Karen Walker (character)
Encyclopedia
Karen Walker is a fictional character
on the American
television sitcom Will & Grace
(1998–2006). She was portrayed by actress and singer Megan Mullally
. She is arguably the show's breakout character
.
Although Karen was originally conceived as a supporting character role for Will & Grace
, her escapades became a more prominent part of the show based on viewer reaction. She was a multi-millionairess thanks to her marriage to "Stan Walker" (an unseen character
) until discovering he was broke.
Karen has been described by Grace Adler
as "a spoiled, shrill, gold-digging socialite
who would sooner chew off her own foot than do an honest day's work." She is also a promiscuous
borderline alcoholic and assumed drug addict with an often tenuous grip on reality and very few morals. She is good friends with Will Truman
’s equally narcissistic
best friend Jack McFarland
. Karen Walker was stated to be worth $730 million by Will Truman on the episode "Grace Expectations" and on the episode "24" she claimed that her husband's fortune was $985 million to Lorraine Finster. After speaking her lines normally in the pilot, her delivery increased in pitch in subsequent episodes until her distinct nasal voice became one of the character's hallmarks.
In 2010, Karen Walker was ranked #23 on the TV Guide Network special, 25 Greatest TV Characters of All Time.
), a con artist who incorporated her young daughter into her schemes. Karen has made many references in the show, to her education and her maiden name, Delaney, which suggest she is of Irish-American background and was raised Roman Catholic. Her drinking habits may be a reference to the stereotype of Irish people's heavy drinking habits.
Although she tries to keep her age secret, her good friend Jack McFarland
revealed that she was 42 in 2001, meaning she was born in January 1959. She has been married four times — her first husband's surname was St. Croix, her second husband was named Popeil (a reference to the American culinary businessman/entrepreneur Ron Popeil
), her third was Stan Walker (married since 1995), and she was married for 20 minutes to Lyle Finster (John Cleese
) in May 2004, although she is still married to Stanley (see below), who has two children of his own, Olivia and Mason. She has intimated an illicit relationship with Ronald Reagan
(claiming no one said anything to her at his funeral because she was his mistress.) Karen also goes under the alias
"Anastasia Beaverhausen" ("Anastasia as in Russia
n royalty, Beaverhausen as in ... where the beaver
lives") and also once used the alias Pilar Palabundar to "beat up businessmen for cash in Chinatown
." Other alias was Lupita, used when she had an affair with a high-class Hotel janitor while trying to pass as a maid using Rosario's uniform. Her real name may not, in fact, be Karen, as she changes her name from time to time to throw off the "Feds." Her mother refers to her as "Kiki", which was her childhood nickname. She has made more than one reference to attending Sarah Lawrence College
, although she may have been joking, referring to her lesbian tendencies (see Sexuality). She is noted also for her shrill/squeaky voice; in one episode in the third season, Karen inhaled helium
from a balloon
, only for the gas to have absolutely no effect on her voice. She is also noted for her addiction to prescription drugs and alcohol.
Karen seems to have had a background in acting (including a performance in a soft core adult film as a naughty maid); however she vowed never to act again after her part as a bank teller in the TV show Mama's Family
was cut. (Her one line was "Would you like it in Fives? Tens? Fifteens?" said with a Southern Accent). She has also spoken of a 2 episode character arc in Dynasty
.
Karen tends to have trouble separating stories she has read, seen, or heard about with her actual life. On one occasion she explains that she loves family and then recites the story of Heidi
, claiming it as her own. Another situation involves Karen's fear of elevators. She and Jack are walking up the stairs of a skyscraper because she refuses to use the elevator. Jack asks her why she's afraid of elevators, and she recounts the opening scene of the movie Speed. She has also described the events of Norma Rae
and To Sir, with Love
as her own life experiences.
. Though she rarely accomplishes any work (in several episodes, however, she does do her job fully), she keeps the job because it gets her "away from Stan and the kids", as she once told an intern. Karen actually quits Grace Adler Designs twice. First, when Grace found Karen in a dominatrix film and was horribly embarrassed, and second, when Karen does a design job all on her own and Grace takes credit for it. In the first instance, Karen returned to the company at the end of the episode because Grace gave her 49 copies of the film (Grace keeps one—totaling 50) so "no one would have to see the tape again." The second time, Karen returned in the next episode. She became Jack's assistant at "Out TV", but because she and Jack couldn't keep a professional relationship, she was fired and then returned to Grace like "nothing ever happened", even though she remarks, "I missed you."
Despite her incompetence, Grace never fires her because the business benefits from Karen's social contacts; Karen also pays for Grace's health insurance and Christmas bonus. For a long time, Karen never cashed any of the paychecks she was given because, being rich, she didn't need to; also, Karen and Grace had made a deal that, in exchange for not cashing the checks, Karen was not required to actually do any work. Instead, she kept them in a shoebox on her desk because she thought they were "pretty little blue pieces of paper." Once, when Stan cut down on her extravagant spending habits, she cashed all her paychecks at once, nearly bankrupting Grace. Karen "kindly" gave the money back to Grace in the end, even though it should have been Karen's money to keep.
Karen and Grace are very close friends, despite Karen's constant criticisms and insults regarding Grace's clothing choices and personal life (often dismissing Grace's wardrobe with the comment "Honey, what's going on here?"), and Karen and Will's dislike of each other turned to friendship over the years as well. Through Grace, she also developed a strong friendship with Jack McFarland.
porn
film Next to Godliness, a dominatrix
flick. Stan was an obese man who was credited with keeping Taco Bell
and Pizza Hut
in business and who has worn a toupee
since his teens.
Stan was an unseen character
during the show's run, despite being mentioned in many episodes. His two children, Mason (known to Karen as "the fat one") and Olivia ("the girl"), by Stan's previous wife were often left in the incompetent care of Karen.
In the fourth season, Stan was jailed for tax evasion and told Karen to date other men. She could not bring herself to do so until she met rich bachelor Lionel (Rip Torn
), but just as their affair began, Stan was released from jail. However, after Karen caught Stan with his mistress Lorraine Finster (Minnie Driver
)—a cafeteria worker at the prison—the couple separated, and Karen moved into the Palace hotel. After beginning divorce
proceedings at the end of the fifth season, Stan died suddenly.
During season six, Karen pursued romantic liaisons and ended up marrying Lyle Finster (John Cleese
), Lorraine's father. However, after twenty minutes of marriage—a sudden ceremony in Las Vegas
—she asked for a divorce due in part to her disliking her new married name.
Karen has been the head of Walker, Inc., since her husband's death. However, at the end of season seven, it was revealed that Stan faked his death and had actually been in hiding. Karen began dating Malcolm (Alec Baldwin
), a government agent who had helped Stan go underground. However, she ultimately reconciled with Stan, and Malcolm left on a government mission to Sri Lanka
. Later in the eighth season, however, Karen and Stan experienced significant marriage difficulties. They finally chose to divorce, only for Karen to learn—in season eight's finale
—that his money was borrowed and that, as a result, she was now broke.
Karen then pressured Jack into a relationship with Beverley Leslie (played by Leslie Jordan
), who was wealthy enough to support Jack—and in turn keep Karen in the extravagant lifestyle to which she was accustomed, as well as support her addictions to prescription drugs and alcohol. Though unattracted to Beverley, Jack went ahead with the scheme because Karen had financially supported him for the whole of their relationship. Karen, probably realizing that she was doing to Jack what her mother did to her, told Jack that she cared more about Jack's happiness than the money. Beverley, who had been in the bathroom, then comes out to an empty bedroom, looks for Jack on the outside balcony and, being 4'11 and 100 lbs., is swept to his death by a gust of wind. Beverley had left his millions to Jack. Jack happily became the provider in his relationship with Karen, which has otherwise not changed. The series finale showed that—until at least 2028—Karen, Jack, and Rosario shared a home together, and, thanks to plastic surgery
, Karen appeared to have not aged a day.
