Shelley Morrison, ‘Will & Grace’ Actress, Dies at 83

02/12/2019 - Shelley Morrison, who played Karen Walker’s sharp-tongued yet endearing maid Rosario Salazar on “Will & Grace” from 1999-2006, has died. She was 83. Morrison died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles from heart failure after a brief illness, Morrison’s publicist, Lori DeWaal, told The Associated Press. Rosario, who hailed from El Salvador, was originally written to appear in just one episode of the hit NBC series, but her dynamic with Megan Mullally’s Karen resonated so well with audiences that the charater went on to appear in 68 episodes over eight seasons of the original series. According to co-creator Max Mutchnick, Morrison was asked to reprise her role for the revival of “Will & Grace,” but had decided to retire from acting completely.

“She was absolutely hilarious and had the biggest heart,” he wrote. “She was part of our Will and Grace family and will be greatly missed. My heart goes out to her husband, Walter and her entire family.”