Shelley Morrison, best known for her role in the sitcom Will And Grace, has died at the age of 83.
The actress – born Rachel Mitrani in the Bronx,
New York in 1936 – was best known for playing the role of Karen Walker’s Salvadorian maid Rosario in the first eight series of the US sitcom.
Shelley also appeared in episodes of the TV series My Name Is Earl, Home Improvement and Murder, She Wrote, while in the late 1960s, she appeared in a recurring role in The Flying Nun.Shelley’s publicist confirmed that she had died from heart failure on Sunday morning, in a
Los Angeles hospital.
Her Will And Grace co-stars have since paid their respects on social media, including Megan Mullally, who frequently shared scenes with Shelley as Rosario’s employer, Karen.“Just got a bulletin on my phone that shelley morrison has passed. My heart is heavy,” she wrote.
“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.”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, 2019Shelley 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. #Rosariohttps://t.co/C1vkDTU6Qk— Eric McCormack (@EricMcCormack) December 2, 2019Oh, 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 😢 https://t.co/3cWY6gdCYQ— Debra Messing (@DebraMessing) December 2, 2019Shelley declined the opportunity to play Rosario when Will And Grace returned to screens in the US in 2017, but did briefly appear in a short viral video put together by the show’s cast and crew in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election.
One episode of the show’s first rebooted series centred around Rosario’s funeral, and how the rest of the characters responded to the news of her death.
In a biography, Shelley spoke of her pride about playing Rosario, a character who “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,” she explained.