(played by Shelley Morrison
), whom she met and hired in 1985 and for whom she even arranged a marriage with Jack to help her get a Green Card
, is very close. Although the duo often bicker and fight, it is only part of the bond they share. In the beginning of the series, it seemed that Rosario didn't speak much English, and Karen had a hard time communicating with her. Karen's way of giving Rosario orders was to add the letter "o" to the end of every word she'd say (e.g., "Enougho with the April Fresho. *hangs up the phone* Right now she's calling me a bitcho"). In another example of miscommunication, Karen used to end phone calls with Rosario by saying "hola", which means "hello" in Spanish
and not "goodbye". When Rosario was first seen on-camera at the end of the first season, it was revealed that she spoke English quite well and that Karen was being patronizing. In a later season, we see Karen forced to live in an apartment block she owns in Spanish Harlem
as punishment for failing to bring the building to code. She is seen in this episode screeching at a child in the street in fluent Spanish, leading Will to comment "And yet when you talk to Rosario, it's 'Scrubbo the tubbo.'"
Karen is known for her volatile arguments with her maid Rosario, where they screech over each other, ending simultaneously with a loud insult. A few seconds of silence follows before they embrace each other emotionally declaring their affection for each other, to the laughter of the audience. Their relationship is very much love-hate with each being brutally honest with the other, but at the end of the day still loving each other. Rosario affectionately calls Karen "mami" from time to time, when they're not trading insults. The only low points were when Karen lost Rosario in a bet to her arch nemesis Beverley Leslie and when Karen sacked Rosario after discovering she had hidden the truth about her husband Stanley Walker being alive. Rosario appeared in the last episode, with her final words to Karen being "Suck it, bitch!". In "Saving Grace, Again (2)" it is suggested that Karen uses Rosario as a horse or at least treats her like one because she asks Jack if "winter white is a good colour for Rosario's saddlebag
" and in "Cheatin' Trouble Blues", after climbing up numerous flights of stairs, said, "Well, if I'd known we were gonna do all this walking, I would've saddled up Rosario, like when we go to Greece!"
. According to Gin, Karen rigged a floorboard during a game of Twister
so she would fall through, hurt herself, and end her career in dance. Gin always mentions how one of her legs is now shorter than the other due to the incident. Later, Gin admitted she rigged the floorboard as a cry for attention.
, is Karen's mother who appears in the episode "Someone Old, Someplace New". Jack is making a movie called the Mystery of Karen Walker and while making the movie he meets Lois. At the end of the episode Karen and Lois see each other for the first time in a many years. Karen says "I told you I never wanted to see you again." It is later revealed that Lois made a living as a con artist during Karen's childhood and adolescence, implementing Karen in many of her schemes. As a result of this unconventional upbringing, Karen decided to distance herself from her mother, presumably in an attempt to lead a more stable life. However, the fruit does not fall far from the tree, as Karen's long, colorful history of multiple marriages and desire to "throw the feds off" proves. Then in the next episode "Something Borrowed, Someone's Due" they forgive each other but Lois wants to do one more job. The job was "milking a poor man out of his hard-earned money" (he is also an invalid). The man however is not poor; he "shorted Enron
at 54". Karen would appear to be a down-on-her-luck daughter who is so "slow" that she was a cheerleader who never stopped clapping. While doing this Karen makes her mom (Lois) sign a paper saying Lois will never pull another con with Karen again and Karen notarizes it because she is a legal notary from a Chicago job they once pulled. Karen just wants a mom who loves her not her cons. Karen is "slow" in this episode somewhere between Sean Penn
in I Am Sam
and Sean Penn "At home with his family". The job fails when the old man's daughter gets a restraining order on Lois; then Lois and Karen make amends.
), Lorraine Finster (played by Minnie Driver
), Anita Bryant
, Candice Bergen
(who is also Karen's best friend, referring to running into her at a restaurant as "horrible-slash-delightful"), Marlo Thomas
(Karen hates her, but likes her husband, Phil Donahue
; Marlo and Phil apparently live in Karen's apartment building but never actually appear in the series). We once see Karen greeting an off-set Marlo at a party by shouting "Marlo Thomas—look at you! Vintage '60s with a plunging neckline—oh, and I love your dress, too, honey!" Further enemies include Scott Woolley (until he fell in love with her; played by Jeff Goldblum
), Candace Pruitt (whom Karen refers to as "Candy" Pruitt; played by Christine Ebersole
), who once said that Karen's voice sounded "like someone strangling an old macaw
", and Helena Barnes (played by Joan Collins
), who is a famous interior designer. Karen has a love-hate relationship with most of her rivals. She often openly insults or ridicules her enemies like Beverley Leslie, Candice Bergen
, and Candy Pruitt (and they do the same to her), while simultaneously thinking of them as her friends. Karen has a tendency to stumble upon becoming aware of her physical proximity to certain rivals. The most notable occurrence of this physical reaction occurs during her encounters with Beverley Leslie. While Lorraine Finster was a rival/stepdaughter, Karen would stumble when Lorraine shouted "Hello, Mother!".
Sometimes Karen unintentionally reveals to her friends a softer side that is carefully hidden. In one such incident, Karen's husband has an apparent heart attack
and may die. Karen discovers that her friends have placed a bet to see who can get her to cry first, so she elaborately punishes each of them by leading them on to think she might break down in their presence. In the end, it is revealed that it was not a heart attack but rather acute angina (angina pectoris), she then has an emotional breakdown over the incident, during which Grace stumbles in and subsequently consoles Karen. Another episode sees Karen and Jack in her mansion with her refusing to let him enter 'the forbidden room'. When Jack finally gains access he discovers it is a nursery which Karen had prepared during a pregnancy scare in an earlier season. Although she agrees to change the room into a liquor storage room, she quickly changes her mind and the audience sees her stony facade crumble. When Jack accidentally gave away her favorite shoes to charity she rushed to buy them back, but a poor looking woman had just found them. After negotiations (up to five) Karen started counting out $500 inside her purse until the woman exclaimed it was her lucky day for receiving a free $5. Karen then gave her just the $5 but then out of compassion gave the $500 as well. She tells Jack (who was with her) not to tell anyone about this.
Although her friends are cavalier about it, Karen is clearly an alcoholic and drug addict, often indulging in prescription pills and booze. She often (albeit casually) mentions taking street drugs or being under the influence of them. She hides bottles of vodka and wine in Grace's office and often refers to drinking her breakfast and lunch, implying that they consist of strong liquor. In one episode, she complains to Will about the way he approached her, saying: "You came in here all high-and-mighty ... acting all mighty, while I was high," and on another episode saying, "Oh, honey, you say potato, I say vodka," and to Ben Doucette (played by the late Gregory Hines
), Karen declares, "Honey, I'd suck the alcohol out of a deodorant
stick." In the episode where Karen got a physical exam, the doctor (played by Jack Black
) reads the chart listing medications she is on, revealing that she is taking every drug in the Merck Pharmaceutical catalogue. Following her exam, she asks Will to read it, and Will asks her: "What, are you afraid they might find blood in your alcohol?" In the episode "FYI, I Hurt, Too," she states that the subway is a good place "to buy mari
-batteries", quickly changing it as a policeman walks by. In the second live episode, Karen's medicine cabinet opens with hundreds of pill bottles falling out. In the series finale, Karen drinks an entire bottle of vodka in one gulp, which Jack, Grace, and Will watch without much surprise. It is implied that her heart beats at an extremely slow rate (even though Jack once considered it to be "racing" at the time) and that she needs a new liver. Despite this, she appears to be in very good health.
Karen makes observations on others with an emotionless and often cruel eye. She once said to Jack, "Honey, you know what's really sad? Poor people with big dreams. Well, that's not so much sad as it is incredibly funny!" A recurring victim for her cruelty is a bartender named Smitty, who tells her tragic events in his life, such as being on his last day, his twin brother dying in a fire or having the childhood memory of his mother being killed in front of him, only to have her laugh in his face and thank him for cheering her up. She is also known for the excessive use of the word "honey" when conversing with people, for her "killer rack", and for being insanely rich.
, and/or that she may be a male-to-female transsexual herself:
Karen is particularly adamant about creating a distinction between herself and her staff. In one episode when she comes to answer the front door, she announces "I'm approaching!" or "I can see you", as she enters, and several maids evacuate the room. When Will signs on to work as Karen's lawyer, he asks her if she'd like to go to lunch, and she responds "Honey, I don't eat with the help." When Jack comes to live with Rosario in Karen's penthouse, he is disappointed by the view out of his window—Karen tells him "This is where the help stays." Jack is confused and explains, "But I'm not help." Karen firmly replies "You married help, you're help."
