‘Will & Grace’ actress returns home for award, makes pitch for the arts at her alma mater

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Actress Debra Messing is making a pitch to restore acting classes at her old high school.

The “Will & Grace” star returned to Rhode Island on Monday night to accept the Pell Award for Distinguished Achievement in the Arts. The award was presented at Trinity Repertory Company in Providence.

Messing was raised in East Greenwich. The Providence Journal reports (http://bit.ly/1BfG4iw) Messing signed a petition presented by an aspiring actress and sophomore at East Greenwich High School to restore acting classes at her school. She also answered questions from the student, Kate DePetro.

Messing says she was drawn to acting when she was 7 and her mother took her to see “Annie.” She says she saw the kids up on stage and thought, “I can do that.”