Supporting characters on Will & Grace

This is a list of the supporting or recurring characters and guest stars on the NBC situation comedy Will & Grace, with information on each of them.

Supporting characters

Family members

Grace's family

Will's family

Karen's family

Rosario Inez Consuela Yolanda Salazar

Karen Walker's put-upon but faithful maid portrayed by actress Shelley Morrison. In 1985, Rosario met Karen Walker at a club, while working as a cigarette lady, and went to work for her as a maid, which was where she was working when the series began in 1998. Rosario and Karen are very close, but their relationship is love-hate. They are notorious for swapping insults back and forth. Rosario is just as feisty as Karen, and is one of the few people who manage to go toe-to-toe with her. A native of El Salvador, Rosario was a school teacher who received a bachelor's degree in clinical psychology from the University of Texas and who almost got a master's degree. She also attended business school. At some point, she moved to the Bronx, presumably while studying business, however, Karen makes a comment, that she bought Rosario from Rosario's parents. While there, she also performed with a then-unknown Jennifer Lopez, including a production of "Tea for Two" at the Shalom Retirement Center. At one point, she was also paid to tape pornographic videos for Tommy Lee. Although she had been mentioned by Karen since the pilot episode, Rosario's first appearance was in the season-one finale. Due to Karen's patronizing tone, we're made to think she doesn't speak English well. Rosario actually speaks English fluently albeit with a thick accent, but is an illegal alien. To keep her in the country, Karen has her marry Jack McFarland, her gay friend, to get her green card. The marriage was later terminated at the end of season two, when Rosario asked for a divorce to pursue other romantic interests. However, she maintained a close relationship with Jack after (often echoing hers with Karen) and claimed to still think of him as family. In the show's series finale, Rosario was shown to have lived with Karen and Jack in the years after the show ended, growing older with them and possibly still working for them despite being in a wheelchair (though she states that she is only in the wheelchair due to a sprained ankle).

