Shelley Morrison

Shelley Morrison has a long and distinguished acting career that spans more than 40 years. She is best known as feisty El Salvadoran housekeeper Rosario on the recently retired NBC hit, "Will and Grace," a role which earned her three ALMA (American Latino Media Arts) nominations for "Best Supporting Actress."

Affectionately remembered by fans as Sister Sixto opposite Sally Field in the hit 1960s television series "The Flying Nun," Morrison has appeared in over 65 plays, as a regular on several television series, and in guest-starring roles in over 150 television series and in fifteen feature films. 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. Morrison recently joined the cast of Disney Channel's new animated series "Handy Manny" as the voice of Mrs. Portello, Manny's (Wilmer Valderrama, "That 70's Show") kindly neighbor. The learning-focused series on Playhouse Disney, which will embrace Spanish culture and language, is scheduled for a September 2006 premiere. No stranger to voice work, Morrison also provided the voice of Mrs. Sanchez in DreamWorks animated film "Shark Tale."

Born in the Bronx and raised in a tenement, Morrison is married to non-fiction writer Walter Dominquez. It was Dominguez, who has Spanish blood in, who began to explore his indigenous roots through the traditions of the Lakota Sioux. Morrison, whose first language was Spanish and whose parents were Spanish Jews, has since embraced the spiritual tradition of the Lakota Sioux. In fact, the couple adopted three sons and three daughters through a traditional Native American ceremony. 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 has also become tirelessly involved in charities close to her heart. The first, ANGELS Day (Animals Needing Generous Endowments of Love & Support), is an organization dedicated to help senior citizens take care of their pets in times of crisis such as during hospitalization. L.A. Shanti is another organization that she has dedicated time and resources to; it was 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. As a recent breast and lung cancer survivor, Morrison is dedicated to sharing her experience, offering hope and inspiration to those struggling with illness. She has raised money for the American Cancer Society and recently led the "Sea of Pink" Survivors' Ceremony to kick off the Ninth Annual Susan G. Komen "Race for the Cure" in Los Angeles. She also lobbies government agencies to provide low-income people with access to tests for early cancer detection.

Morrison recently returned to her roots when she was inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame, where a street sign bearing her name was unveiled on 159th Street and Grand Concourse Boulevard. She has joined the ranks of past honorees Secretary of State Colin Powell, filmmaker Stanley Kubrick, and talk-show host Regis Philbin in the street naming tradition. She was also recently honored with the "Eternity Award" for lifetime achievement at the Twelfth Annual Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival.

"Twenty years of Courage -- Stories of Hope from a Three-Time Survivor"
A veteran actress who has had a remarkable and fascinating forty-plus year career in show business, Shelley Morrison is best known as "Rosario" on NBC's hit series "Will and Grace." Chronicling her twenty year battle with cancer, Shelley speaks about how her sense of humor and her work helped her survive, the strength she received from her friends and family, and how sharing her story helps others deal with their experiences. Morrison's moving personal account of how she has beat lung, breast and ovarian cancer will both enlighten and inspire.

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