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Kali Rocha
Kali75
Biographical Information
Gender: Female
Date of birth: December 5, 1971
Age: 52
Nationality: American
Hometown: Memphis, Tennessee, USA
Occupation(s): Actress
Years active: 1996-present
Official Twitter: @kalimrocha
Role: Karen Rooney
Gallery for Kali Rocha

Kali Michele Rocha (born December 5, 1971) is an American actress. She portrayed Karen Rooney, the mother of four Rooney children and model in the Disney Channel Original comedy series, Liv and Maddie.

Biography

Early life

Rocha was born in Memphis, Tennessee and grew up in Providence, Rhode Island, graduating from Carnegie Mellon School of Drama in 1993.

Career

Rocha is best known to comedic audiences as the Atlantic American flight attendant who had a humorous fight with Ben Stiller's character at the airport in the 2000 hit comedy Meet the Parents (a role she reprised in the sequel Meet the Fockers. She also recurred memorably on Buffy the Vampire Slayer as Anya's vengeance demon pal, Halfrek, as well as William the Bloody's love affection, Cecily. The two characters are considered the same person. Rocha played Stonewall Jackson's wife, Anna in Ron Maxwell's Gods and Generals, an epic drama about the first two years of the American Civil War. Other films include The Crucible (her big-screen debut), White Oleander, The Object of My Affection, and Ready? OK!.

In 2000, Rocha created the role of Cybil in Nicky Silver's off-Broadway comedy "The Altruists," starring alongside Eddie Cahill, Veanne Cox, and Sam Robards.[1] In the same year, Rocha co-wrote a screenplay called "Space Station 76," a parody of existentialist science fiction movies of the early-1970's intended to be shown on Comedy Central. Other writers included Jennifer Elise Cox, Sam Pancake, Jack Plotnick, and Michael Stoyanov. The script was shelved for several years then released as a straight-to-video movie in 2014. In the original script, the main female lead character was intended to be for Kali but instead went to Liv Tyler.[2]


She has appeared on the Will and Grace episode "Strangers With Candice", as a straight woman who flirted with Will. In spring 2006, Rocha played the principal in the short-lived NBC sitcom Teachers. Kali guest-starred in on the February 20, 2007, episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Cindy Marino, an aggressive TV reporter. Also, she appeared on an episode of Bones as a victim's mother. Notably, Rocha plays the character of a fourth-year resident surgeon, Dr. Sydney Heron, at Seattle Grace Hospital in the hit ABC TV series Grey's Anatomy. She was the first of the Buffyverse alums to appear in the Grey's Anatomy/Private Practice universe, including Seth Green, J. August Richards, Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof, Nicholas Brendon, and a few others.

In 2009, Rocha appeared with fellow Buffy the Vampire Slayer alum Emma Caulfield in the film TiMER.

Rocha starred in the first and only season of Sherri starring Sherri Shepherd from "The View" which was loosely based on Shepherd's life. Rocha played Summer, Sherri's boss, and eventual friend. It aired on the Lifetime Network.

Personal life

In January 2008, Rocha announced that she was pregnant. She gave birth to her first child on August 4, 2008, and her second on January 25, 2011.

Credits

Filmography

Year Title Role
1996 The Crucible Mercy Lewis
1997 Liberty! The American Revolution Eliza Wilkinson
1998 The Love Letter (TV movie) Flossy Whitcomb
1998 The Object of My Affection Melissa Marx
2000 Autumn in New York Shannon
2000 Meet the Parents Atlantic American Flight Attendant
2001 When Billie Beat Bobby (TV movie) Connie
2002 White Oleander Susan Valeris
2003 Platonically Incorrect (TV movie)
2003 Gods and Generals Anna Morrison Jackson
2004 Stuck (short) Sasha
2004 Meet the Fockers Flight Attendant
2005 Confessions of an Action Star Beth
2005 Family Plan (TV movie) Stacy
2005 29th and Gay HIV Nurse
2005 Bam Bam and Celeste Angela
2005 Seagull Kali
2006 Falling for Grace Carla
2006 Ira & Abby Tracy
2007 The Call (TV movie) Wendy 'the Wolf' Wolfram
2007 Dead Write Samantha
2007 Ripple Effect Alex
2008 Over Her Dead Body Angel
2008 Ready? OK! Halle Hinton
2008 John's Hand (short) Terry
2009 TiMER Matchmaker Patty
2009 Stolen Coral
2010 Video Night (video short) Kali
2010 Buried 911 Operator (voice)
2011 Serenity House (short) Marnie
2011 Mr. Stache (short) Narrator
2012 Black Briefs (video) Kali (segment "Video Night")
2012 Brake 911 Operator
2012 Puppy Love (TV movie) Gail
2014 Space Station 76 Donna
2015 The Loft Mimi Landry
2016 Lend a Hand for Love (short) Ernestine

Television work

Year Title Role
2001 The Weber Show Sophie (Episode "...And Then Jack Had Two Dates")
2001 Becker Kayla (Episode "Psycho Therapy")
2002 Family Law Kelly Gilbert
2000-2002 Buffy the Vampire Slayer Halfrek / Cecily Addams
2002 Hack Joyce
2003 Crossing Jordan Felix Tate
2003 Will & Grace Stephanie (Episode "Strangers with Candice")
2005 Without a Trace Liz Murray
2006 Teachers. Principal Emma Wiggins
2006 Bones Jackie Swanson (Episode "The Girl with the Curl")
2006 Standoff Leanne Benson
2007 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Cindy Marino (Episode "Haystack")
2007 Boston Legal Allison Lovejoy
2006-2007 Grey's Anatomy Dr. Sydney Heron
2008 Notes from the Underbelly Paige Bartlett
2009 Monk Maria Scheter (Episode "Mr. Monk Fights City Hall")
2009 Sherri Summer Dickie
2010 $#*! My Dad Says Roberta
2011 Drop Dead Diva Dr. Audrey Foley
2011 The Exes Deanna
2012 Modern Family Party Planner (Episode "Leap Day")
2012 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Ms. Fowler (Episode "Altered Stakes")
2013 Bits and Pieces (unaired pilot) Jodi
2013-2017 Liv and Maddie Karen Rooney
2016-2020 Man With a Plan Marcy Burns (recurring character, S1 and 2; regular cast, S3 and 4)

Trivia

  • She enjoyed filming with the cast every day, and said it's so much fun.
  • She likes watching BBC's "Downton Abbey", just like her character, Karen.
  • She is a very experienced actress and has been in a lot of TV shows and movies.
  • She has cowritten at least four episodes of Liv and Maddie with Jonathan McClain (BFF-A-Rooney, Neighbors-A-Rooney, Vive-La-Rooney, and Tiny House-A-Rooney) who played Liam, the Vuuugle supervisor on the Disney Channel sitcom "Bizaardvark."

Gallery

Liv & Maddie Season 4 Promotional Photo
To view the Kali Rocha gallery, click here.


References

External links

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