Debra Messing

Messing in 2009, photo by PrPhotos.com

Birth Name: Debra Lynn Messing

Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.

Date of Birth: August 15, 1968

Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish

Debra Messing is an American actress. Her roles include the shows Ned and Stacey, Prey, Will & Grace, The Starter Wife, Smash, and The Mysteries of Laura, and the films A Walk in the Clouds, The Mothman Prophecies, Hollywood Ending, Along Came Polly, Garfield: The Movie, The Wedding Date, Open Season, Lucky You, The Women (2008), Nothing Like the Holidays, Searching (2018), and 13: The Musical, and the made-for-tv movie Jesus (1999).

Debra is the daughter of Sandra (Simons), a banker, real estate agent, and professional singer, and Brian Messing, a sales executive. Her parents are both Jewish, of Russian Jewish and Polish Jewish descent. Debra had a Bat Mitzvah ceremony at a Reform temple. She was raised in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, and was Rhode Island’s Junior Miss in 1986.

Debra has a son with her former husband, actor, screenwriter, producer, and director Daniel Zelman. Daniel is also Jewish.

Debra’s paternal grandfather was Morris/Moshe Messing (the son of Chaim/Hyman Messing and Esther/Ester Mitteldorf). Morris was a Polish Jewish emigrant, from Przeclaw. Chaim was the son of Yoel Messing and Alta Malka. Esther was the daughter of Baruch Mitteldorf/Miteldorf and Rivka/Rebeka Rozenberg.

Debra’s paternal grandmother was Millie Rothblatt/Rottblatt (the daughter of Isaac M. Rottblatt and Rebecca Leiter/Leter). Millie was born in London, England, to Jewish parents from Warsaw, Poland. Isaac was the son of Bernard Rottblitt and Molly Koplind.

Debra’s maternal grandfather was named Aaron/Alfred Simons.

Debra’s maternal grandmother was named Tinnie.

Sources:

Genealogy of Debra Messing –

Marriage record of Debra’s paternal great-grandparents, Isaac Rottlbatt and Rebecca Leiter –