The cast of "Will & Grace" interview on The Rosie O'Donnell Show

welcome back to the show eric mccormick and debra messi [Music] [Applause] that's awful nice isn't it i'm standing and screaming now when you first took the gig who would have thought this show would be this it's huge loving loving loving them yeah it's nice now is it true eric that on the audition that deborah you didn't think that you were all scruffy and you didn't know if she what happened well i i went to network early on with uh with a girl i got the part she didn't so it was then this month-long me auditioning with lots of of girls none of them all of them good none of them write and we had this final audition it was at jim burgo's house deborah and two others it was all very top-secret and those on a sunday and these executives were coming in i had shot uh an independent film until 8 30 in the morning that sunday um my mother got blessed and had a heart attack the day before she's fine but i so here i am i haven't shaved i haven't slept and i'm going to be will with three different women and i'm thinking about my mom so it was just ridiculous i looked like the last guy in the world who should be playing will truman but uh the first two came in it was fine and then deborah came in and i just right out of the room and everyone was like okay let's make a deal let's make a deal right now her up she's not even in the limbo and burroughs is like honey i'm going in anything and is it true deborah that you were drunk when you found out you got the wrong she's drunk now no i wasn't drunk when i got the role before before i auditioned with him i had just wrapped another another show and i didn't know if i could if i could even audition and that max and dave our executive producers came over to my house with a liter of vodka and a lime and said okay we want you at audition let's drink and over the course of three hours we finished the bottle and got a rip roaring drunk and cut to the next like next day me auditioning with him oh so you were hungover i was hungover i was a mess but you know they were my new buddies because we got drunk together and i'm a lightweight so until they they wanted her more than me because they came over to my house with just a lime right so that's not right i was easy target at that point now did you do a lot of sitcoms before this i did one before this it was called ned and stacy and i played stacey the poor people that ever watched it are all in the audience it was cute it was the blonde guy yes that's right thomas hayden church it was on fox for two years and it was my very first job um on primetime television and how about you eric did you do a sitcom before this no i did a little i did a few episodes of townies playing jenna elfman's boyfriend uh i didn't last very long like 13 episodes less people saw that and i did this was i did the uh the pilot for the jenny mccarthy show and i was supposed to be this continuing character and then decided to go a whole other way with it so i was basically fired and a year later when we shoot the pilot of will and grace uh warren littlefield was running the show at the time running nbc came up to me and said aren't you glad i fired you and i said yes thank you so much she's funny jenny mccarthy is funny just kind of didn't know where he wanted to be but yeah but i think you know she's got a good comic timing i think she's gonna yeah get something that fits her she's really smart i think these are very tight i'm assuming yeah i guess like most games do um now you guys what's the car situation you got a car from the network oh good lord rosie that was a long time ago right yes but that feels nice what do they say when they give you a car what are they like how does it happen rosie was so ridiculous it was i mean it was we were on for a year and you know all of us were sort of just schlubby and just you know we don't we you know we we're just sort of hiking hitchhiking to work you know expecting our show to be canceled right and i guess this the show went well over that summer and we just went out for lunch just celebrating that we were still on the air and we walked out and there were four cars waiting and they said this is a thank you and that's pretty nice it was crazy and we said you're welcome and we said my gosh and and i actually had had been renting a car for three years at the time seriously and had just been looking to buy a car and so i was like grateful because you needed one i needed one and what kind of car was it they were porsches seriously listen i'm telling you get a series get a television series you must have known that they were happy there at the network we haven't seen anything since no no well that's sort of a cover the whole season gift you know covers the whole run they're done now um what sitcoms did you watch when you were little were you a big fan oh gosh yeah i mean repeats of i love lucy carol burnett um mary tyler moore laverne and shirley yeah uh uh tracy ullman yeah yeah how about you i'm a little older than deborah i watched first run i love lucy yeah no my my big one was get smart absolutely [Applause] again i was watching repeats but i was young enough that i believed that it was real and then one day i remember hearing that it's not real he gets paid to do that right and then i heard that he won an emmy which i didn't know what that meant but i thought okay you get paid and you win something i gotta do that job that's what i gotta do right you know my son still doesn't get it he's six and we watched apollo 13 because he's very interested in space and i said you know honey you know him that's chester and truman's daddy and um parker says to me mom how do you know an astronaut i go well he's not an astronaut he's pretending to be an astronaut he's an actor he's like no look he's in the ship you know like but has he seen your movies does he get that like you're a baseball player or that you were you know dominatrix [Applause] the only movie of mine that they've seen is tarzan you know and what about betty rubble they haven't seen that oh that would you'd be like forget about it no there's something really sad about you know my son blake is almost two and he really can't speak and yet when he we put the tape in of tarzan and the monkey starts to talk right away he said mama mama