Karen was Playmate of the Month for March 1982. Her pictorial was titled Siren of the Sea.
Karen was born Dec. 13, 1961, in Long Beach, CA. She began acting as a teen and graduated from Long Beach Millikan High School. As a psychobiology student in college, she took an acting class and also modeled for Playboy.
Following her Playmate of the Month pictorial, Karen appeared in several newsstand specials, Playboy videos, and participated in some events at the Playboy Mansion. She was among the Playmates featured in the pictorial The First Playmate Play-Offs in March 1983.
Karen is quoted in “The Playmate Book: Five Decades of Centerfolds” as saying, “I was studying psychophysiology in college when I did Playboy, but after my centerfold I started being offered roles, so I decided to take lessons – and just loved it.” She went on to a successful acting career.
She played Tina Lord Roberts on the soap opera “One Life to Live” for four years and was a regular on the Showtime show “Bedtime” (1996). She did may guest spots on television shows, acted in a number of movies and did some 60 commercials.
Karen married producer Chuck Lorre in 2001; they divorced in 2010.
Karen later became involved spiritual healing and in teaching people how to love unconditionally. She became a life coach, made made guided meditations and has written three books on spiritual healing.
Digital | Video | Publicity | Later in life
Playboy appearances:
- Playmate of the Month pictorial, Siren of the Sea, March 1982
- Dear Playboy, June 1982
- Subscription ad, November 1982
- Playboy Video, December 1982
- Playboy’s Playmate Review, January 1983
- Playmates’ Progress, January 1983
- The First Playmate Play-Offs, March 1983
- Sex Stars 1991, December 1991
- Playmate News, March 1998
- Playmate News, March 2012
Covers:
Calendars:
NSS:
- Bathing Beauties, 1989
- Blondes, Brunettes & Redheads, 1985
- Book of Lingerie, 1984
- Book of Lingerie, January-February 1989
- Book of Lingerie, May-June 1989
- Calendar Playmates, 1992
- Celebrating Centerfolds Vol. 1, 1998
- Facts & Figures, 1997
- Girls of Summer 2, 1984
- Girls of Summer, 1986
- Girls of Summer ‘88, 1988
- Holiday Girls, 1987
- Playmates – The Second Fifteen Years, 1984
- Pocket Playmates 3, 1996
- Sporting Women, 1986
- Twenty-One Playmates Centerfold Collection Vol. II, 1997
- Women on the Move, 1988
- Special Collector’s Edition, Between the Sheets, June 2015
Foreign:
- Croatian edition pictorial, Charms of Summer, July 1998
- Croatian edition feature, Flashback, March 2012
- Croatian edition feature, Flashback, March 2015
- German edition pictorial, Playboy’s Playmate-Parade 1983, January 1984
- German Edition special digital edition Im Bett Mit Unseren Schönsten, 2018
- Italian edition pictorial, Il Mondo di Playboy, May 1983
- Japanese edition Playmate of the Month pictorial, Karen Witter, April 1982
- Japanese edition Playmate Calendar, 1983
- Japanese edition cover, April 1983
- Japanese edition pictorial, The First Playmate Play-Offs, April 1983
- Japanese NSS Playmates Collection 3, 1984
- Japanese edition pictorial, All the Playmates Go Marching On!, February 1987
- Mexican edition Playmate of the Month pictorial, March 1982
- Spanish edition pictorial, Playboy Video, January 1983
Other publications:
- Bikini magazine, fall 1987
- Effortless Enchantment, her biography, 2021
- Genuine Parts Co. catalog covers, 1982 and 1984
- Hot Rod Show World, 1983
- Hot Rod Show World, 1984
- Inside the Playboy Mansion: If You Don’t Swing, Don’t Ring, 1998
- Screem magazine, “Naked Terror: Playboy Playmates in Horror Films Part 3,” October 2911
- Soap Opera Digest cover, July 6, 1993
