Megan Mullally is an American actress who played Karen Walker on Will & Grace.
Karen Walker
Casting
Mullally initially auditioned for the role of Grace Adler and admittedly did not even notice another female character to audition for.[1] Upon reading the script again, she was reluctant to audition for Karen because the part seemed too similar to Christine Baranski's character Maryann Thorpe on the 90s sitcom Cybill and Baranski already played the character well.[2][1]
Portrayal
Mullally's portrayal of the otherwise unlikable character gained critical acclaim and she was nominated consistently at the Primetime Emmy Awards and the SAG Awards from 2000 to 2006. Her popularity among audiences became evident that Mullally played the character several times outside of the show, and at one point was even considered for a spin-off (with Jack) and a musical of her own.[3]
Karen's voice
One of Karen's most distinct characteristics was her squeaky high-pitched voice Mullally made up for the show. Mullally used her real speaking voice with Karen during the pilot only, fearing she might get fired immediately if she added that quirk on her portrayal right away[1]. She has stated in interviews that as the series progressed, her portrayal of Karen's voice naturally became more high-pitched.
Awards and Nominations
Year | Award | Category | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2000 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Won |
Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (with Sean Hayes, Eric McCormack, and Debra Messing) | Won | |
2001 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | Nominated |
Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |
Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series | Won | |
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (with Hayes, McCormack, and Messing) | Nominated | ||
2002 | Teen Choice Award | Choice TV Comedy Actress | Nominated |
Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | Nominated | |
Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |
Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series | Won | |
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (with Hayes, McCormack, and Messing) | Nominated | ||
2003 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | Nominated |
Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |
Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series | Won | |
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (with Hayes, McCormack, and Messing) | Nominated | ||
2004 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | Nominated |
Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |
Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (with Hayes, McCormack, and Messing) | Nominated | ||
2005 | People’s Choice Award | Favorite Female TV Performer | Nominated |
Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |
Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |
2006 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Won |
Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series | Nominated |
Notes
- Mullally won the most Emmy out of the main cast with two during its entire run. She won on the first and last seasons.
- Mullally appeared as Karen and as herself in promoting The Megan Mullally show. She also appeared as Karen during the 2005 Emmy awards, singing The Green Acres theme song with Donald Trump, becoming the only character to be portrayed outside of the show.
Media
External links
- Official website
- Megan Mullally on Facebook
- Megan Mullally at the Internet Broadway Database
- Megan Mullally at the Internet Movie Database
- Megan Mullally at AllMovie
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Will And Grace Premiere (NBC) Megan Mullally #1
- ↑ Will & Grace: Season One – Interviews with the Cast (DVD). Lions Gate Entertainment. 2003.
- ↑ Movies News Desk (September16, 2009) The Return of Karen Walker in KAREN: THE MUSICAL, MetroSource's Q&A with Megan Mullally.