Debra Messing's earliest memory is "singing and dancing" while "holding onto a corner table".

The 43-year-old actress stars in the NBC musical drama series Smash. Debra is thrilled to be returning to her roots, and recalled her childhood fascination with performing.

"[My earliest memory is] singing, dancing, holding onto a corner table as a little, little girl with Broadway musicals blaring in the background. I think it might have been Funny Girl," she told the March issue of Gotham magazine.

Debra was impressed with the creative team behind Smash. The Will & Grace star was excited to come on board after hearing acclaimed director Steven Spielberg was the driving force behind it.

"I was the first one cast. I knew it was an original idea from Steven Spielberg - he has a pretty good track record. I was told that some of the producing partners were responsible for the film Chicago, and I thought, that's good," she said.

"Theresa Rebeck was [a finalist] for the Pulitzer Prize for playwriting, and she wrote the pilot [and is a creator and an executive producer]; and then Michael Mayer, who directed Spring Awakening on Broadway, was directing the pilot."

Debra says the show feeds her love for the theatre.

"I'm returning to authenticity and the purity of the theatre, the thing that made me want to be an actress and feel like I had no choice," she explained.

"To be able to enter this world again, in a way it's strangely comforting. To be in New York; we've been trying to get back to New York for so long"