[Phillips:] Well, it brought TV comedy out of the closet. Now eight years later, the sitcom "Will and Grace" takes a final bow. CNN's Sibila Vargas reports.
[Debra Messing, Actress:] A compliment is you're sexy, you turn me on. Not one look at you proves that I'm a queer!
[Sibila Vargas, Cnn Entertainment Correspondent:] Clever writing and lovable characters made "Will and Grace" a hit with millions.
[Megan Mullally, Actress:] Meats and cheeses? You are rocking my clock, Mary!
[Vargas:] But for many, "Will and Grace"'s greatest achievement wasn't its comic timing, but its message.
[Eric Mccormack, Actor:] I'm gay.
[Neil Guiliano, Glaad President:] We know that television has a tremendous impact and influence on people's beliefs and people's opinions of other people. So in that sense, "Will and Grace" has done a tremendous service for the gay and lesbian community of America.
[Vargas:] "Queer as Folk," "The L Word," "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" and "Boy Meets Boy" are just a few of the shows developed in the wake of "Will and Grace"'s success. But many of them are now off the air.
[Guiliano:] Two percent of the main characters on American television right now are lesbian or gay characters. That has to improve. And we would really hope the networks will see that, from the success of "Will and Grace," they can take the step.
[Mccormack:] Just as blacks and Latinos have fought to have equal representation on television, you know, so does the gay community. And we need gay characters.
[Sean Hayes, Actor:] Are you ready for Mr. Right? Well, Mr. Right Now, anyway. Goodnight, folks! I'm here all week! Jack 2000!
[Vargas:] For others, the end of "Will and Grace" is part of an inevitable cycle that all TV shows, even ones with strong cultural messages, eventually run their course.
[Chris Lisotta, "tv Week" Magazine:] If you think of all the great shows in television, from "Mary Tyler Moore" to "MASH" to "The Cosby Show," nothing quote, unquote, "replaced" them.
[Messing:] I think that we're blessed because we're exactly what we hoped, which would be to go out with people still enjoying us.
[Vargas:] While many will lament the loss of this historic sitcom...
[Mullally:] I don't think I can go on!
[Vargas:] "Will and Grace"'s quest for laughter was a mission accomplished.
[Mullally:] There we go. Nice and cold.
[Vargas:] Sibila Vargas, CNN, Hollywood.
[Phillips:] Well, "Will and Grace," may have gotten top billing, but it was Jack and Karen that got the lion's share of the laughs. Oh, boy. The award-winning actors Sean Hayes, Megan Mullally, and also it looks like Eric and Debra are down there, too, on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. I'm going to kind of play it by ear. Can you guys hear me?
[Crowd:] Yes!
[Phillips:] Oh, we know that laugh. OK. Sean, do you want to go ahead and give us a report on the numbers, please?
[Hayes:] Yes, OK. Orange juice is up 20 points, so probably I'll be buying some peaches, I want to you know, I zig when they zag. I don't know.
[Phillips:] Megan what about you, Megan? How's the vodka?
[Mullally:] I got a tip on pork bellies. And it has something to do with taking my shirt off later, but we don't want to go into that.
[Phillips:] Funny that you said that because I believe it was Jennifer Lopez that you oh, no, no. She got you to take your shirt off for an autograph in one of the shows, right?
[Mullally:] We thought each other would take a few things off. I don't think we should talk about it here. I'll call you later.
[Phillips:] OK, good, because I want the inside scoop. Now, Eric and Debra, are you guys you have an IFB too? Can you hear me. OK, no. So we've only got all right, so Sean and Megan, we've only got you guys on IFB, right?
[Hayes:] That's all that matters. That's all that matters.
[Phillips:] Yes, you guys are the stars of the show anyway.
[Mullally:] Yes, that's right.
[Phillips:] You know what is great? We can totally talk smack about them and they'll have no idea.
[Hayes:] That's right. We're talking smack about you.
[Phillips:] What do you think oh yes. What do you think of Debra's dress.
[Mullally:] What?
[Hayes:] Wait, what?
