Sean Hayes and Eric McCormack.Photo:Manny Carabel/GettyThe cast ofWill & Gracegot quite the pricey gift when network executives realized just how popular the show was after its first season — but it wasn’t the ideal gift for one cast member.During theJust Jack & Willpodcastpremiere event Monday at theTribeca Film Festivalin New York City, hostsEric McCormackandSean Hayes, who played lead characters in the show which the podcast is named after, revealed how it all went down.“In the summer [after the first season], people were finally checking out the show and our ratings kept going up and up and up,” McCormack, 60, told the audience at the event. “And I think [executives] realized they had a hit on their hands.”“[Executive]Scott [Sassa]took us out for lunch in Pasadena because there was some sort of press event … and then we walked through the parking lot and one more time Scott went, ‘Anyway, we just want to say thank you,’ ” he continued.“And he keeps gesturing and he gestures to the parking lot, and there are four Porsches with ribbons on them," McCormack added.Cast ofWill & Gracecirca season 3.Chris Haston/NBCU Photo BankHowever, there was one cast member who immediately didn’t take to the gift.“Sean leaned over to me — I don’t make this up — and said, ‘Is it expensive to insure a Porsche?' ” theEmmywinner recalled, to which Hayes added, “ ‘Cause I literally can’t pay rent right now.’ ”“And I said, ‘It’s not that expensive when the Porsche is free! It amortizes,’ ” McCormack said.But that wasn’t enough to convincethe Tony Award winner, 52, who said he sold the car “right away.”“I was like, ‘Well, I could drive a car or live in an apartment and pay my rent,’ ” he joked.Sean Hayes and Debra Messing onWill & Grace(2003).NBCU Photo Bank/GettyMcCormack said the cast noticed six weeks later when Hayes’ old Camry instead of his new Porsche was parked in his parking spot, “And I said, ‘What happened?’ and you said, ‘I like my Camry.’ ”Hayes teased another hilarious moment with season 1 finale writer Adam Barr.“He came out to the parking lot when he saw I was back having my Camry, and he taps the [car] twice and goes, ‘Uh are you not getting your checks?’ ” Hayes said.The pair’s discussion at the event will be turned into an episode forJust Jack & Will, a rewatch podcast in which the two discuss behind-the-scenes events that went on while filming the show.“It’s aWill & Gracerewatch podcast forSmartLessMedia,” Hayes wrote of the series, which he announced inan Instagram postlast month.McCormack previously told PEOPLE thatthe project was cooked up“at a lunch that we were having.““We started to talk about what would we do if we did a podcast,” he recalled. “And I said, ‘We could rewatch the show?' “Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.The Emmy winner — who also trades Hollywood war stories with palSteven Weberfor theirEating Out with Eric & Stevepodcast — revealed that Hayes admitted he wasn’t much of a viewer ofWill & Grace during its runs (first from 1998 to 2006, then ina revival from 2017 to 2020).According to McCormack, Hayes “said, ‘Yeah, I’d have to watch it [for] the first time. ‘Cause I’ve never really watched it.’ He said, ‘That’s the show.’ ”Just Jack & Willlaunches Thursday on Amazon Music and on all podcast services June 22.
Sean Hayes and Eric McCormack.Photo:Manny Carabel/Getty
Manny Carabel/Getty
The cast ofWill & Gracegot quite the pricey gift when network executives realized just how popular the show was after its first season — but it wasn’t the ideal gift for one cast member.During theJust Jack & Willpodcastpremiere event Monday at theTribeca Film Festivalin New York City, hostsEric McCormackandSean Hayes, who played lead characters in the show which the podcast is named after, revealed how it all went down.“In the summer [after the first season], people were finally checking out the show and our ratings kept going up and up and up,” McCormack, 60, told the audience at the event. “And I think [executives] realized they had a hit on their hands.”“[Executive]Scott [Sassa]took us out for lunch in Pasadena because there was some sort of press event … and then we walked through the parking lot and one more time Scott went, ‘Anyway, we just want to say thank you,’ ” he continued.“And he keeps gesturing and he gestures to the parking lot, and there are four Porsches with ribbons on them,” McCormack added.Cast ofWill & Gracecirca season 3.Chris Haston/NBCU Photo BankHowever, there was one cast member who immediately didn’t take to the gift.“Sean leaned over to me — I don’t make this up — and said, ‘Is it expensive to insure a Porsche?’ ” theEmmywinner recalled, to which Hayes added, “ ‘Cause I literally can’t pay rent right now.’ ”“And I said, ‘It’s not that expensive when the Porsche is free! It amortizes,’ ” McCormack said.But that wasn’t enough to convincethe Tony Award winner, 52, who said he sold the car “right away.”