Debra Messing – The Mysteries of Laura

By starrymag | May 20, 2015

Q) In the shocking conclusion to last week’s episode, Jake gets shot during the convenience store robbery. Can you offer us any details on how Laura and the team will react or handle the situation and how Jake’s injury might affect Laura’s relationship with Tony?

A) So you haven’t seen any of the coming attractions I guess? Basically everybody is absolutely shocked and devastated that Jake has been shot and he’s in the hospital and it’s quite serious. It really rattles Laura down to the bone. She gets a sort of ferocious single tunnel vision about trying to find the person who did it. That’s the way that she sort of keeping it together. And so the entire team together is working on that. And at the same time monitoring Jake and how he’s doing and then yes, Tony is very much in the picture. And it becomes a complicated triangle to have the husband of my children and my ex-husband to be in critical condition in the hospital. And then to have this boyfriend who wants to be supportive, but understands that he can only do so much. So it’s a powerful and I think it’s an emotional series – season finale.

Q) Thankfully, like you said, NBC has renewed you for a second season. So I have to ask is there any direction or storyline that you’d like to see them explore with Laura next season?

A) I know that everybody is very excited about making the homicide cases as smart and surprising as possible. Much like Sherlock – the TV show Sherlock – we want to keep them as sophisticated as possible. And then of course find the light moments that have to come when her private life sort of interjects itself. I think you’re going to see more of Jake and Laura spending more time together. But besides it’s going to be the show that our fans have come to really love and be entertained by. It’s just making it a little bit sharper.

Q) I know that Eric McCormack guest starred this season. Is there any hopeful people you hope to nab for next season – for season two?

A) I have no idea. We just found out the wonderful news a week ago that the show is coming back – and we’re the only show on NBC that premiered last year that – that is coming back. So we are very grateful and excited. So the focus is really just getting on track for starting up in less than two months. I know that we want to have as many exciting guest stars as possible, the better the guest star, the better the show in terms of just the quality and the investment that the audience can have in each episode. But specifically about Eric coming back, I don’t have any information.

Q) And then obviously the show got picked up again. How did you celebrate? Did you like splurge on anything big?

A) I’d like to say that I went out and I bought me something really snazzy and spectacular. But, I didn’t because I just bought an apartment in New York City and that’s pretty much as snazzy as I could right now. But I did go out and celebrate with some of my cast members who is still in New York and just enjoying this time off. Catching up on sleep. This season is a very – it’s a trying one – very physically exhausting. I’ve been sleeping – and that’s the way that I’ve been celebrating. I am off to Bulgaria in a week to do a film. So it’s going to be short lived sleep. It’s an action fantasy film – it’s kind of like a mix of Lord of the Rings and The Princess Bride.

Q) I was wondering if there has been any talk about a Will & Grace like reunion or any kind of movie or anything like that?

A) No, there has never been. I know that every once in a while the Twitter explodes with these rumors that something is in the works. But unfortunately no one has spoken to any of the cast mates about it. So my assumption is that means that nothing is in the works. I always say, never say, never. So I just am so grateful to our fans. I mean the Will & Grace fans are really the most passionate fans around. And they write me that they watch it every day still. And it’s pretty wonderful.

Q) I was just wondering what was your favorite case this season?

A) I know this is kind of mean to say, but I think it’s the season finale. There is so much invested in this crime because Jake was the victim. So I really think that everyone is sort of stepped up their game and made a particularly powerful episode to end this season end. So hopefully you’ll feel the same way.

Q) I love the show especially as a mom – and mother knows best – and you seem to know more – everything that happens. How is it to work with those rambunctious young men – your TV twins?

A) Oh my goodness, my TV twins are so spectacular. They are the most polite, sweet, gentlest boys and they are so professional. And they come in and we hug and we play and the days that they are on the set are a highlight of the week for me — because they really – they really are wonderful.

Q) I was wondering if you could tell us on the finale if it ends with a cliffhanger or not?

A) That’s a good question. How am I going to answer this? I’d guess I’d say it ends with a cliffhanger that is not the most traditional of cliffhangers. You definitely – you definitely – go away wondering what’s going to happen next. When we come back in the fall.

Q) Thinking back if you could tell me what was it that originally like attracted you to the show that you made you think you just had do it?

