Billie Lourd has been cast in a new role in Will & Grace, and it’s the perfect part.
Lourd will be playing Grace’s niece, Fiona, the daughter of Grace’s sister, Janet. Janet was played by Geena Davis in the original run, but replaced by Mary McCormack in the revival, and had a brief dabble into lesbianism with Chelsea Handler in a previous episode.
But what really makes this role special is that Lourd’s character is also the granddaughter of the late Bobbi Adler, who was played by Debbie Reynolds -- Lourd’s real grandmother.
When Will & Grace came back to life after being off the air for eleven years, the hole left in the supporting cast by the passing of Debbie Reynolds was felt by all fans of the original run.
The show has paid tribute to both the character and the actor by keeping a photograph of her displayed prominently behind the couch in their apartment, which appears frequently in almost every episode.
“I have watched and loved Will & Grace since I was (probably too) young,” Lourd wrote on Instagram. “So getting to watch my grandma play Grace’s mom was one o’ the coolest things to happen to my young willandgraceobsessed self.”
“Next week I get to play my real life grandma’s on screen granddaughter on one of my favorite shows and there are not enough happy adjectives in the world to convey the excitement I feel.”
Will & Grace, which is about to enter its final season, has already announced a number of exciting guests, including Matt Bomer, Demi Lovato, and Ryan Phillippe. The final season is set to premiere sometime in early 2020.
