Actor Thomas Haden Church isn’t jumping on the chance to revisit his early-’90s sitcom stints, but he’d be willing to reprise his role in the New York City-set “Ned and Stacey” . . . if Debra Messing’s on board.
“These revivals really are starting to explode,” Church said while promoting the second season of “Divorce” Tuesday afternoon in midtown. More than two decades before playing Sarah Jessica Parker’s estranged husband on the HBO drama, the 57-year-old appeared as one half of the duo in the “Odd Couple”-inspired “Ned and Stacey.”
Church and Messing starred as a newly married couple who decided to tie the knot after only knowing each other for one week for their own personal benefits, a premise not so far-fetched in the age of “90-Day Fiancé” and “Married at First Sight.” The series only aired two seasons on Fox between 1995 and 1997 before getting the boot.
“ ‘Ned and Stacey’ I would maybe be interested [in bringing back], but Debra Messing, well . . . I don’t know if Debra Messing is available,” Church said through laughter, nodding to the fact that Messing is busy riding out the successful return of her hit series “Will & Grace.”
Still, Church picked the TV project out as something he’d be open to exploring a return to because he said he “felt like we never really got to tell the full arc of our characters’ stories.”
The series was canceled before fans got to see a truly romantic relationship blossom between the couple.
Church, however, shot down the possibility of revising his other ’90s role in the Nantucket-set “Wings,” which had a much longer stint (eight seasons) on NBC.
“Probably not,” he said. “That show, my [participation] in that show was so long ago and I left it where I really felt like I had completed that character’s story.”
