by Luis Reyes

Natalie Morales (Parks and Recreation) is currently playing the title role of in the new NBC multi-camera sitcom Abby’s, a former marine who runs a neighborhood bar from the backyard of her San Diego, California residence. Created by Josh Malmuth, Abby’s can be seen on Thursdays at 8:30 P.M. on NBC. who executive produces with Michael Schur,

This is Morales first major lead role in a broadcast network television series and not only is she Latina, she is openly queer. The series is a bold step for network television which is now trying to be diverse, inclusive and representative of contemporary America.  Abby’s has been compared by critics to the classic seventies bar comedy Cheers.

Morales recently talked to Lulu Garcia Navarro in an interview on NPR about her role in Abby’s:

“I think I separate the idea of representation on television with me personally representing. If I’m representing anything, it’s the idea that I can be whoever I am in public, right?

I think it is a huge, huge deal to have a lead character of a television show be bisexual on the show, and especially the fact that the show isn’t about that. It is — her sexuality is just a part of her like it is a part of all of us. And I think that that’s really amazing. I mean, it’s important to me to tell stories about marginalized people that aren’t necessarily always about how they are marginalized. But it’s just as important to show a bisexual woman who’s thriving, and happy, and living her life, and has friends who love her.”

Morales is also a director of over a half dozen short films, which she has parlayed to directing one of HBO’s Room 104 episodes, a series produced by the Duplass Brothers Productions.

Born and raised in Miami Florida. Morales’s recent film credits include Battle of the Sexes opposite Emma Stone and Sony’s Oscar-winning Spiderman: into the Spiderverse. The actress recurred on Aaron Sorkin’s HBO series The Newsroom as well as on Parks and Recreation. She voices the character of Yolanda Buenaventura on Netflix’s popular animated series Bojack Horseman.

Michael Schur executive produces along with Malmuth. Morales stars alongside Nelson Franklin, Neil Flynn, Jessica Chaffin, Kimia Behpoornia and Leonard Ouzts. Brigitte Munoz-Liebowitz is a supervising producer on Abby’s.