Sean Hayes Gives the Scoop on Jennifer Lopez’s ‘Will & Grace’ Return (VIDEO)

Will & Grace - Maree Cheatham, Jennifer Lopez, Sean Hayes
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Chris Haston/NBC
(l-r) Maree Cheatham, Jennifer Lopez, Sean Hayes in Will & Grace.

It’s a double dose of Jennifer Lopez on Thursday’s episode of Will & Grace when the actress plays both herself and Detective Harlee Santos, her character on NBC’s Shades of Blue.

“The episode is a show within a show,” Sean Hayes tells us of his character Jack’s big TV break on the real-life crime drama. “It’s Shades of Blue on Will & Grace, but it’s also Jack filming the show Shades of Blue.” Got that?

And how hard is playing a corpse for the aspiring actor? Says Hayes, “Even with the smallest part—a dead body—Jack still can’t get it right.” Could Jack get fired before he’s able to fulfill his first big acting break? “Much to Jennifer’s character’s chagrin, she’s just about had it with this guy named Jack McFarland,” the actor teases.

Like his TV alter-ego, Hayes was excited to have Lopez back on the show after she appeared twice in 2004 on Will & Grace‘s original NBC run. “We were so excited to get Jennifer back,” he gushes. “She comes to play and that’s what it’s all about.”

Sean Hayes, Jennifer Lopez, Debra Messing, Megan Mullally

Could we see Lopez on the show next season? “She is a welcomed guest any time she wants to come back,” he concludes.

Catch a sneak peek of Lopez on Thursday’s episode of Will & Grace below:

Will & Grace, Thursday, March 8, 9/8c, NBC