Natalie Morales is an American journalist and television host who rose to prominence as a longtime personality on NBC News. Born on June 6, 1972, in Taipei, Taiwan, to a Puerto Rican Air Force lieutenant colonel father and a Brazilian mother, Natalie Morales-Rhodes grew up moving between the U.S., Panama, Brazil, and Spain. This upbringing made her fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. 

She graduated summa cum laude from Rutgers University in 1994 with degrees in journalism and Latin American studies. After a brief stint in banking and behind-the-scenes work at Court TV, she landed her first on-air role at News 12 The Bronx in 1998. From there, Morales climbed steadily through the ranks — anchoring at WVIT-TV Hartford, then joining MSNBC in 2002. 

She then spent 22 years at NBC in several roles, including national correspondent and anchor for Today. She also hosted Access Hollywood and Access Hollywood Live and served as a Dateline NBC correspondent.

In 2021, Morales joined CBS, serving as a permanent co-host and moderator of The Talk until the show wrapped. She simultaneously took on a role as a CBS News correspondent, reporting for 48 Hours, CBS Mornings, and CBS Sunday Morning. Outside of broadcasting, she is a published cookbook author and a dedicated marathon runner.