She also includes Will as a member of her staff ("Lawyer") at times and has also had Picasso working for her.
Karen mentions that her staff are interchangeable, "Cook sometimes cleans, Cleaner sometimes cooks, Driver sometimes provides an alibi." When Karen tells her high-society friends that Will is her "whore", he leaves the charity event stating, "You should ask someone else, like Butcher, or Baker, or Pain-Killer Maker!"
, which debuted in September 2006 and which was canceled in January 2007. In one, Karen asks Megan to take her along. In another, Karen tries to pass for Megan at a meeting with studio executives until she is caught by Mullally and they begin to physically struggle with each other.
Mullally once again donned a Walker persona in an episode of The Megan Mullally Show which featured Andy Dick
. Mullally in a "Karen Walker voice", "I hurt his feelings, that was fun!"
will be starring in a new Broadway musical entitled Karen: The Musical. This musical will be the "Return of Karen Walker". Mullally said the show is currently being written and composed. She said the premise for the show, at the moment, is that Karen decides for a variety of hilarious reasons to do a Broadway show called Karen: The Musical. She also said in an interview that the show may involve Will & Grace recurring guest star Leslie Jordan
, reprising his role as Beverley Leslie. The show will reportedly present never-before-seen sides of Karen and will also showcase Mullally's skills as a musical theatre actress, which may not have been known to many Will & Grace fans.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
on the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television sitcom Will & Grace
Will & Grace
Will & Grace was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998 to May 18, 2006 for a total of eight seasons. Will & Grace remains the most successful television series with gay principal characters...
(1998–2006). She was portrayed by actress and singer Megan Mullally
Megan Mullally
Megan Mullally is an American actress and singer.After working in the theatre in Chicago, Mullally moved to Los Angeles in 1985 and began to appear in supporting roles in film and television productions. She made her Broadway debut in Grease in 1994 and she has since appeared in several Broadway...
. She is arguably the show's breakout character
Breakout character
A breakout character is a fictional character in different episodes, books or other media that becomes the most popular, talked about, and imitated. Most often a breakout character in a television series captures the audience's imagination and helps to popularize the show, sometimes inadvertently...
.
Although Karen was originally conceived as a supporting character role for Will & Grace
Will & Grace
Will & Grace was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998 to May 18, 2006 for a total of eight seasons. Will & Grace remains the most successful television series with gay principal characters...
, her escapades became a more prominent part of the show based on viewer reaction. She was a multi-millionairess thanks to her marriage to "Stan Walker" (an unseen character
Unseen character
In fiction, an unseen character is a character that is never directly observed by the audience but is only described by other characters. They are a common device in drama and have been called "triumphs of theatrical invention". They are continuing characters — characters who are currently in...
) until discovering he was broke.
Karen has been described by Grace Adler
Grace Adler
Grace Elizabeth Adler-Markus is a fictional character on the American sitcom Will & Grace, portrayed by Debra Messing. She is a Jewish interior designer , living in New York City with her gay best friend Will Truman...
as "a spoiled, shrill, gold-digging socialite
Socialite
A socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....
who would sooner chew off her own foot than do an honest day's work." She is also a promiscuous
Promiscuity
In humans, promiscuity refers to less discriminating casual sex with many sexual partners. The term carries a moral or religious judgement and is viewed in the context of the mainstream social ideal for sexual activity to take place within exclusive committed relationships...
borderline alcoholic and assumed drug addict with an often tenuous grip on reality and very few morals. She is good friends with Will Truman
Will Truman
William Pierce "Will" Truman is a fictional character on the American sitcom Will & Grace, portrayed by Eric McCormack. He is a gay lawyer who lives in the Upper West Side of New York City with his best friend, Grace Adler.-Fictional character history:...
’s equally narcissistic
Narcissism
Narcissism is a term with a wide range of meanings, depending on whether it is used to describe a central concept of psychoanalytic theory, a mental illness, a social or cultural problem, or simply a personality trait...
best friend Jack McFarland
Jack McFarland
John Philip "Jack" McFarland was a fictional character on the American television sitcom Will & Grace, played by Sean Hayes.-Character personality:...
. Karen Walker was stated to be worth $730 million by Will Truman on the episode "Grace Expectations" and on the episode "24" she claimed that her husband's fortune was $985 million to Lorraine Finster. After speaking her lines normally in the pilot, her delivery increased in pitch in subsequent episodes until her distinct nasal voice became one of the character's hallmarks.
In 2010, Karen Walker was ranked #23 on the TV Guide Network special, 25 Greatest TV Characters of All Time.
Early years
Karen was born on January 16, 1959 (which is revealed in the show's season 8). Karen's childhood was a rocky road, thanks in part to her unstable relationship with her mother, Lois Whitley (played by Suzanne PleshetteSuzanne Pleshette
Suzanne Pleshette was an American actress, on stage, screen and television.After beginning her career in theatre, she began appearing in films in the early 1960s, such as Rome Adventure and Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds...
), a con artist who incorporated her young daughter into her schemes. Karen has made many references in the show, to her education and her maiden name, Delaney, which suggest she is of Irish-American background and was raised Roman Catholic. Her drinking habits may be a reference to the stereotype of Irish people's heavy drinking habits.
Although she tries to keep her age secret, her good friend Jack McFarland
Jack McFarland
John Philip "Jack" McFarland was a fictional character on the American television sitcom Will & Grace, played by Sean Hayes.-Character personality:...
revealed that she was 42 in 2001, meaning she was born in January 1959. She has been married four times — her first husband's surname was St. Croix, her second husband was named Popeil (a reference to the American culinary businessman/entrepreneur Ron Popeil
Ron Popeil
Ronald M. Popeil is an American inventor and marketing personality, best known for his direct response marketing company Ronco...
), her third was Stan Walker (married since 1995), and she was married for 20 minutes to Lyle Finster (John Cleese
John Cleese
John Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report...
) in May 2004, although she is still married to Stanley (see below), who has two children of his own, Olivia and Mason. She has intimated an illicit relationship with Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
(claiming no one said anything to her at his funeral because she was his mistress.) Karen also goes under the alias
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
"Anastasia Beaverhausen" ("Anastasia as in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n royalty, Beaverhausen as in ... where the beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
lives") and also once used the alias Pilar Palabundar to "beat up businessmen for cash in Chinatown
Chinatown, Manhattan
Manhattan's Chinatown , home to one of the highest concentrations of Chinese people in the Western hemisphere, is located in the borough of Manhattan in New York City...
." Other alias was Lupita, used when she had an affair with a high-class Hotel janitor while trying to pass as a maid using Rosario's uniform. Her real name may not, in fact, be Karen, as she changes her name from time to time to throw off the "Feds." Her mother refers to her as "Kiki", which was her childhood nickname. She has made more than one reference to attending Sarah Lawrence College
Sarah Lawrence College
Sarah Lawrence College is a private liberal arts college in the United States, and a leader in progressive education since its founding in 1926. Located just 30 minutes north of Midtown Manhattan in southern Westchester County, New York, in the city of Yonkers, this coeducational college offers...
, although she may have been joking, referring to her lesbian tendencies (see Sexuality). She is noted also for her shrill/squeaky voice; in one episode in the third season, Karen inhaled helium
Helium
Helium is the chemical element with atomic number 2 and an atomic weight of 4.002602, which is represented by the symbol He. It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert, monatomic gas that heads the noble gas group in the periodic table...
from a balloon
Balloon
A balloon is an inflatable flexible bag filled with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, or air. Modern balloons can be made from materials such as rubber, latex, polychloroprene, or a nylon fabric, while some early balloons were made of dried animal bladders, such as the pig...
, only for the gas to have absolutely no effect on her voice. She is also noted for her addiction to prescription drugs and alcohol.