[Mullally:] What? She said what do you think of Debra's breasts?
[Hayes:] This isn't awkward at all.
[Phillips:] No, not her breasts, her dress.
[Hayes:] Her dress, I think it's beautiful. It's Chanel, right?
[Unidentified Female:] Yes, it's Chanel.
[Hayes:] It's a Chanel dress. She's very proud of it.
[Phillips:] Although the other parts look great too.
[Mullally:] We're overstimulated because this is a very grown-up venue for us to be in.
[Phillips:] Well, Megan, usually you have got your martini in your right hand or your left hand. I'm surprised you don't have it with you right now.
[Hayes:] That's no martini.
[Mullally:] I know.
[Hayes:] That's no martini.
[Mullally:] Yes. This is my martini today.
[Phillips:] No, look, you guys, this is the I mean this is it. This is the final round. I mean, is it bittersweet?
[Mullally:] This is our last day, yes.
[Hayes:] Yes, it's been pretty amazing, and to be here with all these craziness and these lovely people that are fans. It's there's no better place to kind of sign it off.
[Mullally:] Very exciting, yes.
[Phillips:] Well, you have had an incredible run, and so many cameos on the show, as well. One of our favorites and we have got to roll this, because I've got to get your reaction the famous Kevin Bacon scene with you, Sean. We're going to roll it and I got to get you to respond.
[Hayes:] OK.
[Mccormack:] I liked it a lot. You know, I even learned the dance, you know, for our high school talent contest.
[Kevin Bacon, Actor:] Did you win?
[Mccormack:] No, I got a nom, but it meant a lot because it didn't come from my peers. It came from the gay head of the drama department.
[Bacon:] Could you do it for me now?
[Mccormack:] I don't know. It's kind of weird. I don't even know if I remember it. You know, and besides there isn't any...
[Phillips:] Sean, I think Eric does a pretty good "Footloose." What do you think?
[Hayes:] Yes, I think it's pretty incredible.
[Mullally:] It's really good. Amazing.
[Phillips:] The only part we didn't see was there we go. Now Sean is stepping in and taking over. I'm surprised you didn't join in.
[Hayes:] Oh, I yes, and in classic Jack fashion, I just come in and ruin everything.
[Phillips:] All right, guys. Well, I'm being told that you've got to get ready to, I guess, ring the bell. Isn't that a song? Maybe you should sing for us. There we go.
[Mullally:] Ring my bell, ring my bell.
[Hayes:] Ring my bell, ring my bell. This is really embarrassing.
[Phillips:] That's the best thing about you guys. I just got to throw something out and boom, you roll on cue. Love the show. We love you guys. I wish we didn't have to wrap this us. We could keep going all day but have some fun and continue to create some chaos on the floor, all right?
[Hayes:] Thank you. I appreciate it.
[Mullally:] Thank you.
[Phillips:] All right, guys. The whole crew of "Will & Grace." You've got to catch the grand finale. Now, let's get straight to Carol Lin. She's working on a developing story for us in the newsroom Carol.
[Lin:] Boy, this story has a slug to it. Cancer vaccine that really catches your attention, Kyra. This is what we know right now. An advisory committee of the FDA has endorsed this fully. It's a vaccine that actually blocks two types of viruses that can cause most cases of cervical cancer. Seventy percent of cervical cancer cases involve these two viruses, and so, in effect, what the FDA is saying is that this vaccine is safe, that if, for example kids as young as nine to 15 years old, you want to get the kids before they are sexually active, that this could prevent them from getting genital herpes, or these two HPV viruses, that it could prevent certainly girls from getting cervical cancer and it could prevent boys from getting genital warts. So a real breakthrough here. Next, it needs to go to the full FDA for approval. That may happen in the next few weeks. The controversy here, Kyra, is if the FDA, for example, were to instruct or in its guidelines include children as young as nine years old, that may be where the controversy comes from but really interesting here and a breakthrough. And it could save many lives.
[Phillips:] It's good news. Carol Lin, thank you so much. The news keeps coming. We're going to keep bringing it to you. More LIVE FROM right after a quick break.