“I was like, ‘Well, I could drive a car or live in an apartment and pay my rent,’ ” he joked.Sean Hayes and Debra Messing onWill & Grace(2003).NBCU Photo Bank/GettyMcCormack said the cast noticed six weeks later when Hayes’ old Camry instead of his new Porsche was parked in his parking spot, “And I said, ‘What happened?’ and you said, ‘I like my Camry.’ ”Hayes teased another hilarious moment with season 1 finale writer Adam Barr.“He came out to the parking lot when he saw I was back having my Camry, and he taps the [car] twice and goes, ‘Uh are you not getting your checks?’ ” Hayes said.The pair’s discussion at the event will be turned into an episode forJust Jack & Will, a rewatch podcast in which the two discuss behind-the-scenes events that went on while filming the show.“It’s aWill & Gracerewatch podcast forSmartLessMedia,” Hayes wrote of the series, which he announced inan Instagram postlast month.McCormack previously told PEOPLE thatthe project was cooked up“at a lunch that we were having.““We started to talk about what would we do if we did a podcast,” he recalled. “And I said, ‘We could rewatch the show?' “Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.The Emmy winner — who also trades Hollywood war stories with palSteven Weberfor theirEating Out with Eric & Stevepodcast — revealed that Hayes admitted he wasn’t much of a viewer ofWill & Grace during its runs (first from 1998 to 2006, then ina revival from 2017 to 2020).According to McCormack, Hayes “said, ‘Yeah, I’d have to watch it [for] the first time. ‘Cause I’ve never really watched it.’ He said, ‘That’s the show.’ ”Just Jack & Willlaunches Thursday on Amazon Music and on all podcast services June 22.
The cast ofWill & Gracegot quite the pricey gift when network executives realized just how popular the show was after its first season — but it wasn’t the ideal gift for one cast member.
During theJust Jack & Willpodcastpremiere event Monday at theTribeca Film Festivalin New York City, hostsEric McCormackandSean Hayes, who played lead characters in the show which the podcast is named after, revealed how it all went down.
“In the summer [after the first season], people were finally checking out the show and our ratings kept going up and up and up,” McCormack, 60, told the audience at the event. “And I think [executives] realized they had a hit on their hands.”
“[Executive]Scott [Sassa]took us out for lunch in Pasadena because there was some sort of press event … and then we walked through the parking lot and one more time Scott went, ‘Anyway, we just want to say thank you,’ ” he continued.
“And he keeps gesturing and he gestures to the parking lot, and there are four Porsches with ribbons on them,” McCormack added.
Cast ofWill & Gracecirca season 3.Chris Haston/NBCU Photo Bank
Chris Haston/NBCU Photo Bank
However, there was one cast member who immediately didn’t take to the gift.
“Sean leaned over to me — I don’t make this up — and said, ‘Is it expensive to insure a Porsche?’ ” theEmmywinner recalled, to which Hayes added, “ ‘Cause I literally can’t pay rent right now.’ ”
“And I said, ‘It’s not that expensive when the Porsche is free! It amortizes,’ ” McCormack said.
But that wasn’t enough to convincethe Tony Award winner, 52, who said he sold the car “right away.”
“I was like, ‘Well, I could drive a car or live in an apartment and pay my rent,’ ” he joked.
Sean Hayes and Debra Messing onWill & Grace(2003).NBCU Photo Bank/Getty
NBCU Photo Bank/Getty
McCormack said the cast noticed six weeks later when Hayes’ old Camry instead of his new Porsche was parked in his parking spot, “And I said, ‘What happened?’ and you said, ‘I like my Camry.’ ”
Hayes teased another hilarious moment with season 1 finale writer Adam Barr.
“He came out to the parking lot when he saw I was back having my Camry, and he taps the [car] twice and goes, ‘Uh are you not getting your checks?’ ” Hayes said.
The pair’s discussion at the event will be turned into an episode forJust Jack & Will, a rewatch podcast in which the two discuss behind-the-scenes events that went on while filming the show.
“It’s aWill & Gracerewatch podcast forSmartLessMedia,” Hayes wrote of the series, which he announced inan Instagram postlast month.
McCormack previously told PEOPLE thatthe project was cooked up“at a lunch that we were having.”
“We started to talk about what would we do if we did a podcast,” he recalled. “And I said, ‘We could rewatch the show?' "
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.
The Emmy winner — who also trades Hollywood war stories with palSteven Weberfor theirEating Out with Eric & Stevepodcast — revealed that Hayes admitted he wasn’t much of a viewer ofWill & Grace during its runs (first from 1998 to 2006, then ina revival from 2017 to 2020).
According to McCormack, Hayes “said, ‘Yeah, I’d have to watch it [for] the first time. ‘Cause I’ve never really watched it.’ He said, ‘That’s the show.’ ”
Just Jack & Willlaunches Thursday on Amazon Music and on all podcast services June 22.
source: people.com