Karen seems to have had a background in acting (including a performance in a soft core adult film as a naughty maid); however she vowed never to act again after her part as a bank teller in the TV show Mama's Family
Mama's Family
Mama's Family is an American television sitcom that premiered on NBC on January 22, 1983. It was cancelled in May 1984, but NBC would continue to air reruns until September 1985. In September 1986, Mama's Family returned in first-run syndication, where it aired for an additional four seasons,...
was cut. (Her one line was "Would you like it in Fives? Tens? Fifteens?" said with a Southern Accent). She has also spoken of a 2 episode character arc in Dynasty
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers considered members of the same family. Historians traditionally consider many sovereign states' history within a framework of successive dynasties, e.g., China, Ancient Egypt and the Persian Empire...
.
Karen tends to have trouble separating stories she has read, seen, or heard about with her actual life. On one occasion she explains that she loves family and then recites the story of Heidi
Heidi
Heidi is a Swiss work of fiction, published in two parts as Heidi's years of learning and travel and Heidi makes use of what she has learned.It is a novel about the events in the life of a young girl in her grandfather's care, in the Swiss Alps...
, claiming it as her own. Another situation involves Karen's fear of elevators. She and Jack are walking up the stairs of a skyscraper because she refuses to use the elevator. Jack asks her why she's afraid of elevators, and she recounts the opening scene of the movie Speed. She has also described the events of Norma Rae
Norma Rae
Norma Rae is a 1979 American drama film that tells the story of a factory worker from a small town in North Carolina, who becomes involved in the labor union activities at the textile factory where she works...
and To Sir, with Love
To Sir, with Love
To Sir, With Love is a 1967 British drama film starring Sidney Poitier that deals with social and racial issues in an inner city school. James Clavell both directed and wrote the film's screenplay, based on the semi-autobiographical novel of the same name by E. R. Braithwaite.The film's title song...
as her own life experiences.
Connection to Other Characters
To entertain herself, Karen took a job as personal assistant to interior designer Grace AdlerGrace Adler
Grace Elizabeth Adler-Markus is a fictional character on the American sitcom Will & Grace, portrayed by Debra Messing. She is a Jewish interior designer , living in New York City with her gay best friend Will Truman...
. Though she rarely accomplishes any work (in several episodes, however, she does do her job fully), she keeps the job because it gets her "away from Stan and the kids", as she once told an intern. Karen actually quits Grace Adler Designs twice. First, when Grace found Karen in a dominatrix film and was horribly embarrassed, and second, when Karen does a design job all on her own and Grace takes credit for it. In the first instance, Karen returned to the company at the end of the episode because Grace gave her 49 copies of the film (Grace keeps one—totaling 50) so "no one would have to see the tape again." The second time, Karen returned in the next episode. She became Jack's assistant at "Out TV", but because she and Jack couldn't keep a professional relationship, she was fired and then returned to Grace like "nothing ever happened", even though she remarks, "I missed you."
Despite her incompetence, Grace never fires her because the business benefits from Karen's social contacts; Karen also pays for Grace's health insurance and Christmas bonus. For a long time, Karen never cashed any of the paychecks she was given because, being rich, she didn't need to; also, Karen and Grace had made a deal that, in exchange for not cashing the checks, Karen was not required to actually do any work. Instead, she kept them in a shoebox on her desk because she thought they were "pretty little blue pieces of paper." Once, when Stan cut down on her extravagant spending habits, she cashed all her paychecks at once, nearly bankrupting Grace. Karen "kindly" gave the money back to Grace in the end, even though it should have been Karen's money to keep.
Karen and Grace are very close friends, despite Karen's constant criticisms and insults regarding Grace's clothing choices and personal life (often dismissing Grace's wardrobe with the comment "Honey, what's going on here?"), and Karen and Will's dislike of each other turned to friendship over the years as well. Through Grace, she also developed a strong friendship with Jack McFarland.
Karen's home life
For the first few seasons of the show, Karen lived with husband Stan Walker. Karen met Stan Walker in 1985, brushing off three simultaneous relationships (with Martina Navratilova, Sultan Habibi Shoshani Padush Al-Kabir, and a man named Clayton) to be with him only to learn that Stan was married. After going through two other marriages, she finally got together with Stan 10 years later. At some point before this, she also agreed to appear clothed (her costume was a rubber dress) as the star of the fetishisticSexual fetishism
Sexual fetishism, or erotic fetishism, is the sexual arousal a person receives from a physical object, or from a specific situation. The object or situation of interest is called the fetish, the person a fetishist who has a fetish for that object/situation. Sexual fetishism may be regarded, e.g...
porn
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
film Next to Godliness, a dominatrix
Dominatrix
Dominatrix or mistress is a woman or women who takes the dominant role in bondage, discipline and sadomasochism, or BDSM. A common form of address for a submissive to a dominatrix is "mistress", "ma'am", "domina" or "maîtresse"...
flick. Stan was an obese man who was credited with keeping Taco Bell
Taco Bell
Taco Bell is an American chain of fast-food restaurants based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., which serves American-adapted Mexican food. Taco Bell serves tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, other specialty items, and a variety of "Value Menu" items...
and Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut is an American restaurant chain and international franchise that offers different styles of pizza along with side dishes including pasta, buffalo wings, breadsticks, and garlic bread....
in business and who has worn a toupee
Toupee
A toupée is a hairpiece or partial wig of natural or synthetic hair worn to cover partial baldness or for theatrical purposes. While toupées and hairpieces are typically associated with male wearers, some women also use hairpieces to lengthen existing hair, or cover partially exposed scalp...
since his teens.
Stan was an unseen character
Unseen character
In fiction, an unseen character is a character that is never directly observed by the audience but is only described by other characters. They are a common device in drama and have been called "triumphs of theatrical invention". They are continuing characters — characters who are currently in...
during the show's run, despite being mentioned in many episodes. His two children, Mason (known to Karen as "the fat one") and Olivia ("the girl"), by Stan's previous wife were often left in the incompetent care of Karen.
In the fourth season, Stan was jailed for tax evasion and told Karen to date other men. She could not bring herself to do so until she met rich bachelor Lionel (Rip Torn
Rip Torn
Elmore Rual "Rip" Torn, Jr. , is an American actor of stage, screen and television.Torn received an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1983 film Cross Creek. His work includes the role of Artie, the producer, on The Larry Sanders Show, for which he was nominated...
), but just as their affair began, Stan was released from jail. However, after Karen caught Stan with his mistress Lorraine Finster (Minnie Driver
Minnie Driver
Minnie Driver is an English actress and singer-songwriter. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the 1997 film Good Will Hunting, as well as for an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe for her work in the television series The Riches.- Early life...
)—a cafeteria worker at the prison—the couple separated, and Karen moved into the Palace hotel. After beginning divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
proceedings at the end of the fifth season, Stan died suddenly.
During season six, Karen pursued romantic liaisons and ended up marrying Lyle Finster (John Cleese
John Cleese
John Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report...
), Lorraine's father. However, after twenty minutes of marriage—a sudden ceremony in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
—she asked for a divorce due in part to her disliking her new married name.
Karen has been the head of Walker, Inc., since her husband's death. However, at the end of season seven, it was revealed that Stan faked his death and had actually been in hiding. Karen began dating Malcolm (Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin
Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...
), a government agent who had helped Stan go underground. However, she ultimately reconciled with Stan, and Malcolm left on a government mission to Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. Later in the eighth season, however, Karen and Stan experienced significant marriage difficulties. They finally chose to divorce, only for Karen to learn—in season eight's finale
Season finale
A season finale is the final episode of a season of a television program...
—that his money was borrowed and that, as a result, she was now broke.
Karen then pressured Jack into a relationship with Beverley Leslie (played by Leslie Jordan
Leslie Jordan
Leslie Allen Jordan is an American actor and playwright.- Early life and career :Hailing from Chattanooga, Tennessee, and at a height of 4 ft 11 in , Jordan has made numerous appearances in both film and television...
