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    Debra Messing reveals how those impossibly timely jokes happen on 'Will & Grace'

    Gibson Johns, AOL.com
    AOL.comOctober 31, 2017
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    There was a moment in one of the most recent episodes of the "Will & Grace" revival that felt remarkably timely -- like, impossibly so.

    Standing in the Grace Adler Designs offices, Karen Walker (played by Megan Mullally) takes a paper towel roll and tosses it just like President Trump so controversially did during his visit to Puerto Rico -- just weeks earlier in October. That kind of quick joke turnaround is practically unheard of for sitcoms and, as Debra Messing sees it, that's part of the beauty of the show's return.

    SEE ALSO: 'This Is Us' actress Eris Baker reveals the show moment that shocked her the most

    "We had to re-shoot that scene," Messing told AOL Entertainment during a recent interview before CoolSculpting's Break The Ice panel. "We re-shot it like a week before it aired, and they had the opportunity to add that Puerto Rico joke in there."

    "The world is a difference place now, so we’re commenting on things that are a little more dire and a little more serious, but we’re still doing it in a way that makes people laugh," the actress continued. "That’s the thing that we’re absolutely committed to." 

    The Puerto Rico is just one of the many memorable moments that "Will & Grace" has delivered in its first month back on NBC. Another massive highlight from the show's delightful comeback involved Messing and Mullally trapped in a shower for hours -- an "I Love Lucy"-esque tour de force in physical comedy that only this show could deliver.

    See photos of Debra Messing:

    Messing told us that filming it took an extra bit of imagination.

    "We obviously couldn't rehearse that, because it was in a tank with 19 feet of water in it, and we really just had to take a leap of faith," she explained. "Megan and I just jumped in there, and we were in the tank for about three hours. We were just hanging from the top of it, and they would give us new lines like they would during a regular show night. The difference was, though, that we were sitting in a tank of water while they were busy writing!"

    Despite the discomfort, the experienced actresses knew enough to make one big request going into it: "We were smart enough to request that the water be heated!"

    Fans of "Will & Grace" were also delighted when Harry Connick Jr.'s character, Leo, unexpectedly returned to the show. Though, no fans were more excited about his return than Messing herself.

    "I had to work hard not to cry from joy," she said with a smile. "Harry Connick Jr. is one of my favorite people in the whole world. He's such a gentleman, he's unspeakably talented and he's just a kind human. I loved working with him and, when I heard he was coming back, I was literally giddy. When he walked on set, I lost it, because then it was real. I screamed and jumped on him."

    And bringing the actor back to the show wasn't simply about pandering to longtime fans of the show, either. Messing thinks that the move was a necessity -- there were still unanswered questions about why Leo and Grace split. 

    "That storyline had to be told, and we needed to have more information about what happened to them," Messing said. "We're doing the same thing with Bobby Cannavale, too."

    See photos from the original run of "Will & Grace":

    Messing told us that she officially feels "reconnected" to her iconic character of Grace Adler now that she's officially back. Though Messing and Adler have their differences, of course, the CoolSculpting Ambassador told us that there is one major quality that the two women share.

    "Like Debra Messing, Grace Adler is lazy," she said with a laugh, adding that Grace would "absolutely" be a CoolSculpting user. "Perhaps the same effect could be achieved if I was working out four hours a day, but I'm too lazy, so that's not an option. I'm shocked at how many people make that commitment, but I have other things in my life that I care more about."

    The actress swears by the non-invasive fat-freezing treatment, even if just for the fact that she can feel a bit more comfortable in her own clothing.

    "My clothes fit better, and I just feel better," she said of the treatment's effects. "You can throw away your body shaper, too! I'm freed from those things that make me feel like a sausage and so unsexy. It's such a great way for anybody -- including men -- to give themselves a little lift and make them feel more confident."

    More from AOL.com:
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    Jada Pinkett Smith explains why the incredible success of 'Girls Trip' brought her to tears
    Elizabeth Hurley opens up about her fight to end breast cancer: 'Breast cancer doesn't discriminate'

    • This article was initially published on AOL.com: Debra Messing reveals how those impossibly timely jokes happen on 'Will & Grace'
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