The stars of Will & Grace are mourning the death of famed director James Burrows.
“James Burrows was a legend. An Icon. A singular talent and revolutionary in television. He brought laughter and love into more homes, globally, than any other TV director in history,” Debra Messing, who portrayed the titular Grace Adler on the beloved sitcom, wrote via Instagram on Friday, June 19. “To me he was Jimmy. To my son, he was Papa Jimmy.”
She continued, “I can’t express the pain of his loss, and I know that is true for everyone who was lucky enough to be loved by him. Jimmy changed my life 28 years ago and has been in my life ever since. He had a dry sense of humor but exploded in laughter when he orchestrated comic moments that landed. I wanted his laughs most of all.”
Burrows died earlier on Friday following a brief, undisclosed illness. He was 85.. The TV icon created Cheers, worked on programs such as Friends and The Big Bang Theory, as well as directed every episode of Will & Grace. (Messing, 57, starred opposite Eric McCormack on Will & Grace, playing best friends who lived together in a New York City apartment.)
“He loved and trusted his actors (which is rare in TV comedy). He let us play and explore and fail terribly and would always see the gem in what was happening, and like a master conductor, he taught us how to play the music,” Messing added in her tribute. “He was quiet and serious, but also very committed to finishing rehearsal so he could make his tee time. He loved talent. He was thrilled by it. Every person he allowed in his sphere felt respected, admired, and important. We were, are, family, and always will be. Every cast member who had the rare privilege of being directed by him for nearly a decade, felt like one of his kids. And today, we lost our TV dad.”
McCormack, 63, also issued a tribute to Burrows following the TV director’s tragic death.
“We lost a giant today, a mentor to me and a dear friend. #JamesBurrows directed every single episode of #Will&Grace … and pretty much everything else,” McCormack wrote via Instagram on Friday, addressing Burrows’ death. “The 800-lb gorilla of television comedy for fifty years, he was beloved by everyone, and has left not a mark but a footprint. An incredible legacy. Jimmy, thank you for everything you gave us. I love you. And I send so much love to Debbie and your whole beautiful family.”
James is survived by his wife, Debbie Easton Burrows, and their four children and multiple grandchildren.
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