The cast of “Will & Grace” is in mourning today as they bid farewell to actress Shelley Morrison. Shelley, who played Rosario Salazar in the sitcom’s original seasons, passed away Sunday from heart failure at 83, according to multiple reports.
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. pic.twitter.com/WeLGrWlRye
— Megan Mullally (@MeganMullally) December 2, 2019
“Just got a bulletin on my phone that shelley morrison has passed. My heart is heavy,” actress Megan Mullally posted on Twitter. Shelley’s character of Rosario Salazar was originally only set to appear in one episode—however, after seeing the onscreen chemistry between Megan and Shelley, the character was written in to 68 episodes across eight seasons.
“Thank you for your friendship & partnership, shell. you accomplished wonderful things in this world. you will be missed,” Megan continued. The 62-year-old actress played onscreen boss Karen Walker to Shelley’s Rosario, a maid from El Salvador. The onscreen interactions between the two became wildly popular, and the show went on to win a Screen Actors Guild award for best ensemble in a comedy series.
The other stars of “Will & Grace” took to social media to mourn Shelley’s passing as well.
“Our dear Rosario has passed on,” actress Debra Messing wrote on Instagram. “Shelley had a career that spanned decades, but she will always be our dear Rosie.” The 51-year-old included a sweet video from a scene between her and Shelley, showing off her late costar’s comedic chops.
Fellow actor Sean Hayes also took to Instagram to mourn Shelley. “Such sad news. Our beloved Shelley Morrison passed away today. She was absolutely hilarious and had the biggest heart,” Sean captioned a photo of Shelley in her “Will & Grace” costume.
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. #Rosario https://t.co/C1vkDTU6Qk
— Eric McCormack (@EricMcCormack) December 2, 2019
Eric McCormack also posted his condolences to Shelley’s family on Twitter alongside a beautiful message about Shelley’s work. “Shelley was a beautiful soul & a wonderful actor. Her work as Rosario, season after season, was as nuanced and real as it was hysterical.”
While Shelley decided not to return to the 2017 revival of the hit sitcom, she remained close with her former castmates who understood her choice to retire. ““It was with a heavy heart that she gave us that information and that we received it, but it is the way that it goes,” series co-creator Max Mutchnick told The Hollywood Reporter in 2017. “It was not an easy decision to make.”
Shelley left behind her loving husband of four decades, Walter Dominguez.