Will & Grace star Shelley Morrison passed away on Sunday, December 1 in Los Angeles at the age of 83. She had worked as an actress for 63 years and most memorably played Rosario on the long-running NBC sitcom from 1999 to 2006. As news broke of her passing, her Will & Grace costars Debra Messing, Megan Mullally, Sean Hayes and Erick McCormick all paid tribute to her life and career online.
According to a statement from her husband, Walter Dominguez, Shelley died of heart failure.
“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,” he said in a statement. “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,” he explained. Shelley also acted on shows like The Flying Nun, Murder She Wrote, Home Improvement and Columbo.
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Sean, 49, wrote on
Instagram, “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. ❤️”
Photo credit: Kevork Djansezian/AP/Shutterstock
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Shelley was asked back for the Will & Grace revival, which began airing in 2017. She decided not to return since she was already happily retired from acting.
Photo credit: Nbc-Tv/Kobal/Shutterstock
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Shelley, whose parents were Spanish immigrants, was born in the Bronx; she even has a street sign in the borough’s Walk of Fame.
Photo credit: MEGA
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She moved to Los Angeles and attended Los Angeles City College. She started her career in entertainment with theater, where she was one of the city’s first female stage producers.
Photo credit: Kevork Djansezian/AP/Shutterstock
Debra, 51, wrote, “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 to Walter and the entire family. #shelleymorrison ?”
Megan, 61, posted a photo of Shelley, whose character worked for Megan’s character, Karen. She wrote, “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.”
Erick, 56, wrote, “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.”
Sean, 49, wrote on
Instagram, “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. ❤️”
Photo credit: Kevork Djansezian/AP/Shutterstock
Shelley was asked back for the Will & Grace revival, which began airing in 2017. She decided not to return since she was already happily retired from acting.
Photo credit: Nbc-Tv/Kobal/Shutterstock
Shelley, whose parents were Spanish immigrants, was born in the Bronx; she even has a street sign in the borough’s Walk of Fame.
She moved to Los Angeles and attended Los Angeles City College. She started her career in entertainment with theater, where she was one of the city’s first female stage producers.
Photo credit: Kevork Djansezian/AP/Shutterstock
