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Megan Mullally (born November 12, 1958, in Los Angeles, California) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and voice artist, best known for her two-time Emmy-winning portrayal of Karen Walker on the NBC sitcom Will & Grace.1 She contributed to the Ghostbusters franchise as a guest voice actor on Extreme Ghostbusters, appearing in the episode "The True Face of a Monster."2
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Mullally is the only child of Martha Palmer and Carter Mullally Jr., who had been a Paramount Pictures contract player during the 1950s. When she was six years old, the family relocated to Oklahoma City, her father's home state. She began studying ballet at that same age and performed with the Oklahoma City Ballet throughout her high school years. She also trained at the prestigious School of American Ballet in New York City.1
After graduating from Casady School in Oklahoma City, Mullally enrolled at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, where she majored in English literature and art history. During her sophomore year she began performing in Chicago's downtown theater scene; by her junior year she was appearing in eight productions a week. She left Northwestern before finishing her degree to pursue acting full-time.1
Mullally made her Broadway debut in 1994 playing Marty in the revival of Grease.1 The following year she appeared as Rosemary opposite Matthew Broderick in the 1995 revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.1 In 2007 she starred as Elizabeth in Mel Brooks' original Broadway musical Young Frankenstein. Later stage work includes It's Only a Play (2014-2015) alongside Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, and Guys and Dolls at Carnegie Hall (2014). She met her future husband Nick Offerman while both were performing in The Berlin Circle in 2000.1
Mullally's television career began with a regular role on The Ellen Burstyn Show in 1986.1 She accumulated guest appearances on Seinfeld, Frasier, and Mad About You throughout the 1990s, and notably auditioned for the role of Elaine Benes on Seinfeld in 1989, a part that ultimately went to Julia Louis-Dreyfus.1
Her defining role arrived in 1998 when she was cast as Karen Walker, the sharp-tongued, pill-popping socialite assistant on NBC's Will & Grace. The show ran for eight seasons (1998-2006) and was revived for three additional seasons (2017-2020). Mullally received eight consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for the role, winning in 2000 and 2006.1 She also received four Golden Globe nominations and won three consecutive Screen Actors Guild Awards (2002, 2003, and 2004), becoming the first of only two actresses to win that award three years running in the same category.3
Other notable television roles include Tammy Swanson II, the scheming ex-wife of Ron Swanson, in Parks and Recreation (eight episodes); a recurring adoption case worker in 30 Rock; Dana Hartz in Happy Endings (2011-2013); and Jean in season four of The Umbrella Academy (2024), in which she appeared alongside her husband Nick Offerman.1 She has also hosted her own talk show, The Megan Mullally Show (2006-2007).
Mullally's film debut was a small role in Risky Business (1983).1 Her film credits span four decades, including About Last Night (1986), Blue Velvet (1986), Anywhere but Here (1999), the Fame remake (2009), Smashed (2012), The Kings of Summer (2013, co-starring Offerman), Why Him? (2016), Dicks: The Musical (2023), and The Fabulous Four (2024).
Mullally has a substantial voice-acting career in animation and audio projects. Television voice credits include Aunt Gayle in Bob's Burgers, Sarah Wiggum in The Simpsons, and work on Batman: The Animated Series and King of the Hill.1 Feature voice credits include Bee Movie (2007) and Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015).
Mullally performs in musical and cabaret settings as a singer. She and Stephanie Hunt formed the band Nancy and Beth in 2012; the group performed at Lincoln Center's American Songbook Series in 2019 and toured Australia.1 She was also a member of the Supreme Music Program, releasing three albums: The Sweetheart Break-In, Big as a Berry, and Free Again!
Mullally guest-voiced on Extreme Ghostbusters, the 1997 animated series that continued the Ghostbusters franchise, in the episode "The True Face of a Monster," voicing the character of the Librarian.2 The episode centers on a golem, drawn from Jewish folklore, that is summoned in defense of a Jewish community center, and touches on themes of antisemitism and vigilante justice.4
Mullally married talent agent Michael Katcher in 1992; they divorced in 1996.1 She met actor Nick Offerman in 2000 while both were performing in The Berlin Circle in Los Angeles and they married in 2003.1 The couple has collaborated professionally on multiple projects, including Parks and Recreation, The Kings of Summer, Smashed, and The Umbrella Academy. They co-authored The Greatest Love Story Ever Told (Dutton, 2018), which became a New York Times Bestseller, and co-hosted the podcast "In Bed with Nick and Megan" beginning in 2019.1
"Megan Mullally," Wikipedia, accessed 2026-06-13, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megan_Mullally ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15 ↩16
IMDb, "'Extreme Ghostbusters' True Face of a Monster" (1997), https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0574549/ (accessed 2026-06-13). Megan Mullally credited as Librarian. ↩ ↩2
"List of awards and nominations received by Megan Mullally," Wikipedia, accessed 2026-06-13, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Megan_Mullally ↩
Extreme Ghostbusters, "The True Face of a Monster" (Adelaide Productions / Columbia TriStar Television, 1997). Season 1, Episode 3. Original air date: September 3, 1997. ↩