A) Oh it was definitely the pilot script. I mean read it, and immediately I was struck by this homicide case that this mystery, that really sucked me in. In my private life, I love mysteries, I love watching all of the homicide shows. It’s just something that really fascinates me. So to sit down and to read a script and to get into this case and then all of the sudden to find myself laughing – I was so confused. And – because I thought what’s going on? This doesn’t happen – you don’t have a homicide cathedral. And then have comedy in at as well. And by the time I finished the script I thought – wow, this is – this is very unique. They’re trying to marry two genres and I thought, you know what, this is going to be a huge challenge. But I was really excited by the possibilities.

Q) And do you still find that part a challenge now that you’ve been doing it for quite a while?

A) Oh yes, yes. I mean certainly we have a much better idea of whether it’s the tone of the show and the balance of the show. But I think the trickiest thing is – will always be even if we’re lucky enough to be on the air eight years. It will always be finding that balance between the light humor. And the sophisticated dark, urban, homicide case.

Q) As you said you’re a fan of the genre of television. In recent seasons NBC has definitely become known for their crossover events. Is there any series you’d love to see Mysteries of Laura crossover for a case or something?

A) Oh yes, SVU please. Mariska Hargitay is my best friend — in real life. So, I’ve been on her show as a guest star and that was just awesome. But I think it would just be wonderful and hilarious and a great (link) to the audience if we were able to somehow interact with each other.

Q) In what ways would you say you’re similar or can relate to Laura? Are there any quirks you’ve brought to the character, anything like you bought from your personal life to the character?

A) Oh gosh, besides what she does for a living I really relate to her on all fronts. I feel like being a single working mother is an incredibly challenging thing to do. You always have 12 hats in the air. And you have to take it hour by hour. And one hour you succeed, and the next hour you don’t do so well. And you just have to keep going because you can’t stop. And I also responded to and love the fact that she’s the best there is. That she’s the smartest one in the room and really, really disciplined and very dedicated to the work that she does do. I think, those are things that drew me to the character and made me feel interested and like I could relate to her.

Q) So I love how you guys have been promoting like girl power on Wednesday night with Mariska on SVU and Sophia Bush on Chicago P.D.? And I know you just mentioned Mariska is one on your best friends. So have the three of you kind of like been hanging out, giving each other tips and everything like that?

A) Well unfortunately I haven’t been able to hang out with Sophia because she is in Chicago. So you know, they – you know, we had – we have done some press together. I just saw her at the upfronts and we had, you know, a big snuggle and giggle fest together. I think she is so wonderful – I can’t say enough about her. But Mariska – and they had definitely become close because of those crossovers – because the cast of SVU flew out to Chicago – and they spent a lot of time together in those crossovers.

Q) I was wondering about your level of collaboration – like with your creative team. Do you leave all the writing to them, or do you go over the scripts and tweak anything since you are the star of the show?

Debra: Well, I’m working nonstop every day. So it’s hard for me to be involved at every stage of the story development. But when the script gets to me then I will – I will look for opportunities to make it a little bit more specific. For example, one of the first episodes Laz’s character Billy gets hit in the face and he’s bleeding. And I pull a sanitary napkin out of my purse and stick it to his face to stop the bleeding – that was my idea. Luckily it worked and they were appreciative of sort of the idea. We also tried some other ideas for that moment. So that if it didn’t work, but at the end of the day they liked it. And it was a way that I was looking for to, you know, make her bag – the go to bag for everything – the fix all. There’s always something in that bag that can solve some problem. And that I just saw an opportunity there to highlight that. And it was fun.

Q) And just quickly you lived in LA for such a really long time and now you’re in New York. How do you feel about the move, how’s that going for you?

A) Oh gosh, now it’s pretty wonderful being here and realizing that this is my home again- once again a very long time. Smash brought me here and I have an 11 year old son. And he really has just blossomed since we’ve moved here. And so regardless of whether or not Smash is going to continue or not we decided that we were going to stay in New York. And as I said earlier I finally bought an apartment instead of renting. I definitely feel like now I have roots. And I’m a homebody in real life so having roots really does a lot for me. And it feels just like an exciting new chapter of my life – honestly.

 

 

*CONFERENCE CALL*