Shelley Morrison

Shelley Morrison
File:Shelley Morrison.jpg
Born	Rachel Mitrani (1936-10-26) October 26, 1936 New York City, New York U.S.
Other names	Rachel Dominguez
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1961–present
Spouse(s)	Walter Dominguez (m. 1973)
Website	http://shelleymorrison.com/HOME.html

Shelley Morrison (born Rachel Mitrani; October 26, 1936) is an American actress. Early in her career, she was sometimes credited as Rachel Domínguez. Morrison has been a theater and television actress since the early 1960s, predominantly as a character actress in ethnic roles. Her most recognizable role has been as the maid Rosario Salazar in the NBC comedy television series Will & Grace, which she played from 1999 to 2006. She was a regular performer on the sitcom The Flying Nun playing Sister Sixto, a nun known mostly for mangling the English language; and she continued in television guest roles until securing a recurring role in the soap opera General Hospital in 1982.

Early life

Morrison was born in New York City, the only daughter of Sephardic Jewish, specifically Spanish Jewish, parents originally surnamed Mitrani. She was raised in the Bronx, New York, and her first language was Spanish. Her father, Maurice Morris, was a clothing manufacturer. Morrison moved to California with her parents in 1946.

Career

Morrison went on to study acting at Los Angeles City College and landed early film roles in Divorce American Style and How to Save a Marriage (And Ruin Your Life).

From 1965 to 1967, she appeared four times as an American Indian, Linda Little Trees, in the NBC western television series, Laredo: in the episodes "Yahoo", "Jinx", "No Bugles, One Drum", and "Split the Difference." In 1967 she capitalized on her experiences learning English to play the Puerto Rican nun, Sister Sixto, who had trouble with English in Sally Field's show The Flying Nun. She would keep this role until the show was cancelled in 1970.

Morrison's most widely recognizable recent role has been as the Salvadoran maid Rosario Inez Consuelo Yolanda Salazar in the NBC sitcom, Will & Grace. She appeared in 68 episodes from 1999 to 2006. The role was originally created for a brief one-episode appearance, but Rosario was so popular with viewers that the character became a regular. In addition to sparring with her libertine and very spoiled employer, Karen Walker (Megan Mullally), Rosario married Karen's gay friend Jack McFarland (Sean Hayes) to prevent her impending deportation.

In approximately 25 film appearances and 200 television appearances, Morrison has portrayed a maid or housekeeper on 32 separate occasions. Morrison had just informed her agent not to offer her any more "maid parts" when came the call for Will & Grace.

Cancer

She underwent a lumpectomy for breast cancer in 1988, followed by a full mastectomy when the cancer recurred in 1998. She had lung cancer and underwent surgery to remove the upper third of her right lung. She lives with her husband of many years, Walter Domínguez, a Mexican-American, in a three-story apartment in Los Angeles - the same apartment in which her father had settled the family five decades earlier.

Morrison and Dominguez adopted three sons and three daughters (adopted through a traditional Native American ceremony). They have a large extended family of grandkids, nephews and nieces that they dote on as well. [3]

Morrison's lung cancer was in remission, but her breast cancer returned after the treatment in 1988 and 1998.

She endorsed U.S. Congressman Dennis Kucinich for President in 2008, actively fundraising, contributing to his campaign, and seeking votes for him.

External links

• Shelley Morrison at the Internet Movie Database