Where there’s a Will, there’s a way to make you laugh.
That was the unanimous sentiment of the creators and producer of the hit NBC comedy Will & Grace as they got together on a recent August night to pay tribute to the charitable efforts of the star of the series, Eric McCormack, on behalf of Project Angel Food, which delivers hot meals to people afflicted with HIV and AIDS. Amid all the congratulatory hoopla, Hollywood.com got the behind-the-scenes team and its leading man to spill a few beans about the Must See TV show’s upcoming fifth season.
“It’s a blockbuster season for Will & Grace,” promised executive producer Jeff Greenstein, who’s overseen the show since its debut. “Obviously we’re going to pick up from last season’s cliffhanger–Grace [Debra Messing] hit her head on a lamppost, so we need to see what the consequences of that are and what kind of contusions she has. She meets an amazing guy on a white horse who is played by Harry Connick Jr. and who is going to change the course of the series this year.”
“Each show is even more jam-packed than it’s been in the past few years, because we have so many more stories to tell in each episode,” added co-executive producer Alex Herschlag, another first-season vet. “So it’s chock full o’ laughs and chock full o’ plot.” The producers said Connick will remain an integral part of the show for at least the first half of the season.
The supporting players, Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally, also get their turn at bat. Series co-creator Max Mutchnick revealed that the second episode focuses on Jack, who has a previously established history of stalking an actor famous for his six degrees of separation from any random Hollywood player. “We’re doing a story where Jack stalks Kevin Bacon and ends up getting a job as his assistant,” said Mutchnick, who was in the midst of shooting the episode.
The series has a history of innovative stunt casting top Hollywood stars in wacky roles that play against their images, and this season will be no different. “We had a terrific run of guest stars last season, with Michael Douglas and Glenn Close getting nominated for Emmys–Matt Damon, ROBBED by the Emmy voters, he was terrific on the show,” said Greenstein. “This season, we’re going to continue, we have a lot of interesting people on the show.”
“We’ve got Matt Damon coming back, and some other surprises,” said Mutchnick. “Who knows, there could be a big gay mafia meeting with some very big names sitting around a table getting mannies and peddies.”
Greenstein said an upcoming milestone for the sitcom will have the creative crew opening the vault for some previously unseen moments from past episodes. “You’re going to see some outtakes from the show,” he said. “We’re having a big 100th episode celebration in November, and we’re actually shooting some pieces of a clip show in New York in which we’re going to show some great outtakes and things as part of our 100th party.”
And there’ll be no shortage of action for the show’s titular male lead, Mutchnick promised: “Will, as any other gay man in the United States, is always looking for the perfect Jewish doctor.”
“I think that I’ll be lovin’ some man, probably,” agreed McCormack, who otherwise kept tight-lipped on the future developments in the life of Will Truman. Instead, he was focused on using the fame Will & Grace has provided him by promoting and raising funds for the Los Angeles-based charity Project Angel Food.
In return, the charity honored McCormack and his wife Janet for their supportive efforts at a gala party, drawing the star’s producers and a host of Hollywood celebs, including Camryn Manheim, Anthony Edwards, Maura Tierney, Judith Light, Sharon Lawrence and Sandra Bernhard.
“Project Angel Food is a great organization that deals with the here and now,” said McCormack. “They are providing for people afflicted with HIV and AIDS today and making sure that they have food in their stomachs that doesn’t cost them anything physically or financially. It’s all volunteers, a real team…My wife delivers for them, I host events for them. We do whatever we can.”
As if McCormack‘s schedule wasn’t packed enough with a high-profile sitcom and an active philanthropic life, things got a lot busier recently with the addition of a new baby to the family, Finnigan Holden McCormack, born July 1. We asked Eric which environment was more hectic, home or the set: “Home, for sure. The set is easy. Babies are hard.” He admitted that even working with the ever-energetic Hayes had hardly prepared him for the rigors of fatherhood: “[Sean] doesn’t crap his pants as often. But he still craps his pants.”
The fifth season of Will & Grace will premiere on Sept. 26 at 9 p.m EST. followed by the series debut of Good Morning Miami at 9:30 p.m EST.
