: Daily Shot with Ali Wentworth (a Web series on Yahoo), more books (Ali in Wonderland: and Other Tall Tales was published in February), a crafts room. If I didn’t love her, I’d hate her. She is an inspiration and my good-time gal, and I’m so lucky to have her as a friend.