Jack's family

Friends

Love interests

Grace

Will

Karen

Jack

Other supporting characters

Guest stars playing one-time characters

  • Shohreh Aghdashloo, as Pam, an incompetent Iranian hired by Grace who she then fires upon realizing Pam is Jewish and thus she 'doesn't owe (her) anything'.
  • Rosanna Arquette, as Julie, a masseuse who lives in the same building as Leo and Grace.
  • Jason Biggs, as Baby Glenn, a former local celebrity and a guest at Will's auction.
  • Roscoe Lee Browne, as Linus, owner of a landmark gay bookstore about to be turned into a gym.
  • Jack Black (uncredited), as Dr. Isaac Hershberg. He examines Karen and is also the brother of the occasionally seen nurse Sheila, played by show writer and Black's girlfriend at the time, Laura Kightlinger.
  • Richard Chamberlain, as Clyde, an elderly man who Will brings to game night, much to Grace's chagrin
  • Glenn Close, as Fannie Lieber (a play on celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz), a noted photographer who takes Will and Grace's picture.
  • Joan Collins, as Helena Barnes, a designer with whom Grace competes for a job, and a nemesis of Karen's.
  • Macaulay Culkin, as Jason Towne, a lawyer representing Karen in her divorce from Stan.
  • Tim Curry, as Marion Finster, Lyle Finster's brother.
  • Matt Damon, as Owen, Jack's heterosexual rival, pretending to be gay to vie for a spot in the Manhattan Gay Men's Chorus.
  • Kristin Davis, as Nadine, Vince's straight female friend – the same as Grace is to Will.
  • Ellen DeGeneres, as Sister Louise, a nun to whom Will sells Grace's uncle's old car.
  • Michael Douglas, as Gavin Hatch, a somewhat closeted gay police detective who becomes attracted to Will and has issues with seeing food stuck in people's teeth.
  • Christine Ebersole, as Candy Pruitt, another of Karen's rivals.
  • Edie Falco, as Deirdre, one of a pair of lesbian real-estate "flippers".
  • Victor Garber, as Peter Bovington, a former actor now working as a doorman.
  • Andy García, as Milo, a restaurateur, and lover of Karen's, who fails to phone Karen after their date and is confronted by Grace.
  • Sara Gilbert, as Cheryl who, like Will, is a Barry Manilow fanatic, a.k.a. "fanilow".
  • Seth Green, as Randall Finn, a former child star.
  • Clark Gregg, as Cameron, Jack's wealthy boyfriend who becomes Grace's client.
  • Neil Patrick Harris, as Bill, the leader of a group of so-called "former" lesbians and gays.
  • Alex Kapp Horner, as Alice Robinson, one of Grace's former classmates.
  • Peter Jacobson, as Paul Budnik, an overbearing guy who Will dates but is more fond of his dog.
  • Stacy Keach, as Wendell Schacter, a former colleague of Jack's who usurps his acting class.
  • Michele Lee, as Lucille, one of the lesbians who ended up dancing with both Will & Jack.
  • Hal Linden, as Alan Mills, an elderly gay man who befriends Will and bestows expensive gifts upon him.
  • Natasha Lyonne, as Gillian, Grace's intern who decides to turn into the spitting image of Karen.
  • Madonna, as Liz, Karen's room-mate.
  • Lee Majors, as Burt Wolfe, a friend of Grace's father.
  • Camryn Manheim, as Psychic Sue.
  • Jason Marsden, as Kim, a friend of Leo's.
  • Dylan McDermott, as Tom, a boyfriend of Will's who is very closely attached to his elderly mother.
  • Julian McMahon, guy in an elevator who Grace flirts with.
  • Demi Moore, as Sissy, Jack's former babysitter.
  • Sharon Osbourne, as a bartender in No Sex N' in the City.
  • Peter Paige, as a gay Immigration and Naturalization Service officer whom Jack tries to convince his marriage with Rosario is real.
  • Scott Patterson, as Grace's former high school crush in "Das Boob".
  • Sara Paxton, as Melanie, the head cheerleader at Elliot's school.
  • Luke Perry, as Aaron, a "hot gay nerd" bird-watcher on whom Jack develops a crush.
  • Jeremy Piven, as Nicholas, Grace's ex. who asks Grace if she wants to join him in a threesome with his current lover.
  • Chita Rivera, as Lenore, one of the lesbians who ended up dancing with Will & Jack.
  • Brandon Routh, as Sebastian, a stud whom Alan Mills replaces Will with, after the two have a falling out over Will's misinterpretation of their relationship.
  • Chloë Sevigny, as Monet, a wealthy bi-sexual real-estate agent who falls for Will.
  • Nicollette Sheridan, as Dr. Danielle Morty, a fellow doctor who wanted Leo sexually.
  • Jamie-Lynn Sigler, as Ro, Vince's lesbian sister.
  • Britney Spears, as Amber Louise, a conservative Christian and a "hardcore lesbian" as she describes herself, and a co-host to Jack on his talk show.
  • Wendie Jo Sperber, as April, Grace's short-lived housekeeper.
  • Sharon Stone, as Georgia Keller, Will and Grace's therapist.
  • Larry Sullivan, as Robert, Will's ballet dancing boyfriend on the holiday episode "Jingle Balls".
  • Wanda Sykes, as Cricket, a woman Karen offers to pay to deliver a child for her.
  • Tamlyn Tomita, as Naomi, half of the couple that takes Will and Grace out all night.
  • Rip Torn, as Lionel Banks, a man with whom Karen almost cheats on Stan with during his incarceration.
  • Stuart Townsend, as Edward, Karen's pansexual pastry chef, who ends up "sexing" Will, Karen, and Rosario.
  • Tracey Ullman, as Anne, the instructor of a couples cooking class that Will, Jack, and Jack's boyfriend Stuart attend.
  • Steve Valentine, as Kai, half of the couple that takes Will and Grace out all night.
  • Steven Webber, as Will's brother
  • Nick Offerman, as a plumber that Karen has sex with on Thanksgiving when Stan asks her to be sexually active while he is still in jail.
  • Michael McDonald (comedian), as a Don, a student in a cooking class Will takes and dates his brother.
  • Kathryn Joosten, as the owner to a cabin Grace finds money in.

Guest stars playing themselves

References

  1. ↑ Grace Expectations, Entertainment Weekly, November 3, 2003
  2. ↑ Vince says "He's [Ben] looking more like you [Will] everyday" during the Finale.