- Sport & Fitness magazine, April 1987
Movies:
- Imps* (1983)
- Dangerously Close (1986) as Betsy
- Ratboy (1986) as a party guest
- Silent Assassins (1988) as a girl in a sushi bar
- The Perfect Match (1988) as Tammy
- Mortuary Academy (1988) as Christie Doll
- Paramedics (1988) as Danger Girl
- Out of the Dark (1988) as Jo Ann
- Hero and the Terror (1988) as Ginger
- Another Chance (1989) as Nancy Burton
- The Vineyard (1989) as Jezebel Fairchild
- Midnight (1989) as Missy Angel
- Buried Alive (1989) as Janet
- Popcorn (1991) as Joy
- Levitation (1997) as a ranch woman
- The Lovemaster (1997) as Marle
- Inconvenience Store (short) as a “sexy babe” (2004)
- A Fighting Man (short) as Miss Smith (2012)
- The Trouble Man as Janet Nooley (2013)
- Ice Bucket Challenge Parody (short) as Joanne (2014)
Television:
- The Playboy Channel show, Playmate Playoff Finals – Pink vs. Blue (1982)
- The Playboy Channel show Playmate Playoff Finals – Red vs. Green (1982)
- Matt Houston, as a Centerfold in the episode “The Centerfold Murders” (1983)
- Falcon Crest, as Elke in the episode “Requiem” (1984)
- The Dukes of Hazzard, as Jackie in the episode “The Dukes in Hollywood” (1984)
- The New Mike Hammer , as Deborah in the episode “Bonecrunch,” in an uncredited role in the episode “Kill Devil” and as Lucille in the episode “Satan, Cyanide and Murder” (1984)
- I Married a Centerfold (TV movie) as Ms. February (1984)
- Hardcastle and McCormick as a blonde in the episode “Mirage a Trois” (1985)
- Sale of the Century, as a hostess (1985-1986)
- Trapper John, M.D. as Connie in the episode “Going, Going, Gonzo” (1986)
- Prince of Bel Air (TV movie) as a young woman (1986)
- Hunter as Linda in the episode “Death Machine” (1986)
- Cheers, as Karen in the episode “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before” (1988)
- 1st & Ten as Lauren in the episode “The High and the Mighty” (1989) and as Barbara Ann in the episode “Vindication” (1989)
- Match Game (1990)
- One Life to Live (1990-1991) as Tina Lord
- Fortune Hunter as Dr. Alexandra “Sasha” Luvov in the episode “Red Alert” (1994)
- Hercules: The Legendary Journeys as Nemesis in the episode “Pride Comes Before a Brawl” (1995)
- The X-Files as Sharon Kiveat in the episode “D.P.O.” (1995)
- Dream On as Lydia in the episode “Home is Where the Cart Is” (1995)
- Flipper as Carla in the episodes “Kidnapped: Part 1” and “Kidnapped: Part 2” (1995)
- Nowhere Man as Janet Cowan in the episode “Stay Tuned” (1996)
- Sliders as Pricilla Hardaway in the episode “The Good, the Bad and the Wealthy” (1996)
- Bedtime as Kathy in 13 episodes (1996)
- Pacific Blue as Stephanie Simmons in the episode “Sandman” (1997)
- Sabrina, the Teenage Witch as Dr. Werner in the episode “Boy Was My Face Red” (1998)
- Vengeance Unlimited in an uncredited role in the episode “Ambition” (1998)
- Malibu, CA as Jessica in the episode “Movin’ on Out” (2000)
- NYPD Blue as Michelle Beacham in the episode “Stressed for Success” (2000)
- Dharma & Greg as Stephanie in the episode “Big Daddy” (2000)
- Strip Mall as Coco in the episode “Barry Boinks Caroline” (2001)
- Malcolm in the Middle as Vanessa in the episode “Malcolm’s Girlfriend” (2001)
- Perceptions as Patricia Albertson in the episode “Benefits” (2014)
- Khaki & Orange as Ellen in the episode “Bargaining Chip” (2015)
Playboy videos:
- Playboy Video Magazine Vol. 1 (1982)
- Playboy’s Playmate Workout (1983)
- Playboy’s Playmate Water Workout (1983)
- Playboy Video Playmate Review (1983)
- Playmate Challenge Cup (1984)
- Playboy’s 35 Years of Playmates (1988)
- Playboy Video Centerfold: Fawna MacLaren (1991)