Shelley Morrison’s Death Has ‘Will & Grace’ Fans Devastated

On Sunday, tragic news struck Hollywood and the Will & Grace circle when it was announced that Shelley Morrison, who played the part of Rosario Salazar, had passed away. She suffered a heart failure after an illness at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. The loss left many fans of the show leaving their thoughts and prayers on social media.

“Aw man. She and [Megan] were a match made in comedy heaven. Thanks for the laughs and the memories,” wrote one fan.

The actress joined the cast of Will & Grace in 1999. After building an instant connection with Megan Mullally’s character, Karen Walker, her originally-planned brief stint on the show wound up spanning across numerous seasons. In total, she found herself appearing in 68 episodes up until 2006.

“Rosario is one of my all-time favorite characters,” Morrison said according to a statement released on Sunday. “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.”

Eric McCormack, who starred as Will Truman in the series, sent out a tweet on Sunday night after her passing was announced.

“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.”

Debra Messing, who played Grace Adler, also shared her goodbye message to Morrison on Instagram.

She was not cast during the series’ revival which came for the 2017-18 season. Will & Grace will wrap up its run after the final episode airs in its 11th and current season.

“Shelley Morrison was perfection as Rosario on will and grace. RIP,” one user tweeted.

Before she passed away, Morrison remained active on social media. Her final passing before her untimely death saw her send a heartfelt message to U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell of California.

“Thank you for all that you do to represent us,” Morrison’s response read. “Our family follows you daily. Blessings to you and your beautiful family.”