‘Will & Grace’ Star Debra Messing’s Wild Transformation Into Lucille Ball Has Fans Doing a Double Take

Next year, NBC will air a special episode of Will & Grace that is a tribute to the iconic sitcom I Love Lucy. In the episode, Debra Messing will get to play Lucille Ball in a dream sequence, where the characters imagine themselves recreating I Love Lucy scenes. Messing posted a preview on her Instagram page, which causes fans to take a double take because she looks so much like Ball.

“Thank you [makeup artist Elaine Offers Woulard] and [hairstylist Darlene Brumfield] for this EPIC transformation into my hero, [Lucy],” Messing wrote on Instagram. “This was taken [behind-the-scenes] in my robe. I can’t wait until you see all the mind blowing work done by Costumes, Sets & Set Dressing, Props, et al when it airs next spring.”

“This blows my mind. You are channeling Lucy. I’ve never seen anything like it. You’re better than her wax figure!!” actor Camryn Manheim wrote in the comments section.

“INCREDIBLE,” Hilary Swank wrote.

“Oh. My. God. This is sooooo amazing!!!!!” one fan wrote.

“Uncanny!” one fan wrote.

“Netflix needs a Lucy series and you need to play here,” one fan suggested.

“You look exactly like Lucy,” another wrote.

Back on Nov. 25, Entertainment Weekly revealed that Will & Grace filmed a special I Love Lucy episode, which will air this spring.

In the episode, Grace (Messing), Jack (Sean Hayes) and Karen (Megan Mullally) play Lucy in “re-imagined versions of iconic scenes from the original series.” Messing’s dream scene will have her playing the famous “Vitameatavegamin” scene, while Hayes will play Lucy in a recreation of the chocolate factory scene. Mullally will recreate the grape-stomping scene. Will (Eric McCormak) will play Ricky Rickardo in every scene, while the other stars will play Fred and Ethel.

The scenes will be complete replications, as the Will & Grace writers used the original scripts. They also tapped Lucie Arnaz, the daughter of Ball and Desi Arnaz, to join Mullally in the chocolate factory scene.

“I know my parents would be over the moon to be honored in this way and by such similar talents who bring the same kind of joy to audiences as they did in I Love Lucy,” Arnaz told Entertainment Weekly. “I’m thrilled to be invited to the party and will do my best to honor the memory of Elvia Allman’s iconic performance.”

Will & Grace is now in the third season of its revival, and 11th overall. In July, NBC announced this season would be its last.

New episodes air on NBC Thursdays at 9:30 p.m. ET.