), who was wealthy enough to support Jack—and in turn keep Karen in the extravagant lifestyle to which she was accustomed, as well as support her addictions to prescription drugs and alcohol. Though unattracted to Beverley, Jack went ahead with the scheme because Karen had financially supported him for the whole of their relationship. Karen, probably realizing that she was doing to Jack what her mother did to her, told Jack that she cared more about Jack's happiness than the money. Beverley, who had been in the bathroom, then comes out to an empty bedroom, looks for Jack on the outside balcony and, being 4'11 and 100 lbs., is swept to his death by a gust of wind. Beverley had left his millions to Jack. Jack happily became the provider in his relationship with Karen, which has otherwise not changed. The series finale showed that—until at least 2028—Karen, Jack, and Rosario shared a home together, and, thanks to plastic surgery
Plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
, Karen appeared to have not aged a day.
Rosario
Her relationship with her maid Rosario SalazarRosario Salazar
Rosario Inés Consuelo Yolanda Salazar McFarland is a fictional character on the American television sitcom Will & Grace. She is played by actress Shelley Morrison...
(played by Shelley Morrison
Shelley Morrison
Shelley Morrison 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...
), whom she met and hired in 1985 and for whom she even arranged a marriage with Jack to help her get a Green Card
United States Permanent Resident Card
United States lawful permanent residency refers to a person's immigration status: the person is authorized to live and work in the United States of America on a permanent basis....
, is very close. Although the duo often bicker and fight, it is only part of the bond they share. In the beginning of the series, it seemed that Rosario didn't speak much English, and Karen had a hard time communicating with her. Karen's way of giving Rosario orders was to add the letter "o" to the end of every word she'd say (e.g., "Enougho with the April Fresho. *hangs up the phone* Right now she's calling me a bitcho"). In another example of miscommunication, Karen used to end phone calls with Rosario by saying "hola", which means "hello" in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and not "goodbye". When Rosario was first seen on-camera at the end of the first season, it was revealed that she spoke English quite well and that Karen was being patronizing. In a later season, we see Karen forced to live in an apartment block she owns in Spanish Harlem
Spanish Harlem
East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem and El Barrio, is a section of Harlem in the northeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. East Harlem is one of the largest predominantly Latino communities in New York City. It includes the area formerly known as Italian Harlem, in which...
as punishment for failing to bring the building to code. She is seen in this episode screeching at a child in the street in fluent Spanish, leading Will to comment "And yet when you talk to Rosario, it's 'Scrubbo the tubbo.'"
Karen is known for her volatile arguments with her maid Rosario, where they screech over each other, ending simultaneously with a loud insult. A few seconds of silence follows before they embrace each other emotionally declaring their affection for each other, to the laughter of the audience. Their relationship is very much love-hate with each being brutally honest with the other, but at the end of the day still loving each other. Rosario affectionately calls Karen "mami" from time to time, when they're not trading insults. The only low points were when Karen lost Rosario in a bet to her arch nemesis Beverley Leslie and when Karen sacked Rosario after discovering she had hidden the truth about her husband Stanley Walker being alive. Rosario appeared in the last episode, with her final words to Karen being "Suck it, bitch!". In "Saving Grace, Again (2)" it is suggested that Karen uses Rosario as a horse or at least treats her like one because she asks Jack if "winter white is a good colour for Rosario's saddlebag
Saddlebag
Saddlebags are bags that are attached to saddles.-Horse riding:In horse riding, saddlebags sit in various positions, on the back, side, or front of the saddle. Most attach to the saddle by straps and ties. They can be made from various materials. Although leather was the traditional material, it is...
" and in "Cheatin' Trouble Blues", after climbing up numerous flights of stairs, said, "Well, if I'd known we were gonna do all this walking, I would've saddled up Rosario, like when we go to Greece!"
Gin
Karen has a sister named Gin, played by Bernadette PetersBernadette Peters
Bernadette Peters is an American actress, singer and children's book author from Ozone Park, Queens, New York. Over the course of a career that has spanned five decades, she has starred in musical theatre, films and television, as well as performing in solo concerts and recordings...
. According to Gin, Karen rigged a floorboard during a game of Twister
Twister
-Entertainment:* Twister , a comedy film starring Suzy Amis and Crispin Glover* Twister , a disaster film starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton** Twister...Ride it Out, a ride in Universal Studios Florida based on the film...
so she would fall through, hurt herself, and end her career in dance. Gin always mentions how one of her legs is now shorter than the other due to the incident. Later, Gin admitted she rigged the floorboard as a cry for attention.
Lois Whitley
Lois, played by Suzanne PleshetteSuzanne Pleshette
Suzanne Pleshette was an American actress, on stage, screen and television.After beginning her career in theatre, she began appearing in films in the early 1960s, such as Rome Adventure and Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds...
, is Karen's mother who appears in the episode "Someone Old, Someplace New". Jack is making a movie called the Mystery of Karen Walker and while making the movie he meets Lois. At the end of the episode Karen and Lois see each other for the first time in a many years. Karen says "I told you I never wanted to see you again." It is later revealed that Lois made a living as a con artist during Karen's childhood and adolescence, implementing Karen in many of her schemes. As a result of this unconventional upbringing, Karen decided to distance herself from her mother, presumably in an attempt to lead a more stable life. However, the fruit does not fall far from the tree, as Karen's long, colorful history of multiple marriages and desire to "throw the feds off" proves. Then in the next episode "Something Borrowed, Someone's Due" they forgive each other but Lois wants to do one more job. The job was "milking a poor man out of his hard-earned money" (he is also an invalid). The man however is not poor; he "shorted Enron
Enron
Enron Corporation was an American energy, commodities, and services company based in Houston, Texas. Before its bankruptcy on December 2, 2001, Enron employed approximately 22,000 staff and was one of the world's leading electricity, natural gas, communications, and pulp and paper companies, with...
at 54". Karen would appear to be a down-on-her-luck daughter who is so "slow" that she was a cheerleader who never stopped clapping. While doing this Karen makes her mom (Lois) sign a paper saying Lois will never pull another con with Karen again and Karen notarizes it because she is a legal notary from a Chicago job they once pulled. Karen just wants a mom who loves her not her cons. Karen is "slow" in this episode somewhere between Sean Penn
Sean Penn
Sean Justin Penn is an American actor, screenwriter and film director, also known for his political and social activism...
in I Am Sam
I Am Sam
I Am Sam is a 2001 American drama film written and directed by Jessie Nelson, and starring Sean Penn as a father with a developmental disability, Dakota Fanning as his inquisitive seven-year-old daughter, and Michelle Pfeiffer as his lawyer...
and Sean Penn "At home with his family". The job fails when the old man's daughter gets a restraining order on Lois; then Lois and Karen make amends.
Other rivals
Karen's arch rivals include, but are not limited to, Beverley Leslie (played by Leslie JordanLeslie Jordan
Leslie Allen Jordan is an American actor and playwright.- Early life and career :Hailing from Chattanooga, Tennessee, and at a height of 4 ft 11 in , Jordan has made numerous appearances in both film and television...
), Lorraine Finster (played by Minnie Driver
Minnie Driver
Minnie Driver is an English actress and singer-songwriter. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the 1997 film Good Will Hunting, as well as for an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe for her work in the television series The Riches.- Early life...
), Anita Bryant
Anita Bryant
Anita Jane Bryant is an American singer, former Miss Oklahoma beauty pageant winner, and gay rights opponent. She scored four Top 40 hits in the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including "Paper Roses", which reached #5...
, Candice Bergen
Candice Bergen
Candice Patricia Bergen is an American actress and former fashion model.She is known for starring in two TV series, as the title character on the situation comedy Murphy Brown , for which she won five Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards; and as Shirley Schmidt on the comedy-drama Boston Legal...
(who is also Karen's best friend, referring to running into her at a restaurant as "horrible-slash-delightful"), Marlo Thomas
Marlo Thomas
Margaret Julia “Marlo” Thomas is an American actress, producer, and social activist known for her starring role on the TV series That Girl . She also serves as National Outreach Director for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital...
(Karen hates her, but likes her husband, Phil Donahue
Phil Donahue
Phillip John "Phil" Donahue is an American media personality, writer, and film producer best known as the creator and host of The Phil Donahue Show. The television program, also known as Donahue, was the first to use a talk show format. The show had a 26-year run on U.S...
