Will & Grace Actress Shelley Morrison Dead at 83

Actress Shelley Morrison died Sunday at the age of 83, her representatives confirmed on Sunday evening. Morrison was best known for her role as the sharp-witted maid Rosario Salazar on Will & Grace, a recurring role she portrayed throughout all eight seasons of the show's original run, from 1999-2006. According to her publicist, Morrison died of heart failure following an illness.

Though Morrison was best known for her role in the hit NBC sitcom, she enjoyed a lengthy career in Hollywood films and television, beginning with guest roles on series like General Hospital, The Outer Limits, and Gunsmoke in the '60s. She went onto enjoy a series-long role as Sister Sixto from The Flying Nun and starred in films like Fools Rush In and Shark Tale. She most recently lent her vocal talents to the kids' series Handy Manny.

All four leading stars of Will & Grace paid tribute to the actress on social media after the news of her death on Sunday night. Megan Mullally, with whom Morrison often shared the screen during her time on Will & Grace, responded to the news by writing, "thank you for your friendship & partnership, Shell." Eric McCormack wrote, "Shelley was a beautiful soul [and] a wonderful actor. Her work as Rosario, season after season, was as nuanced and real as it was hysterical."

Debra Messing said, "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." And Sean Hayes wrote, "She was absolutely hilarious and had the biggest heart."