it looks strikingly like his mother um and speaking of i love lucy i love this entertainment weekly where you guys are on the cover and they dressed you up and all different uh lucy and ethel and sunny and lucy and ricky and sunny and cher look at that it's you know you really do look like her in this picture they did an amazing job they really with like the hair and the makeup and the costuming and the i mean look at this sonny and sherry i mean look at him could you could you even tell that that's him yeah look at the face look at the pun there's a lot a lot a lot of great pictures in this uh one of the best issues of this magazine i've ever seen yeah it's really we had a really good time but we're gonna come back with megan and sean after this and uh karen and jack as you know him and just check we'll be right back [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] every time jack and karen are on the screen it's a depends moment for the entire nation take a look please welcome back to the show megan mullally and sean [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] hi you guys how are you i'm good i really had to sit down there the chair like met me right there yeah yeah do you want the foot stool there i need a stool you need the foot stool now you guys do you improvise any of the stuff that's on there because everybody asks me that they go is that written or they make it up no the writing is so good that there's really no need to improvise lines although when we're holding for laughs we'll improvise yeah because you just you're just filling there is one thing you created though was there a few weeks ago the uh the charge card in the uh that was then once that just falling around the atm yeah yeah yeah it's it's very very funny to watch the chemistry right away was it when you did you auditioned together or no i didn't meet uh well i met deb um [Laughter] um yeah no the first time that that we met was the first read-through over at uh one of these producers houses max oh yeah man um and uh but i had met deb briefly because we did an episode of ned and stacy where we didn't have any scenes together but we just met and so you guys was it written that the sparring between you or did that develop out of the fact that you guys sort of meshed i think with sean and i uh that developed from our the rapport that we had right away just as friends you know we got along really well and we had all these ideas of because our character didn't our characters didn't have any interaction in the pilot at all right and then in the first episode was when when we had our first scene together yeah now shawn are you nervous about the uh emmys um this sunday they're on by the way barring any uh anything they're on this sunday and uh i know that you won already yeah yeah so you're all four nominated all four of you any in the show it's the weirdest year for for this it's been put off twice you know yeah yeah i'm a little nervous i hope the same thing doesn't happen then that happened to me today which was i had a suit all ready to wear for you yeah and i forgot to pack the pants i don't know why that could have stopped you but i know i knew it was like a little cash show so i actually looked in the mirror i'm just wearing underwear and this shirt with a jacket i was like maybe no no no no no i better put some fans but the rumor is that you moon the whole cast is this true daily basis on a daily basis yeah right yeah that's what i did remember during greece yeah i wish you'd do it now no thank you [Applause] we don't want to frighten the children the first time he ever that shawn and i made a plan we made a plan to see a movie after we met and so he said that he'd come and pick me up that's nice right yeah and uh for the doorbell rings and it's a little early and i run to the door and i open he's like hey you ready and he's staying there and his pants and his underpants are down like on the sidewalk and he's just like in a t-shirt he's like so let's uh hit the road or the time where the entire nbc was showing everybody every cast every crew this special uh a video on sexual harassment in the workplace and what things not to say and things not to do whiskey behavior we watched it in the dark it was really kind of dull for 45 minutes lights came up sean said well that was very informative thanks everybody and god his pants were down now sean you did a movie billy's first screen kiss my mom called it billy holiday goes to town okay so that's not right either but that's right this is close right it's close enough okay that was your first big thing that's what really got you seen for this movie yeah yeah it was at sundance and uh some i got called in for um actually they wanted me to read for will but then i was stuck at sundance and by the time you know it was done they had cast eric and and they said we read for jack and i said sure so so there it is oh i'm sorry very exciting story i read for grace originally and then when i went back in to read for karen they had absolutely no memory of me whatsoever so i made such a splash reading for grace but that happens a lot people don't realize i think when a new show comes out that sometimes you know you go to audition on league of their own i went to audition for the part of the girl who could hit really good but couldn't talk yeah and then when i was at the audition they're like maybe you should read for the one who never shuts up so how aware are you still you watching the uh reality show still yeah amazing everybody oh i watch a huge love no real world deborah and i are we kind of bonded over it the other night as a matter of fact we had a taping and we were real tired and i knew deborah need a little pick me up so i said don't forget that uh amazing race is on tonight and she literally started crying she was so happy like tears into her eyes who do you think's gonna win that uh oh i don't know i love that we love the frat boys frogs the big guy kept yeah but i also think margarita yeah yeah yeah there's one yeah for margarita oh yeah i love the mother and daughter they're out of there why do [Applause] you don't watch any of them survivor oh no amazing race amazing grace amazing grace there you go what's your favorite show on tv sean you watch a lot of tv i watch uh trauma life in the er and the learning