Originally from Charlotte, NC, Karen earned a BA Degree in Theatre and Film from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She made her Broadway debut as "Polly Baker" in the Tony-award-winning musical Crazy For You. Over the years she has worked on numerous television and film projects opposite actors Guy Pearce, Alec Baldwin, Elizabeth Banks, Donnie Wahlberg, Leighton Meester, Jerry Orbach, Benjamin Bratt, Amy Ryan, Shaquille O'Neal and Jack Quaid among others.