People to Watch: Megan Mullally on 'Iceboy!', Comedy, and Making People Cry

Megan Mulally. (Art by MUTI)

People to Watch | Spring 2026

June 1, 2026 American Theatre Editors Leave a comment

People to Watch: Megan Mullally

As the ‘Will and Grace’ star makes a theatrical return in the wild new musical ‘Iceboy!,’ she chats about her love for comedy, Chicago, and making people cry.

By American Theatre Editors

The Will & Grace star, whose career began on the stage, makes a theatrical return with Iceboy! or The Completely Untrue Story of How Eugene O’Neill Came to Write The Iceman Cometh , at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre , June 9-July 26.

What’s the elevator pitch for Iceboy! ?

MEGAN MULLALLY: It has to be a very tall building for this pitch: It’s about Vera Vimm, the greatest star of 1930s Broadway, and she’s relatively unbearable, of course, in a delightful way. Meanwhile, a prehistoric boy is found frozen in a block of ice in the Antarctic; there is an auction and all of these people of science come to buy him for the Museum of Natural History. Instead, Vera outbids everyone in a very grandiose way and ends up with this frozen boy, who soon unthaws. And then, you know, hijinks ensue.

And somehow Eugene O’Neill gets involved?

Somehow.

It’s from some of the writers of Urinetown and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee , right?

Yes, and I’ve been doing workshops of it since 2014. I really wanted this show to happen, because I just think it’s really funny and weird and different. There really aren’t that many shows like it, so I think there’s a good appetite for it.

What’s your favorite moment in Iceboy! ?

My character takes a fall and is in a coma for part of the show. She has a song she sings while in a coma, where she’s willing parts of her body to wake up. That’s probably my favorite.

You live in L.A. but you’ve called Chicago your favorite city. Why?

Chicago is so great because it’s culturally so sophisticated, but it’s still the Midwest, so everybody’s nice. That’s a good balance.

What is your first theatrical memory?

In Oklahoma City, where we lived, I remember going to see my father in The Seagull . He played Trigorin, and when he kissed Nina, I was like, “What up, Dad?” And my mom was like, “It’s a play.” Of course, in real life, my father was also known to kiss various sundry women, maybe even some named Nina. So was that life imitating art or art imitating life?

What’s a recent moment that reminded you why you chose to be a performer?

In the last four years, I had both hips and both knees replaced. I am in a band, Nancy and Beth , and there is a lot of choreography, and we did a show last October at Largo. It was like a born-again, Christian-revival-meeting, come-to-Jesus moment for me to be able to perform in front of an audience again. I hadn’t done it for six years. So that was a big deal, especially with my bionic body and everything.

What music are you listening to lately?

Normally I listen to stuff that is a little more outré, but lately I’ve been listening to the Billboard Top 100, because I want to know what everyone listens to. It’s kind of good? I love Billie Eilish, and Chappell Roan—I don’t know if she even knows how good she is.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done onstage?

I fell off the stage once doing a musical in Chicago. It was in the round, no less. Fortunately, I didn’t fall very far. I was caught by audience members and shoved back onstage.

If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?

Don’t be so insecure.

What’s more important to you, comedy or music?

I will pretty much do anything for a laugh, but I do love a good sad song. When I perform with Nancy and Beth, it’s very light, kind of comedic, but I always try to put in one or two songs where the goal is to make people cry, like “He Stopped Loving Her Today.” I love that.

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_Originally reported by [American Theatre](https://www.americantheatre.org/2026/06/01/people-to-watch-megan-mullally/)._