{"id":2468394,"date":"2026-06-20T14:56:20","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T14:56:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2468394"},"modified":"2026-06-20T14:56:20","modified_gmt":"2026-06-20T14:56:20","slug":"debra-messing-eric-mccormack-mourn-will-and-grace-director","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/debra-messing-eric-mccormack-mourn-will-and-grace-director\/","title":{"rendered":"Debra Messing, Eric McCormack Mourn Will and Grace Director"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The stars of Will & Grace <\/i>are mourning the death<\/a> of famed director James Burrows<\/b>.<\/p>\n

\u201cJames 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,\u201d Debra Messing<\/b><\/a>, who portrayed the titular Grace Adler on the beloved sitcom, wrote via Instagram<\/span><\/a> on Friday, June 19. \u201cTo me he was Jimmy. To my son, he was Papa Jimmy.\u201d<\/p>\n

She continued, \u201cI can\u2019t 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Burrows died earlier on Friday<\/span><\/a> following a brief, undisclosed illness. He was 85.. The TV icon created Cheers, <\/i>worked on programs such as Friends <\/i>and The Big Bang Theory<\/i>, as well as directed every episode of Will & Grace<\/i>. (Messing, 57, starred opposite Eric McCormack <\/b><\/a>on Will & Grace, <\/i>playing best friends who lived together in a New York City apartment.)<\/p>\n

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\n Related: <\/span>\u2018Will & Grace\u2019 Cast: Where Are They Now?<\/span><\/a>
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\u201cHe 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,\u201d Messing added in her tribute. \u201cHe 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<\/a>, 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

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