; Marlo and Phil apparently live in Karen's apartment building but never actually appear in the series). We once see Karen greeting an off-set Marlo at a party by shouting "Marlo Thomas—look at you! Vintage '60s with a plunging neckline—oh, and I love your dress, too, honey!" Further enemies include Scott Woolley (until he fell in love with her; played by Jeff Goldblum
Jeff Goldblum
Jeffrey Lynn "Jeff" Goldblum is an American actor. His career began in the mid-1970s and he has appeared in major box-office successes including The Fly, Jurassic Park and its sequel Jurassic Park: The Lost World, and Independence Day...
), Candace Pruitt (whom Karen refers to as "Candy" Pruitt; played by Christine Ebersole
Christine Ebersole
Christine Ebersole is an American actress and singer.-Early life:Ebersole was born in Winnetka, Illinois, where she attended New Trier High School...
), who once said that Karen's voice sounded "like someone strangling an old macaw
Macaw
Macaws are small to large, often colourful New World parrots. Of the many different Psittacidae genera, six are classified as macaws: Ara, Anodorhynchus, Cyanopsitta, Primolius, Orthopsittaca, and Diopsittaca...
", and Helena Barnes (played by Joan Collins
Joan Collins
Joan Henrietta Collins, OBE , is an English actress, author, and columnist. Born in Paddington and raised in Maida Vale, Collins grew up during the Second World War. At the age of nine, she made her stage debut in A Doll's House and after attending school, she was classically trained as an actress...
), who is a famous interior designer. Karen has a love-hate relationship with most of her rivals. She often openly insults or ridicules her enemies like Beverley Leslie, Candice Bergen
Candice Bergen
Candice Patricia Bergen is an American actress and former fashion model.She is known for starring in two TV series, as the title character on the situation comedy Murphy Brown , for which she won five Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards; and as Shirley Schmidt on the comedy-drama Boston Legal...
, and Candy Pruitt (and they do the same to her), while simultaneously thinking of them as her friends. Karen has a tendency to stumble upon becoming aware of her physical proximity to certain rivals. The most notable occurrence of this physical reaction occurs during her encounters with Beverley Leslie. While Lorraine Finster was a rival/stepdaughter, Karen would stumble when Lorraine shouted "Hello, Mother!".
Personality
With other staff and help, Karen is deliberately patronizing, referring to them solely by their title both in conversation and to their face: "Driver", "Butler", "Private Detective", "Pharmacist", "Back-Up Pharmacist", et cetera, and even refers to Will as Lawyer on occasion. She does this even when they are doing other jobs ("Cook sometimes cleans, Cleaner sometimes cooks, Driver sometimes provides an alibi ..."). This rude tone is not limited to her employees, as she looks down on or openly mocks most people she meets, even her friends. Karen is often cruel to her staff at home, training them to run when she enters a room. Other times she berates them, but somehow this comes across as an act of affection.Sometimes Karen unintentionally reveals to her friends a softer side that is carefully hidden. In one such incident, Karen's husband has an apparent heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
and may die. Karen discovers that her friends have placed a bet to see who can get her to cry first, so she elaborately punishes each of them by leading them on to think she might break down in their presence. In the end, it is revealed that it was not a heart attack but rather acute angina (angina pectoris), she then has an emotional breakdown over the incident, during which Grace stumbles in and subsequently consoles Karen. Another episode sees Karen and Jack in her mansion with her refusing to let him enter 'the forbidden room'. When Jack finally gains access he discovers it is a nursery which Karen had prepared during a pregnancy scare in an earlier season. Although she agrees to change the room into a liquor storage room, she quickly changes her mind and the audience sees her stony facade crumble. When Jack accidentally gave away her favorite shoes to charity she rushed to buy them back, but a poor looking woman had just found them. After negotiations (up to five) Karen started counting out $500 inside her purse until the woman exclaimed it was her lucky day for receiving a free $5. Karen then gave her just the $5 but then out of compassion gave the $500 as well. She tells Jack (who was with her) not to tell anyone about this.
Popularity
Karen's popularity on the show grew mostly from her one-liners, "zingers", and straight-forwardness. Karen's emotional complexity was wrapped in a façade of lack of interest in other people's problems, as well as a focus on her own selfishness and greed.Although her friends are cavalier about it, Karen is clearly an alcoholic and drug addict, often indulging in prescription pills and booze. She often (albeit casually) mentions taking street drugs or being under the influence of them. She hides bottles of vodka and wine in Grace's office and often refers to drinking her breakfast and lunch, implying that they consist of strong liquor. In one episode, she complains to Will about the way he approached her, saying: "You came in here all high-and-mighty ... acting all mighty, while I was high," and on another episode saying, "Oh, honey, you say potato, I say vodka," and to Ben Doucette (played by the late Gregory Hines
Gregory Hines
Gregory Oliver Hines was an American actor, singer, dancer and choreographer.-Early years:Born in New York City, Hines and his older brother Maurice started dancing at an early age, studying with choreographer Henry LeTang...
), Karen declares, "Honey, I'd suck the alcohol out of a deodorant
Deodorant
Deodorants are substances applied to the body to affect body odor caused by bacterial growth and the smell associated with bacterial breakdown of perspiration in armpits, feet and other areas of the body. A subgroup of deodorants, antiperspirants, affect odor as well as prevent sweating by...
stick." In the episode where Karen got a physical exam, the doctor (played by Jack Black
Jack Black
Jack Black , is an American actor and musician, notably of Tenacious D.Jack Black may also refer to:* Jack Black , late 19th - early 20th Century author and hobo* Jack Black , drummer for 1970s UK punk band The Boys...
) reads the chart listing medications she is on, revealing that she is taking every drug in the Merck Pharmaceutical catalogue. Following her exam, she asks Will to read it, and Will asks her: "What, are you afraid they might find blood in your alcohol?" In the episode "FYI, I Hurt, Too," she states that the subway is a good place "to buy mari
Marijuana (etymology)
"Marijuana", or "marihuana", etc., is a name for the drug cannabis, or for the cannabis plant from which it is made. The form marihuana is first attested in Mexican Spanish; it then spread to other varieties of Spanish and to English, French, and other languages.-Etymology:The term, originally...
-batteries", quickly changing it as a policeman walks by. In the second live episode, Karen's medicine cabinet opens with hundreds of pill bottles falling out. In the series finale, Karen drinks an entire bottle of vodka in one gulp, which Jack, Grace, and Will watch without much surprise. It is implied that her heart beats at an extremely slow rate (even though Jack once considered it to be "racing" at the time) and that she needs a new liver. Despite this, she appears to be in very good health.
Karen makes observations on others with an emotionless and often cruel eye. She once said to Jack, "Honey, you know what's really sad? Poor people with big dreams. Well, that's not so much sad as it is incredibly funny!" A recurring victim for her cruelty is a bartender named Smitty, who tells her tragic events in his life, such as being on his last day, his twin brother dying in a fire or having the childhood memory of his mother being killed in front of him, only to have her laugh in his face and thank him for cheering her up. She is also known for the excessive use of the word "honey" when conversing with people, for her "killer rack", and for being insanely rich.
Sexuality
Karen frequently implies that she's attracted to other women, and has hinted that she may have slept with members of the same sex. Several lines of dialogue have implied that Karen has bi-/homosexual tendenciesBisexuality
Bisexuality is sexual behavior or an orientation involving physical or romantic attraction to both males and females, especially with regard to men and women. It is one of the three main classifications of sexual orientation, along with a heterosexual and a homosexual orientation, all a part of the...
, and/or that she may be a male-to-female transsexual herself:
- She occasionally has semi-sexual encounters with Grace (mostly kissing and touching) at work. In one episode, Karen said (in reference to Grace), "I woke up with red hair on my pillow and lesbian porn in the VCR." (In Series 5, Episode 12, Grace says "I've kissed Karen more times than I can count")
- She had the above-mentioned relationship with the openly-lesbian Martina Navratilova (who was apparently straightHeterosexualityHeterosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the opposite sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, heterosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, physical or romantic attractions to persons of the opposite sex";...
before they met). - She was mocked by a roommate (MadonnaMadonna (entertainer)Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
) for her "weird bisexual vibe". - In a sixth-season episode, Karen said to a lesbianLesbianLesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
Realtor (Edie FalcoEdie FalcoEdith "Edie" Falco is an American television, film and stage actress, known for her roles in Oz as Diane Wittlesey, as Carmela Soprano on the HBO series The Sopranos, and as the titular character on the Showtime series Nurse Jackie...