channel i really i tape it every week um and i really like uh i really like scrubs the new shots that's a very funny show i think that's a really good show and um that's it do you watch a lot of tv no not a lot no um still loving the simpsons after 12 years still think it's the best show on television um a lot of the time i just watch i just watch tapes of our show watch this janet i always sort of feel bad for you guys when i'm watching and i'm like because they don't you guys don't get to laugh at it you know like i'm at home sometimes cracking up going they miss this whole thing because they're there right you know you know what's so funny though it's like when when i read the scripts i laughed out loud i laugh out loud i really truly believe we have the best writers in television yeah i mean yeah very very funny and also you know it's the kind of funny where you don't see it coming so many times on sitcoms you can so see it coming especially if you're an entertainer yourself you go oh they're going a hair they're going to go but i always end up dying laughing on that show because i never see where it's coming you know what's amazing about what they've done with these characters is the writers have created a situation where any of our characters can go anywhere any any we can sort of start liking anything or get a job doing anything or anything is possible for any of us and that's so unusual because a lot of times particularly with the will and grace characters and other shows they get stuck being kind of like the lead people or something and they can't do any of the crazy stuff and you guys get just what what your care where your characters have gone is so amazing yeah they can mix this up in different ways and create different yeah it's very very funny it's too bad you have to be in it because watching it is so entertaining uh we're gonna come back with the cast of will and grace we're gonna play a game and you guys are gonna win something trust me now you got married since you were here how was it was it a big wedding a big shindig no it was it was small all the people here were there beautiful it was very it was small and intimate and and really just wonderful who sang there at the wedding show on did you sing i did not sing megan you sang what did you sing megala i sang their song our song which is you are nearer you're nearer you are standard it's an old standard that actually came from a broadway show i think really it did but i can't even tell you which one it's from but since you're all such broadway buffs we have a little game in the next segment that's going to incorporate your knowledge of broadway and singing oh we're history oh my god yeah but you know the thing to remember when playing games on this show win lose doesn't matter audience gets the prize now you guys must have some pretty uh crazy fan stories craziest thing anyone's ever done anything crazy fans yeah just some people come every taping i had a i had a woman who who caught me in a store a boutique and i never go shopping and i came out and it's one of those things where the mirror's on the back of your door so you have to come out to look at it yeah and she was literally like paying for her stuff and she paid for it and then she took a chair and sat down right outside my door and just did one of these she's like no no no no and i was like no she goes no no no okay next one wow and literally for the next hour and a half every time i would come out with a piece she's like mitch look fat go back in and so i went out with nothing i was like thank you and you are you know she's like call me whenever you need help i was like okay i told my mother just this morning at the starbucks i go in i haven't even showered yet i'm waking up and the girl behind the register says you look you look like that guy on will and grace yeah i get that a lot and the other girl working the espresso machine who i swear was nell carter she looked over me and she said i'd like to wake up to that [Applause] i said thank you i haven't even showered yet she said well i'd like to watch when you do this is like yelling at the starbucks that's why you love new york right there [Applause] now i know sean that lots of people when they meet you they expect you to be more jackish you know because like when we went out to dinner with some friends and they said he's so serious like what did you expect them to do like a big show for you in the middle of italiano 9 40. exactly uh yeah uh yeah i i guess so i i don't you know i try to save all my energy for the show right you know that crazy energy but uh i'm pretty you know i'm this is boring pretty much boring and your family must be very very proud of you yes oh i need to say happy birthday brother mike i just did it how old is mike uh mike is i think she's 53 now you know he's like three wait where's that three eight three seven thirty six he's 36 yeah happy birthday mike and megalo when is your um how's your record doing oh you know it's good but we just put it out ourselves so we might want to think about going with the label or something yeah we just sell it on our website it's on the website right and we've sold it all out now we have to make more but yeah but it's fun yes megan and i were in greece together tony nominee did you win it tony ever had to succeed not that i recall were you nominated you had to succeed you weren't you wouldn't have a nominee no no well shut me up you should have been uh but she does have an emmy and they're all nominated so watch sunday and see him win but we're gonna come back and play a game with them [Applause] [Music] because eric deborah megan and shawn are all broadway buffs we're going to play a game that challenges their knowledge of show tunes we call it this the showtime showdown showdown showdown this is the shout out i don't know the song i haven't learned that song all season it's all right here's what we're gonna do i'm gonna name a word and you have to try to buzz in and those would be your buzzers and sing a broadway song that contains that word like if i said knock you would buzz and then say it's a hard knock like exactly right but you're not getting a point for that one that was just warm-up the first player to buzz in and sing gets a point and then uh his or her teammate can sing a second song