Often, an actress in a long-running series can find herself typecast, playing the same character over and over again.

Debra Messing made a wise selection for her first post-“Will & Grace” project, the miniseries “The Starter Wife.”

Messing is the titular character in “The Starter Wife,” based on the best-seller by Gigi Levangie Grazer. In it, she plays Molly Kagan, who subverts her own needs for those of her hotshot studio executive husband and her young daughter.

Her world starts to crumble when her husband leaves her for a young, single-name pop star, and she finds herself that dread thing in Hollywood, “the starter wife,” who soon loses all the privileges to which she has grown accustomed.

Fortunately, she is still supported by most of her circle of friends, which includes alcoholic Joan (Judy Davis) and gay decorator Rodney (Chris Diamantopoulos). Another friend, Cricket (Miranda Otto) turns away at the urging of her director husband, who needs the help of Molly’s ex to get his film launched.

Joan, who’s supposedly spending the summer in France, lets Molly borrow her Malibu beach house. Molly makes new friends in Lavender (Anika Noni Rose), the gated community’s security guard, and Sam, the mysterious, handsome stranger on the beach. Also she becomes closer to her ex’s boss Lou (Joe Mategna), who also lives there.

Messing makes a seamless transition to a role quite unlike Grace Adler, which can only help her continue as a working actress. She’s surrounded by a strong diverse staff, led by the always-strong Davis and Mategna.

The six-episode miniseries is the TV equivalent of a beach read – light, packed with snappy dialogue and hard to turn off.