‘Will & Grace’ stars defend the show over criticism that it’s become ‘too political’
Fans have criticised the show for its political storylines in recent episodes
The stars of Will & Grace have defended the show from fan criticism.
The acclaimed NBC sitcom was renewed for a third season earlier this year and its new episodes haven’t been shy about addressing political issues. Fans, however, have criticised the revived show for becoming “too political”.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, stars Debra Messing, Eric McCormack and Sean Hayes defended the comedy, insisting that it’s always addressed political issues.
Messing said: “That’s nothing new. We always pushed boundaries, we always had very provocative humour.
“I feel like we’re doing that 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.”
McCormack then explained that the cast and crew decided the revival would need to address bigger issues happening in the world, particularly in the US.
He said: “The first couple years we did the show, Bill Clinton was in office. I remember a distinct moment when 9/11 happened and we all looked to Max and David and said, ‘Well, the characters live in New York, what are we going to do?’ And the decision was made that Will & Grace is not the show to try and give some message, so we kept it lighter.
“I think this time around we thought, ‘We can’t.’ These characters have been living in New York and in this country – they are almost 50. 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.”
The news comes after Will & Grace co-creator Max Mutchnick vowed to donate copies of John Oliver’s gay Marlon Bundo book to every elementary school in Indiana.