'Will and Grace' Spoiler: Harry Connick Jr. Returns As Ex-Husband Leo; 'Modern Family' Crossover Possible?
Grace Adler (Debra Messing) will reunite with her ex-husband Leo in this week's episode of "Will and Grace." Harry Connick Jr. will return to reprise his role on the NBC comedy.
Connick's character will be Grace's emergency contact in the third episode of season 9. Grace, who's confined in a hospital, will wake up wondering why her ex is standing in her room but a nurse will help her remember.
Grace and Leo ended up marrying and having a daughter in the original run of "Will and Grace" in 2006. Grace's best friend Will (Eric McCormack) also ended up having his own husband and son.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Producers, however, scrapped these storylines when the possibility of reviving the show became clearer and clearer on NBC. It was not an easy decision.
"That finale really caused us a lot of grief," co-creator Max Mutchnick revealed via Entertainment Weekly. "You write a finale because a show is over. You never think that it's coming back again."
Mutchnik and co-creator David Kohan needed to scrap Leo out, as well as Grace's life as a married mom. Will also had to be written as single and childless in the revival series.
"We frankly did not want to see them being either good parents or bad parents," Kohan said. "We wanted them to be Will and Grace."
Meanwhile, "Modern Family" star Jesse Tyler Ferguson is a big fan of "Will and Grace." He told InStyle that the show was instrumental for his own series getting on the air.
Ferguson, who is gay in real life, plays Mitchell on "Modern Family." His character is married to husband Cameron (Eric Stonestreet).
Ferguson offered an idea for his "Modern Family" character to crossover to "Will and Grace," if it was possible. He said that the episode will have to involve a dinner party with Nathan Lane, a frequent "Modern Family" guest.
"Will and Grace" airs Thursday nights at 9:30 EST on NBC. "Modern Family" is on Wednesday nights at 9:00 EST on ABC.
