After more than forty years in show business, actress Shelley Morrison, who played the wisecracking Rosario on the hit NBC series "Will and Grace”, has more than her share of stories. This veteran of the big and small screen has also augmented her professional life with ties to her family and community that have made her a compelling person as well as a skilled performer. Born in the South Bronx, Morrison a Sephardic Jew of Spanish descent moved with her family to Los Angeles as a child, and still lives in the same family home that her father bought six decades ago. The young Morrison worked consistently in film and television in the 1960s, playing the memorable Sister Sixto on the series "The Flying Nun" and appearing alongside the late Gregory Peck in the western "MacKenna’s Gold."   After putting her career on the back burner to marry Walter Dominguez (the two celebrate their 33rd anniversary this year), Morrison made a comeback after the age of 50 highly unlikely for a future grandmother who likes to knit in her spare time. A series of guest-starring roles on a number of series in the 80’s and 90’s eventually led to her landing the role of Rosario, which has earned her Emmy and SAG Awards (for Outstanding Ensemble) and numerous other nominations, including three ALMA Nominations for Best Supporting Actress.   Morrison's latest role is the voice of Mrs. Portillo on Disney Channel's new animated series "Handy Manny." She is also co-producing, with husband Walter Dominguez, a documentary entitled “Weaving the Past: Journey of Discovery” about Dominguez’s grandfather’s participation in the early Mexican Revolution. “It is about my husband’s Mexican heritage and the importance of honoring one’s culture and ancestry”, says Morrison. Morrison now practices Native American spiritual tradition, is a tireless worker for charity (L.A. Shanti, one of the city’s oldest charities for AIDS/HIV; and A.N.G.E.L.S Day, which helps senior citizens and their animal companions), and takes pride in portraying Rosario - an older, Hispanic woman who is tough, smart and can hold her own. Morrison has received a commendation from the City of Los Angeles for her effort to preserve her neighborhood during the 1992 riots that destroyed a shopping mall just behind her home and joined other "celebrity knitters" including Elizabeth Taylor and "Will and Grace" co-star Debra Messing, to knit blankets for a sale benefiting the New York Police and Fire Widows and Children’s Benefit Fund.   Recently, she led the inspirational and uplifting "Sea of Pink" survivors' ceremony to kick off the Susan G. Komen "Race for the Cure" in Los Angeles.   She has survived three bouts with cancer, and retains a spirit of peace and optimism that is as infectious as her winning smile. http://weavingthepast.comshapeimage_2_link_0
Charles Bush Photography
 
Bio by Lori DeWaal & Associates