'Will & Grace' Actress Shelley Morrison Dead at 83, Mourned By Co-Stars

Actress Shelley Morrison who portrayed Rosario Salazar on the sit-com 'Will and Grace' passed away on Dec.1 at age 83. She died of a heart condition at Cedar-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.

On the original run of "Will & Grace" from 1999 until 2006, Morrison played Salazar, a maid from El Salvador, becoming part of a cast that won a Screen Actors Guild award for best ensemble in a comedy series.

Morrison appeared on 68 'Will and Grace' episodes on NBC for eight seasons. The character proved to be really popular on the show.

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'Will and Grace' Actress Shelley Morrison Passed Away Sunday; Fans Devastated

Shelley Morrison, Who Played Rosario On 'Will & Grace,' Dead At 83

'Will and Grace' Co-Stars Pay Tribute to Shelley Morrison

“Rosario is one of my all-time favorite characters,” Morrison said recently, according to a statement and biography announcing her death. “She reminds me a lot of my own mother, who loved animals and children, but she would not suffer fools. It is very significant to me that we were able to show an older, Hispanic woman who is bright and smart and can hold her own.”

Her 'Will and Grace' co-stars paid tribute to the actress on social media.

Fellow 'Will and Grace' actress Meghan Mullally posted on her Twitter page, "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."

Tributes Pouring In For Shelley Morrison

Debra Messing, who starred as Grace, Sean Hayes, who played Jack McFarland, Eric McCormack who played Will, also paid tribute to the late 'Will and Grace' actress on Twitter.

Debra Messing posted on her Twitter page:

"Oh, Shelley... what a loss. Our dear Rosario has passed on. Shelley had a career that spanned decades, but she will always be our dear Rosie. All my love for Walter and the entire family."

Sean Hayes posted a tribute on his Instagram page to Shelley saying she had a 'big heart' and was hilarious.

Eric McCormack posted this tribute on his Twitter page:

"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://twitter.com/variety/status/1201323618250178560 …

Remembering Shelley Morrison

Shelley Morrison will be missed by her co-stars and her family and will forever be remembered as her maid character Rosario on 'Will and Grace.' She was a remarkable talent and it is very sad that she's now gone...but not forgotten.

Her husband, Walter Dominguez. said in a statement, "Besides the opportunity to portray a strong Latina, Morrison valued “Will & Grace” for its breakthrough TV depiction of gay characters."

“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. ... She believed that the best way to change hearts and minds was through comedy,” Dominguez said in a statement.