Will & Grace's Shelley Morrison dies at 83

Entertainment Weekly

Morrison had a long acting career stretching back to the early 1960s, but she'll best be remembered for playing Karen Walker's maid Rosario Salazar, a fan favorite who had a contemptuous but loving relationship with her boss on Will & Grace. Morrison didn't reprise her role for the current NBC revival because she opted to retire. “Shelley’s greatest pride as an actress was in playing the indomitable Rosario, in a comedy series that furthered the cause of social equity and fairness for LGBTQ people,” her publicist, Lori DeWaal, told EW. “She also took pride in portraying a strong, loving yet feisty Latina character. She believed that the best way to change hearts and minds was through comedy.” Megan Mullally paid tribute to her former co-star, tweeting: "just got a bulletin on my phone that shelley morrison has passed. my heart is heavy. putting shelley, her beloved husband walter & their children in the light. thank you for your friendship & partnership, shell. you accomplished wonderful things in this world. you will be missed." On Instagram, Sean Hayes wrote: "Such sad news. Our beloved Shelley Morrison passed away today. She was absolutely hilarious and had the biggest heart. She was a part of our Will and Grace family and will be greatly missed. My heart goes out to her entire family." Eric McCormack tweeted: "Shelley was a beautiful soul & a wonderful actor. Her work as Rosario, season after season, was as nuanced and real as it was hysterical. She will be missed by everyone at #WillandGrace, she’s a huge part of it. Sending so much love to Walter and Shelley’s whole family." And Debra Messing also paid tribute, writing on Instagram: "She was a kind soul with a huge heart and always had a smile on her face. All my love to Walter and the entire family."