Television comedy “Will & Grace” returns on Thursday with big shoes to fill: its own.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Television comedy &ldquo-Will & Grace&rdquo- returns on Thursday with big shoes to fill: its own.
Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said in 2012 that the 1990s series about a gay lawyer living with his straight female friend &ldquo-probably did more to educate the American public (about gay issues) than almost anything anybody&rsquo-s ever done so far.&rdquo-
After an 11-year gap following its 2006 series finale, the show returns to NBC with the four original stars: Eric McCormack (Will), Debra Messing (Grace), Sean Hayes (Jack) and Megan Mullally (Karen).
Reuters spoke with McCormack about what audiences can expect. Following are edited excerpts.
Q: Is there pressure to live up to the show&rsquo-s reputation?
A: &ldquo-Sure there is. But I think its iconic reputation came later. It was only when we went off the air that people looked back and thought, &lsquo-my mom hated gay people but now she&rsquo-s the biggest &rdquo-Will & Grace&ldquo- fan and now I can have a conversation with her.&rsquo- That&rsquo-s when the import became tangible.&rdquo-
Q: Eleven years on, are there things the show can do now than it couldn&rsquo-t do before?
A: &ldquo-We used to have to traffic in double entendre because we were on a network. But now we have got the president of the United States and his spokespeople saying things they are not supposed to say on television. So the rules are broken. … I know we are going to push the boundaries because there is no fun if you don&lsquo-t. We&rsquo-ll see what America&rsquo-s up for.&rdquo-
Q: Where is Will in his life in the revival?
A: &ldquo-Will is still a lawyer, he&rsquo-s doing very well, he&rsquo-s redecorated the apartment. It&rsquo-s very beautiful, very upscale.&rdquo-
Q: And he&rsquo-s still living with Grace?
A: &ldquo-He found love, but he broke up. Grace, same thing. She was married to Harry Connick Jr.&rsquo-s character, but they have split up. I think that&rsquo-s a great story to tell. If you go off and split up and then come back to your best friend, what is that? For Will, I think it&rsquo-s because he is comfortable and confident.&rdquo-
Q: And Jack?A: &ldquo-Jack does NOT like aging, so we&rsquo-ll get to see his dates with younger men – the power gay.&rdquo-
Q: Are you concerned about possible backlash to the show?
A: &ldquo-No, but we want that water cooler effect, although now it&rsquo-s the Twitter effect.&rdquo-
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