Like a piece of unseasoned beef popped into a microwave after two decades in a freezer, rumors began to heat up in late 2019 about growing tensions on the set of NBC’s Will & Grace revival: Megan Mullally had reportedly decided to take a short leave of absence from the sitcom after a major rift with co-star Debra Messing. She also, damningly for the modern age, unfollowed Messing and fellow star Sean Hayes on social media. While none of the cast has discussed what the drama was about — even if Messing has been known to publicly insult other peoples’ politics — the revival concluded its run last week, and the show’s creator is opening up about how the duo’s alleged feud affected production.
“It was not an easy year,†Max Mutchnick admitted to Entertainment Weekly, “but the permanent legacy of the show is much more important to us than any temporary squabble that would take place on the stage.†He added that all of Will & Grace’s character story lines for the revival were wrapped up as expected with no filming issues. “We always work under this kind of motto that everything’s about the work. It’s just about the work,†Mutchnick said. “And so if we stay true to that, then we just keep you guys out of whatever happened on the set this year because it would have done nothing but get in the way of the stories that we wanted to tell.†We’ll just have to wait until the inevitable third revival, set for 2038, for the full story.