), "Stay back, bulldozer, I'm engaged" to which she replied, "You were last time, too." - She makes passes at Diane (played by Mira SorvinoMira SorvinoMira Katherine Sorvino is an American actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Mighty Aphrodite and is also known for her role as Romy White in Romy and Michele's High School Reunion.- Early life :Sorvino was born in Tenafly, New Jersey...
), the only woman Will ever slept with, going so far as to walk up to Diane and say, "I like you—wanna make out?" (to which Diane uneasily replied, "I like you too ... let's see how the evening goes"). - In an episode where Karen and Grace are on their way home from VermontVermontVermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, they're holding hands after an emotional moment and Karen starts to caress her breasts with Grace's hand. When Grace pulls her hand away, Karen responds, "Sorry, something about Vermont." (Vermont was the first state to recognize civil unions) In the same episode, she requests a kiss from Grace every time they're about to go to sleep. Grace surprisingly asks for one in return, before Karen falls asleep in the car at the end of the episode. - Another episode hints that she had a lesbian experience with Candice BergenCandice BergenCandice Patricia Bergen is an American actress and former fashion model.She is known for starring in two TV series, as the title character on the situation comedy Murphy Brown , for which she won five Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards; and as Shirley Schmidt on the comedy-drama Boston Legal...
after they got drunk on sake. - She repeatedly alludes to lesbian experiences while a student at Sarah Lawrence CollegeSarah Lawrence CollegeSarah Lawrence College is a private liberal arts college in the United States, and a leader in progressive education since its founding in 1926. Located just 30 minutes north of Midtown Manhattan in southern Westchester County, New York, in the city of Yonkers, this coeducational college offers...
. - She implies that she had a relationship with Goldie HawnGoldie HawnGoldie Jeanne Hawn is an American actress, film director, producer, and occasional singer. Hawn is known for her roles in Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, Private Benjamin, Foul Play, Overboard, Bird on a Wire, Death Becomes Her, The First Wives Club, and Cactus Flower, for which she won the 1969...
. - She's been seen flirting with Rosario and suggesting they get together, to which Rosario responded, "Lady, quit trying to unhook my bra."
- In the final episode, Grace has a fantasy dream in which Karen and Rosario are married.
- She once said to Grace, "Okay, now let's put on some music and get those tops off." Grace replies, "Karen, you do know it's not that kind of girls' night," and Karen says suggestively, "We'll see ..."
- She said to Jack, "The last town we lived in, I fell in love with a boy. He had long blond hair, delicate features, soft skin ... at least I think it was a boy. Well, anyway, I was in love. And he or she loved me."
- When Jack and Karen went to Ohio to help Tommy come out of the closet, after Jack said that Tommy worked in the bowling alley as the guy who sprayed the shoes before renting them out, Karen says that when she was a boy, she worked at a supermarket. She realizes the trip-up and takes it back, declaring, "Did I say I was a boy? Cause I wasn't. I was a girl ..."
- She flirted with a teenage girl in Elliot's school, where she suggestively asks "How old is someone like you, 25? Ever been in a limo?" This event happened twice (season 4 and 6).
Karen's staff
This list is not complete; it has been stated by Grace in Season 7 Episode 19 "Sour Balls" that she has a staff of more than 30 people.Karen is particularly adamant about creating a distinction between herself and her staff. In one episode when she comes to answer the front door, she announces "I'm approaching!" or "I can see you", as she enters, and several maids evacuate the room. When Will signs on to work as Karen's lawyer, he asks her if she'd like to go to lunch, and she responds "Honey, I don't eat with the help." When Jack comes to live with Rosario in Karen's penthouse, he is disappointed by the view out of his window—Karen tells him "This is where the help stays." Jack is confused and explains, "But I'm not help." Karen firmly replies "You married help, you're help."
Maids
- RosarioRosario SalazarRosario Inés Consuelo Yolanda Salazar McFarland is a fictional character on the American television sitcom Will & Grace. She is played by actress Shelley Morrison...
- Karen's primary maid who does a great deal for Karen including hosing her out of bed in the morning. In episodes where Rosario is not seen, Karen often mentions, in an offhand way, making Rosario do more demeaning things, such as decorate a birthday cake with her teeth marks or kidnapping the dogs of Jack's nursing school teacher. In Season 3 Episode 9 "Lows In The Mid-Eighties", we see a flashback to how Karen met Rosario. - BodyguardBodyguardA bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
- In Season 4 Episode 2 "Past & Presents", Karen brings Bodyguard to work to protect her from Grace who threatened to 'kick her ass' because Karen trumped Grace's present to Nathan. (It seems there are at least 5 bodyguards on the staff because when Grace tells Karen she won't hurt her Karen says 'Down number 5' to the bodyguard who leaves) - Pedicurist/ManicuristPedicureA pedicure is a way to improve the appearance of the feet and the nails. It provides a similar service to a manicure. The word pedicure refers to superficial cosmetic treatment of the feet and toenails...
- In one episode Grace stays at Karen's house and has her toenails cleaned to their natural color by Karen's Pedicurist. In another episode, Karen is seen getting a manicure by a manicurist named Connie at work and is heard yelling at her "Not like that! I want them pointy like claws!". She also remarks to Rosario that Connie has a sander and could work on her "hooves" after her. - CookCook (servant)A cook is a household staff member responsible for food preparation. The term can refer to the head of kitchen staff in a great house or to the cook-housekeeper, a far less prestigious position involving more physical labour....
- In the episode "Secrets and Lays", Karen's Cook died and therefore cannot cook for them. Karen mentions his name was Paul. - DriverChauffeurA chauffeur is a person employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or limousine.Originally such drivers were always personal servants of the vehicle owner, but now in many cases specialist chauffeur service companies, or individual drivers provide...
- The elderly gentleman who is the Limo Driver. He is also seen in the final episode of season 5 as the captain of Karens boat. "Drive a car, drive a boat, drive a plane. As long as I'm drunk, what's the difference?" - Back-up Maid - Featured once in season five at Stans funeral. Karen uses the as line "I always like to keep a spare under the mat."
- Pastry ChefPastry chefA pastry chef or pâtissier is a station chef in a professional kitchen, skilled in the making of pastries, desserts, breads and other baked goods...
- a member of staff that Will thinks should be fired but is kept on staff as he sleeps with Karen and Will. He is however fired after Karen and Will learn he also sleeps with Rosario. The baker lines included "it was great sexing you now Karen and Will look forward to sexing you later."
Mentioned staff
- Helicopter PilotAviatorAn aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
- In Season 2 Episode 5 "Polk Defeats Truman", Karen calls Stan and asks for him to send the helicopter to rescue her from an outlet shopping mall. However, in Season 7 Episode 18 "The Fabulous Baker Boy", Will Truman fires Helicopter Pilot because as he says to Karen 'you don't own a helicopter'. - ButcherButcherA butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat or any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat, poultry, fish and shellfish for sale in retail or wholesale food establishments...
- Mentioned in Season 4 Episode 16 "A Chorus LieA Chorus Lie"A Chorus Lie" is the sixteenth episode of the American television series Will & Graces fourth season. It was written by Tracy Poust and Jon Kinnally and directed by series producer James Burrows. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company in the United States on February 7,...
" - Jeweler - Mentioned in Season 4 Episode 17 "Someone Old, Someplace New"
- BakerBakerA baker is someone who bakes and sells bread, Cakes and similar foods may also be produced, as the traditional boundaries between what is produced by a baker as opposed to a pastry chef have blurred in recent decades...
- Mentioned in Season 4 Episode 19 "Cheatin' Trouble Blues". He baked Will's parents an Anniversary cake. - Pants Hoister - Mentioned in Season 7 Episode 18 "The Fabulous Baker Boy"
- Mustard Spreader - Mentioned in Season 7 Episode 18 "The Fabulous Baker Boy"
- Plastic SurgeonPlastic surgeryPlastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
- Mentioned in Season 7 Episode 18 "The Fabulous Baker Boy". - Karen 2 - Mentioned in Season 7 Episode 19 "Sour Balls". Karen 2 is a woman who looks just like Karen in case one of the kids requires a hug from 'mom' in the middle of the night.
