Rene Russo is an American actress, producer, and former model who is best known for her role as Karen Flores in the 1995 crime comedy film Get Shorty. She played opposite John Travolta in the movie, which was based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard. Russo's character was a loan shark's wife who falls in love with Travolta's character, Chili Palmer. Russo's performance earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.