Will and Grace stars defend the show over criticism for getting political
The cast of Will and Grace (Kevin Winter/Getty)
The stars of NBC sitcom Will and Grace have defended the show over its political storylines since it returned to screens.
Megan Mullally, Debra Messing, Eric McCormack and Sean Hayes haven’t been shy about confronting the big issues of the day – especially US President Donald Trump.
The first episode of its most recent series, which saw the show back on screens for the first time in 12 years, opened with jokes about FOX News and a trip to see Trump at the White House.
Both the show and its cast also have a long history of advocating for LGBT rights, long before it was commonplace.
But some fans criticised the show’s makers for over politicising the comedy.
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“This isn’t new,” Messing told the Hollywood Reporter. “We always pushed the boundaries, we always had very provocative humour.
“I feel like we’re doing what we always did, we just have more fodder these days. There’s a lot more happening in our country to talk about.”
Sean Hayes added: “The characters in the show are living the same lives as the audience, so anything that affects America at the time or in the world is going to be talked about on the show.”
Meanwhile McCormack said that he feels their characters should be speaking up about what the the state of American life.
“These characters have been living in New York and in this country — they are almost 50,” he added. “It’s time for them to have a say, and that say needs to be funny as well, but it can’t just be light.”
Former US Vice President Joe Biden credited the show with changing America’s views on gay people.
When the series was revived last year the stars even fronted a campaign for LGBT charity the Human Rights Campaign ahead of its major annual fundraising dinner.
Sean Hayes’ character Jack McFarland retorts: “Every A-list gay will be there, you know, the creme de la creme of the creme de la femme.”
The show’s return received mixed reviews, with fans broadly praising the show’s return, while critics accused it of being “stale”.