- Private investigatorPrivate investigatorA private investigator , private detective or inquiry agent, is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private detectives/investigators often work for attorneys in civil cases. Many work for insurance companies to investigate suspicious claims...
- who followed Stan back and forth to Krispy KremeKrispy KremeKrispy Kreme is the name of an international chain of doughnut stores that was founded by Vernon Rudolph in 1937 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The parent company of Krispy Kreme is Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc...
when Karen thought he was having an affair. - PharmacistPharmacistPharmacists are allied health professionals who practice in pharmacy, the field of health sciences focusing on safe and effective medication use...
(or Pharmy) - Back-Up Pharmacist (or Back-Up Pharmy)
- Optometrist
- Pain Killer Maker
- ButlerButlerA butler is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some also have charge of the entire parlour floor, and housekeepers caring for the entire house and its...
- Manicurist
She also includes Will as a member of her staff ("Lawyer") at times and has also had Picasso working for her.
Karen mentions that her staff are interchangeable, "Cook sometimes cleans, Cleaner sometimes cooks, Driver sometimes provides an alibi." When Karen tells her high-society friends that Will is her "whore", he leaves the charity event stating, "You should ask someone else, like Butcher, or Baker, or Pain-Killer Maker!"
After Will & Grace
Walker's persona has appeared in advertisements for The Megan Mullally ShowThe Megan Mullally Show
The Megan Mullally Show is an American talk show hosted by Megan Mullally that debuted in syndication on September 18, 2006, and was cancelled in January 2007 due to its low ratings. Early promotions for the program featured Mullally as herself and as her Will & Grace character, Karen Walker...
, which debuted in September 2006 and which was canceled in January 2007. In one, Karen asks Megan to take her along. In another, Karen tries to pass for Megan at a meeting with studio executives until she is caught by Mullally and they begin to physically struggle with each other.
Mullally once again donned a Walker persona in an episode of The Megan Mullally Show which featured Andy Dick
Andy Dick
Andrew R. "Andy" Dick is an American comedian, actor, musician and television/film producer. His first regular television role was on the short-lived but highly influential Ben Stiller Show. In the mid-1990s, he had a long-running stint on NBC's NewsRadio...
. Mullally in a "Karen Walker voice", "I hurt his feelings, that was fun!"
Karen: The Musical
It has been announced that Megan MullallyMegan Mullally
Megan Mullally is an American actress and singer.After working in the theatre in Chicago, Mullally moved to Los Angeles in 1985 and began to appear in supporting roles in film and television productions. She made her Broadway debut in Grease in 1994 and she has since appeared in several Broadway...
will be starring in a new Broadway musical entitled Karen: The Musical. This musical will be the "Return of Karen Walker". Mullally said the show is currently being written and composed. She said the premise for the show, at the moment, is that Karen decides for a variety of hilarious reasons to do a Broadway show called Karen: The Musical. She also said in an interview that the show may involve Will & Grace recurring guest star Leslie Jordan
Leslie Jordan
Leslie Allen Jordan is an American actor and playwright.- Early life and career :Hailing from Chattanooga, Tennessee, and at a height of 4 ft 11 in , Jordan has made numerous appearances in both film and television...
, reprising his role as Beverley Leslie. The show will reportedly present never-before-seen sides of Karen and will also showcase Mullally's skills as a musical theatre actress, which may not have been known to many Will & Grace fans.
Other aspects of Karen
- In the very first Will & Grace episode, Karen did not speak with her usual high and squeaky voice. Her voice did not change until subsequent episodes.
- Karen's bra size is 34C.
- Karen has a sister named Gin (Virginia, played by Bernadette PetersBernadette PetersBernadette Peters is an American actress, singer and children's book author from Ozone Park, Queens, New York. Over the course of a career that has spanned five decades, she has starred in musical theatre, films and television, as well as performing in solo concerts and recordings...
), whom she injured during a game of TwisterTwister (game)Twister is a game of physical skill produced by Hasbro Games. It is played on a large plastic mat that is spread on the floor or ground. The mat has four rows of large colored circles on it with a different color in each row: red, yellow, blue, and green. A spinner is attached to a square board...
in 1963.
- She once said that she's almost 200 years old.
- Karen’s "drag" name is Shu Shu Fontana.
- Karen and Jack once owned a horse named Lamar, who turned out to be gay.
- While Karen was backpacking through Japan, Viet Nam and Boutan between her second and third marriage, she was spotted by an advertising company while worshiping in the golden temple of Kyoto. She did a commercial for a drink made of 22% nicotine in Japan. When people discovered that nicotine was lethal, they replaced it with baby laxative and asked Karen to do the second commercial. She refused and has regretted it ever since because "You're never closer to God than when you're on TV." She's still very popular amongst the Japanese people.
- Karen has had salespeople fired for various reasons, such as "She had a gray tooth."
- Karen once reported that there were pictures printed in Penthouse of herself and Vanessa L. WilliamsVanessa L. WilliamsVanessa Lynn Williams is an American pop-R&B recording artist, producer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America, but a scandal generated by her having posed for nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine...
making out.
- Karen eats her morning cereal with Bailey's.
- Karen has an alias, "Anastasia Beaverhausen", which she uses when she wishes not to identify herself in suggestive areas, such as taco restaurants and a Banana Republic where she passed a bad check.
- Karen calls every waiter who serves her in bars "Smitty".
- Karen was cloned, but none of the clones survived. ("Prison Blues" S4)
- She is often out of touch with reality and tells stories from her past that are actually plots of famous books or movies, including HeidiHeidiHeidi is a Swiss work of fiction, published in two parts as Heidi's years of learning and travel and Heidi makes use of what she has learned.It is a novel about the events in the life of a young girl in her grandfather's care, in the Swiss Alps...
, Speed, To Sir, With LoveTo Sir, with LoveTo Sir, With Love is a 1967 British drama film starring Sidney Poitier that deals with social and racial issues in an inner city school. James Clavell both directed and wrote the film's screenplay, based on the semi-autobiographical novel of the same name by E. R. Braithwaite.The film's title song...
, and Norma RaeNorma RaeNorma Rae is a 1979 American drama film that tells the story of a factory worker from a small town in North Carolina, who becomes involved in the labor union activities at the textile factory where she works...
.
- Whenever she becomes worried, confused, or panicked, she has a tendency to ask three questions at the same time. The three questions could be: "Honey, what's that? What's going on? What's happening?" or "What's going on? What's happening?" (question relating to situation), or in one instance, "¿Qué? ¿Quí? ¿Dónde?"
- Karen divorced her fourth husband, Lyle Finster, at their wedding reception because she had to give up too much for him (a list of which he presented in a toast) and she didn't like being called "Mrs. Finster". She later found out her third husband Stanley Walker was still alive, thus ruling her marriage to Lyle invalid.
- Karen has fake hair that gets ripped off in many episodes, always shocking Karen. She then fights to get it back.
- Megan Mullally has said in interviews that she has frequently been approached by fans while grocery shopping, some of whom tell her, "My friends tell me I'm just like Karen," to which she said she replies, "Oh, honey, take stock of your life, because that's not a compliment!"
- Grace discovers and shares with Will a sado-masochist pornographicPornographyPornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
movie starring Karen. Although no images are shown, the movie seems to feature Karen humiliating and whipping a man in a sexual manner. Karen later concedes that she starred in the movie because she needed money after college, and Grace retrieves and returns to Karen nearly all 50 copies of the movie from adult video stores around Manhattan (although Grace keeps a copy for herself).
- She likes mint MilanosMilano (cookie)Milano cookies are a trademarked dessert manufactured by Pepperidge Farm as part of their series of "European" cookies. Each cookie consists of a thin layer of rich chocolate sandwiched between two biscuit cookies....
, and allows herself to have one a day.
- Karen does not do her own laundry and probably never wears the same thing twice. She once claimed that "poor people are clever" after seeing a laundromat for the first time.
- She once thought she was pregnant and had a liquor storage closet (one of many in the Walker penthouse) turned into a baby's room.