for another point most points when time's up wins you guys ready i know it's like forever okay eric and deborah you're playing for that part of the audience you're playing for that part all right hands on your buzzers here's your first word yes sean i'm on a street and i can't see cause um there's lots of buildings in the way i'm saying no you you forfeit your turn broadway song go no it's just on the street where you please um [Music] [Applause] okay good now that you're warmed up here's the next word you ready ready yes anything yes sean oh it goes that's right that's a point anything goes not really they write notes but still the song was correct i think i was close anything megan i'm not gonna do anything anything for you yeah that's good two points here we go card number three the word is broadway yes sean give my regards to excellence broadway resumes got me everybody here's a tip just hit it no matter what she says that's good i like like you did that first one no way i'd like to give megan an extra point for the choreography can we do that that's good because she didn't everybody i cheated for you shut up i sang 42nd street all right turn up here we go dance yes megan dancetown looks three however that goes you have to sing it megan you know it seems ten looks good keep going jen luck's three i don't know it oh you so nowhere i'm stupid i have a bad memory i said the word dance what do you want from me all right fine miss rah-rah let's play along for the fun value sean go ahead dance go ahead dance no no um i don't know think about it dance there's a new show that just opened abba click dance dancing you're not getting that forget it all right let me see that is broadway now mamma mia uh two and six looks like you guys are losing ready this might help here's the word don't good eric you can do it do it i can yes okay um don't don't tell me don't talk of love last of i don't know you're getting nothing how can you not know don't and if you don't know this you're in trouble go don't tell me not [Applause] now you got another one good don't cry for me that's two for them eight to two all right here we go sorry guys we're doing our best you ready eric ready kiss yes yes until i gave that one uh kiss me kate darling angel divine and now i will never be now i will never be mine okay you know what we just need john is saying yes that's don't get all upset with me go ahead well i go to the nervous after a while like i was fraud no no you were fine kids [Applause] all right excellent here we go card number seven night yes megan uh huh oh you're not getting a point go night you have one yeah good midnight not a sum from [Applause] [Music] excuse me he just has to be night yeah all right let's see if he can think of a different one they're contesting that they say midnight is not technically night you know what you can contest go ahead you go you go sing night anyone you want dream girls what are you talking about jennifer holiday um [Music] [Applause] dream girl's album and you don't know a song with night in it one night thank you [Music] give me another night [Applause] all right we're going to take a break and come back with the bonus round and we're going to see who can win the watch for their group after this break [Applause] [Music] all right we're back on the cast of will and grace for our show tune showdown i've been told from the judges that unless you sing you're not gonna get the points there are three more questions there are five points each this is the bonus round feel free to buzz in when you know a broadway show that contains the word good yes eric mccormack all good gifts around us [Music] [Applause] [Music] and thankful okay go ahead megan good for an extra five points good she went down good [Applause] good time's up i'm sorry megan i mean deborah but you know if you want to take five from megan that's no you don't take five you just don't get the bonus five the score is now eight to eleven five points two more clues the word is love yes eric mccormick oh no they hit that so i'm sorry i'm sorry that look it in there wait a minute give me that look doesn't it look like it's over here i think it was though that's one of those backwards tv things sorry it's you sean and the word is is it us that's you it's you okay the word is love um love god from a broadway show shawn hayes love go megan molelly i mean love i'm in love i'm in love i'm in love i'm in love i'm in love i'm in love i'm in love i [Music] [Applause] you're just getting mean five you're not getting the ten for that okay showing love um oh my god broadway it's so easy it's difficult show yeah i hate you oliver love is in the air it's quiet sorry it's time was up yeah the score is now 13 11. whoever gets this will be the winner if you don't answer both the other two will steal ready son no wait she didn't finish the word yes i did not i didn't even hear it yes son i'm done [Applause] [Music] now gonna be either son or son son which son could it be can it be any word that sounds like songs [Applause] [Music] [Applause] and the next thing you know your son is playing for money in a pinchback suit [Applause] [Music] will be right excellent [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] he's going to be in the play platonically incorrect at the acme theater in los angeles november 5th through the 19th and eric what did you want to say well as you know if you watch the show this year in the end of last year jack turns out has a 12 year old son he knew nothing about right and he's just starting to get to know him and i have been given the go-ahead by our producers to officially in front of millions of people offer you the role of elliot's mother [Applause] [Music] i don't have to think about it you were kidding you're not kidding no i'm curious i'm not serious well i totally will do it [Applause] i did an episode of ally mcbeal i was so nervous i kept forgetting my lines and then they kept saying it doesn't matter it's tape just keep going yeah i forgot well i would love to do it it's a wonderful show and uh tune in and watch it won't you tomorrow john travolta will be here also broadway's mamma mia [Applause]

Channel: John Flanagan

Views: 50,470

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Length: 31min 26sec (1886 seconds)

Published: Mon Jun 15 2020