Arts & Entertainment
‘Will & Grace’ star Debra Messing regrets Megyn Kelly interview
the interview became awkward after host teases superfan
(Screenshot via YouTube.)
“Will and Grace” star Debra Messing regrets her appearance on “Megyn Kelly Today” after Kelly made a couple gay jokes that didn’t sit well with some viewers.
Kelly brought out lawyer and “Will & Grace” superfan Russel Turner onstage and said that he had been inspired by Will, all the way down to becoming gay.
“Is it true you became a lawyer, and you became gay, because of Will?” Kelly jokingly asks the fan.
“I look at Will Truman and I’m like, he has it made: lawyer, apartment in New York City and gay? Come on,” Turner replied.
After announcing that Turner had won a trip to Los Angeles for a live taping of “Will & Grace,” Kelly made another remark about the fan’s sexuality.
“I don’t know about the lawyer thing, but the ‘Will & Grace’ thing and the gay thing is going to work out,” Kelly says.
Not everyone was amused by Kelly’s humor.
“I think the Will & Grace thing and the gay thing are going to work out great,” Megyn Kelly said to a gay W&G superfan this morning. Really.
— Kevin Fallon (@kpfallon) September 25, 2017
If you’re not watching Megyn Kelly’s morning debut right now . . . It’s one of the more mortifying things I’ve seen in a while
— Richard Lawson (@rilaws) September 25, 2017
Some viewers also pointed out how noticeably uncomfortable Messing was during the interview.
“I don’t know about the lawyer thing, but the Will & Grace thing and the gay thing is gonna work out great.” -Megyn Kelly Today. pic.twitter.com/IRCEbBvbqC
— Danny Pellegrino (@DannyPellegrino) September 25, 2017
A fan reached out to Messing on Instagram to ask why the actress even appeared on the show.
“But why did you guys do the Megyn Kelly show? That’s a fail!” the fan commented.
Messing replied that she didn’t realize she was scheduled to appear on Kelly’s show.
“Honestly I didn’t know it was MK until that morning,” Messing replied. “The itinerary just said Today show appearance. Regret going on. Dismayed by her comments.”
“Will & Grace” premieres on Thursday, Sept. 28 at 9 p.m. on NBC.
The Freddie’s Follies drag show was held at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va. on Saturday, Jan. 3. Performers included Monet Dupree, Michelle Livigne, Shirley Naytch, Gigi Paris Couture and Shenandoah.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
a&e features
Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
Amy Madigan’s win in the supporting actress category puts her in serious contention to win the Oscar for ‘Weapons’
From Chelsea Handler shouting out Heated Rivalry in her opening monologue to Amy Madigan proving that horror performances can (and should) be taken seriously, the Critics Choice Awards provided plenty of iconic moments for queer movie fans to celebrate on the long road to Oscar night.
Handler kicked off the ceremony by recapping the biggest moments in pop culture last year, from Wicked: For Good to Sinners. She also made room to joke about the surprise hit TV sensation on everyone’s minds: “Shoutout to Heated Rivalry. Everyone loves it! Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!”
The back-to-back wins for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein and Amy Madigan in Weapons are notable, given the horror bias that awards voters typically have. Aunt Gladys instantly became a pop culture phenomenon within the LGBTQ+ community when Zach Cregger’s hit horror comedy released in August, but the thought that Madigan could be a serious awards contender for such a fun, out-there performance seemed improbable to most months ago. Now, considering the sheer amount of critics’ attention she’s received over the past month, there’s no denying she’s in the running for the Oscar.
“I really wasn’t expecting all of this because I thought people would like the movie, and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys! I mean, it’s crazy,” Madigan said during her acceptance speech. “I get [sent] makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she’s a sex icon also, which I didn’t go too deep into that one.”
Over on the TV side, Rhea Seehorn won in the incredibly competitive best actress in a drama series category for her acclaimed performance as Carol in Pluribus, beating out the likes of Emmy winner Britt Lower for Severance, Carrie Coon for The White Lotus, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Pluribus, which was created by Breaking Bad’s showrunner Vince Gilligan, has been celebrated by audiences for its rich exploration of queer trauma and conversion therapy.
Jean Smart was Hack’s only win of the night, as Hannah Einbinder couldn’t repeat her Emmy victory in the supporting actress in a comedy series category against Janelle James, who nabbed a trophy for Abbott Elementary. Hacks lost the best comedy series award to The Studio, as it did at the Emmys in September. And in the limited series category, Erin Doherty repeated her Emmy success in supporting actress, joining in yet another Adolescence awards sweep.
As Oscar fans speculate on what these Critics Choice wins mean for future ceremonies, we have next week’s Golden Globes ceremony to look forward to on Jan. 11.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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