December 1, 2019, was sad in the entertainment industry. Shelley Morrison died from heart failure in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 83.
Her publicist, Lori De Waal, announced that Shelley died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
This actress was known in the hit NBC’s series, Will & Grace. The comedy series won the Screen Actors Guild award for the best ensemble in this genre. The sitcom cast paid tribute to her on social media.
Morrison played as a maid, Rosario Salazar, coming from El Salvador in the series. She played that role for seven years starting in 1999 until 2006. Her character became popular, especially interacting with Megan Mullaly that she appeared in 68 episodes during its 8th season. Morrison announced her retirement five years after her latest work, Foodfight!
Morrison worked with some of the biggest celebrities in Hollywood, including Dean Martin in How to Save a Marriage and Ruin Your Life, Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl, Shelley Long in Troop Beverly Hills and Matthew Perry and Salma Hayek.
In Morrison’s biography, she mentioned- “Rosario is one of my all-time favorite characters. She reminds me a lot of my 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.”
Walter Dominguez, her husband of 46 years, shared, “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 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.”
Many from her co-stars made some memories and praises on their social media.
Mullaly wrote on her Twitter, “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.”
Debra Messing, the actress who played Grace, wrote on her Instagram together with a video clip of the show “Shelley had a career that spanned decades, but she will always be our dear Rosie. She was a kind soul with a huge heart and always had a smile on her face. All my love for Walter and the entire family.”
Eric McCormack, who played as Will also 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. Everyone at #WillandGrace will miss her, she’s a huge part of it. Sending so much love to Walter and Shelley’s whole family.”
Sean Hayes, whose role was Jack, shared on his Instagram with a photo of Morrison. “She was 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.”
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