Rosie O'Donnell plays the health ed teacher on NBC's upcoming production of "Hairspray Live!," set to air Wednesday, December 7 at 8/7c.

O'Donnell was host and executive producer of the critically acclaimed and multiple Emmy Award-winning nationally syndicated talk/variety series "The Rosie O'Donnell Show," did two co-host stints on ABC's "The View" and hosted the critically acclaimed Sirius/XM show "Rosie Radio."

On the big screen, O'Donnell has co-starred in several films, including "A League of Their Own," "Sleepless in Seattle," "Another Stakeout," "The Flintstones," "Exit to Eden," "Now and Then," "Beautiful Girls," "Harriet the Spy" and "Wide Awake." Her stage credits include the Broadway productions of "Grease," "Seussical," "Fiddler on the Roof," "Love, Loss and What I Wore" and the Encores! production of "No, No, Nanette." She produced the musical "Taboo" on Broadway and, most recently, produced the stage show "MotherStruck!" at the Lynn Redgrave Theater.

O'Donnell has been featured on several TV series, including "Will & Grace," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "All My Children," "Suddenly Susan," "Spin City," "Sesame Street," "Queer as Folk," "The Nanny," "The Larry Sanders Show," "Nip/Tuck," "Happily Divorced" and "Web Therapy." In 2009, she executive co-produced, co-wrote and starred in the Lifetime film "America." O'Donnell currently has a reoccurring role as foster care mentor Rita Hendricks on ABC Family's "The Fosters" and recently appeared on the CBS sitcom "Mom."

With a strong passion for documentary storytelling and the never-ending search for truth, O'Donnell has partnered with HBO on several projects: "All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise," "A Family Is a Family Is a Family: A Rosie O'Donnell Celebration" and "Don't Divorce Me." She received critical acclaim with her 2015 HBO documentary, "Rosie O'Donnell: A Heartfelt Stand Up," in which she took a lighthearted approach to sharing personal details of her heart attack and recovery, raising awareness for the rarely discussed yet massive issue of women's heart health.

O'Donnell has also written three books: "Find Me" (2002), "Celebrity Detox: (The Fame Game)" (2007) and "Rosie O'Donnell's Crafty U" (2008).

A tireless crusader for children, O'Donnell established the Rosie's For All Kids Foundation, which has awarded more than $30 million in grants to over 1,500 child-related nonprofit organizations to benefit low-income families across the country. Rosie's Theater Kids provides free in-school, after-school and summer instruction in musical theater to the public school children of New York. She received an incredible milestone in philanthropy when she was awarded the prestigious Isabelle Stevenson Award at the 2014 Tony Awards for her dedication, commitment and unconditional generosity toward arts education and New York City's public schools. Rosie's Theater Kids just received the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award at the White House, given by First Lady Michelle Obama.