Jennifer Pace has been a wild fan of the hit TV show “Willand Grace” since her freshman year when she and her friendswould all gather to watch it every Thursday night.
Now a year later, Pace and one of her Gamma Phi Beta sororitysisters will appear as characters in two walk-on positions on theNBC show airing tonight at 8 p.m.
Pace, a sophomore international studies major and film minor,invited Kelly Halley, a senior film major, to accompany her on theshoot after hearing the surprising news from her mother.
“I am excited to hang out with the crew. I feel honoredthat Jennifer invited me,” Halley said before they left toshoot a few weeks ago.
Pace said she thought her mother was kidding about theunexpected birthday gift when she called from the 28th annual KidsAuction for the Boys and Girls Club in Seattle.
“I remember my mother telling me that there was a walk-onposition in the auction book, but I didn’t think they wouldget it,” Pace said.
Pace’s mother said another couple was bidding againstthem, so she didn’t think they would win.
The staff of “Will and Grace” asked Pace to send ina current photo and a description of her personality for the roleshe would be playing.
Both girls used the trip as a way to gain more experience intheir chosen field.
Pace, who directed and acted in more than 30 plays in highschool, said, “I hope to get back into acting and also getinvolved into the business side of television.”
Halley had also visited the set of “NYPD Blue” inthe winter to do research on the entertainment business.
“I hope to get more knowledge of the industry on a typicalday,” Halley said.
Pace and Halley could not disclose the exact details of theshow.
“I hope I don’t come off as nonchalant or tooexcited, I want to be somewhere in the middle,” Pacesaid.
Both Halley and Pace said they had a great time while filmingthe episode.
“One of my most memorable parts of the trip was we had tokeep re-shooting our part because we couldn’t stoplaughing,” Pace said.
She said she really enjoyed eating lunch with Sean Hayes, theactor who plays the character Jack.
Now entering its fifth season, “Will and Grace” haswon three Emmy’s and high-rating success as part ofNBC’s “Must See TV” Thursday night line-up.