Debra Messing Talks About The Starter Wife

Comedic Satire on USA Network Pokes Fun at Hollywood

Oct 20, 2008

Debra Messing recently talked about her role as Molly Kagen, The Starter Wife, who has to start over at the age of 40, when her husband and Hollywood throw her over.

Debra Messing, who starred on Will and Grace for several years, has launched a new series, The Starter Wife, which airs on USA Cable Network. The Starter Wife is a comedic satire about Hollywood, power, love and divorce. Messing recently conducted a telephone interview, in which Suite 101 Film and TV participated. Debra Messing was perfectly charming and down to earth in the interview. Following are some excerpts about the new series, Molly Kagen and Hollywood.

When asked what about the role of Molly Kagen continued to challenge her, Debra Messing replied,

“Oh, everything about Molly challenges me and that's why I love playing her so much. Everything that's going on in her life is new and uncharted territory for her. Her life is starting over at 40, everything from the dynamic between her new ex-husband, having to negotiate that new relationship with shared custody, to dating for the first time in over ten years, which is awkward and funny and scary, to having to discover an occupation that will support she and her daughter, and negotiating living in the same community that has ostracized her. Everywhere she goes, she is an outsider or she is trying to get her footing. It's incredibly challenging.”

“I also think you don't have to have seen the miniseries in order to start watching the series because everything is new. Starting over at 40, it can go anywhere. And especially in the world of Hollywood in which we do social satire and we have a lot of fun poking fun at the values and priorities that are askew there, I think that there will be fodder for comedy in that world forever. “

Debra Messing on Molly’s Relationship with Her Ex Husband

“Molly is a complicated character, which is why I love playing her. Nothing is clean and simple. Her relationship with her ex-husband is messy. She still is kind of taking care of him, even though he's hurt her. Nothing is easy, so I think that especially with the team of writers and the group of actors we have I think that we could go until Molly is in the old home in Beverly Hills.”

“I think it was love (in the beginning), and neither one of them had any power at the time. Clearly Kenny had ambition and I'm sure that that was attractive to Molly when they met. And that just sort of evolved as his ambition grew and he was able to move up the corporate ladder, so to speak, and she was able to help him more and more and more. I think it just happened, it wasn't planned.”

Debra Messing on Molly Kagen in Hollywood

“ Well, what I will say is that her writings in her journal have been sort of a social commentary, a comic social commentary of her own and that gets stolen and from that experience attention is brought to Molly and some unusual professional opportunities arise. It will certainly test Molly in terms of what's important to her and ethics and sort of being thrown into the middle of the whole Hollywood game. She's going to have to be dealing with her ex-husband in the professional world for the first time. So there are some fun, new dynamics that are explored. “

“Well, let's just put it this way, her life is not going to become a fairly tale within ten episodes. Even if she gets a job it's not going to be the answer to everything or she's not going to be catapulted to stardom.”

“What I respond to about Molly is that she doesn't have it figured out and that she is written in a way that she's a fighter and she's a survivor, but she's constantly butting up against obstacles, and to me that's real life. I love the juxtaposition of the fantasy world of Hollywood and the Utopia that is presumed in that world and the very real and accessible daily struggles in every aspect of the protagonist's life, of Molly. “

Debra Messing on Lou Manahan, Played by Joe Mantegna

Joe Mantegna played Kenny Kagen’s boss, who became a suitor of Molly’s. When asked if there was any chance that the romance would be renewed, Debra Messing replied, “Well, he comes back. He does several episodes and I think that's all I'm allowed to tell you.”

Debra Messing on Getting a College Education

Debra Messing got her Bachelor’s Degree, with a Liberal Arts Major and went on to get a Master’s Degree. When asked if she advised young actors to get their education before starting an acting career, she replied,

“Absolutely, absolutely. I just feel like acting is about putting yourself in the shoes of other people who are different from you. The more you can learn about the world, about different disciplines, it all just feeds into making you a better actor. I also think that's a very important time in anyone's life, 18 to 21, and 17 to 22, you are literally becoming an adult and discovering your point of view and your perspective and what you value and what's important to you. So I just think giving yourself a little cocoon that is intellectually stimulating and socially stimulating before you have to go out and get pounded by rejection is a good thing. “

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