Shelley Morrison

as Rosario

Shelley Morrison plays Karen Walker's (Megan Mullally) feisty El Salvadoran housekeeper -- the only one who can stand up to Karen and dole back as much abuse as she dishes out.

Although both characters often appear to have a reciprocal condescending relationship, the fact is Karen and Rosario truly care for one another. Rosario married the flamboyantly gay Jack McFarland (Sean Hayes) in an uncanny scheme to keep from being deported. Although they are now divorced, they remain friends.

Morrison, who was born in the Bronx and raised in a tenement, moved to Los Angeles as a child. She is married to non-fiction writer Walter Dominquez. As long-standing community activists, Morrison and her husband have been honored by the city of Los Angeles for their work with the homeless as well as their community involvement in the aftermath of the 1992 Los Angeles riots (Morrison's first language is Spanish and she had to learn English phonetically).

Morrison has a long and distinguished acting career that spans more than 40 years. She has appeared in over 65 plays, as a regular on several television series, in guest-starring roles in over 150 television series and in 15 feature films. Many fans affectionately remember her as Sister Sixto opposite Sally Field in the hit 1960s television series "The Flying Nun." She has also directed plays at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and in the early 1960s, was Los Angeles' youngest theatrical producer with works that included "Sweet Bird of Youth," "Hamlet" and a number of musical revues.

In 2000, Morrison was nominated for an Alma Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Series. In 2001 and 2002, Morrison was again nominated for an Alma Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Television Series.

Morrison was recently honored in her hometown when she was inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame, where a street sign bearing her name was unveiled on 159th Street and historic Grand Concourse Boulevard.

Morrison is also a tireless supporter for A.N.G.E.L.S Day (Animals Needing Generous Endowments of Love & Support), an organization dedicated to help senior citizens take care of their pets in times of crisis, and L.A. Shanti which is the first organization in Los Angeles founded to help those with HIV and AIDS, offering support, prevention advice and volunteer training for the last two decades.

More recently, Morrison has broken into the voice-over world, lending her voice in a number of animated feature films and television shows.

Morrison's other interests include knitting, crochet, camping and caring for their animals. Her birthday is October 26.