“Will & Grace” Stars Debra Messing and Eric McCormack Pay Tribute to Director James Burrows: 'A Singular Talent and Revolutionary In Television'

"Every cast member who had the rare privilege of being directed by him for nearly a decade, felt like one of his kids," Messing wrote

NEED TO KNOW

• James Burrows, the prolific TV director who directed every episode of Will & Grace, died at age 85; his family announced on Friday, June 19
• Will & Grace stars Debra Messing, Eric McCormack and Sean Hayes paid tribute to the late director in social media posts following the news
• “We lost a giant today, a mentor to me and a dear friend,” McCormack wrote in his Instagram post

The stars of Will & Grace are paying tribute to their late director, James Burrows.

Burrows' family confirmed to PEOPLE on Friday, June 19, that the prolific director died at the age of 85. Following the news, Burrows' collaborators paid tribute, including Will & Grace stars Debra Messing, Eric McCormack and Sean Hayes.

Messing, 57, described Burrows as a "legend" and "icon" at the beginning of her emotional tribute. "A singular talent and revolutionary in television," she wrote. "He brought laughter and love into more homes, globally, than any other TV director in history."

She continued, "To me, he was Jimmy. To my son, he was Papa Jimmy."

"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," she wrote, sharing how he "changed" her life 28 years ago, and stayed a presence in her life in the years following.

She recalled his "dry sense of humor," and that he still "exploded in laughter when he orchestrated comic moments that landed," confessing, "I wanted his laughs most of all."

"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," she wrote, recalling his quiet, serious and committed nature.

"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," she wrote. "I love you Jimmy. Find the clowns up there. They need direction. ❤️."

Messing's heartfelt message was accompanied by photos of her alongside Burrows during the first run of Will & Grace (1998-2006), its reboot seasons (2017-2020) and the years between.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

McCormack, 63, echoed those sentiments in his Instagram post, writing "We lost a giant today, a mentor to me and a dear friend."

He shared how Burrows directed every single episode of Will & Grace, "and pretty much everything else." Burrows notably worked behind the camera on shows like Frasier, Friends, Taxi, 3rd Rock from the Sun, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and co-created the hit series Cheers.

During his prolific career, he directed more than 1,000 episodes of television, earned 48 Emmy nominations and won 11 Emmys.

"The 800 lb gorilla of television comedy for fifty years, he was beloved by everyone, and has left not a mark but a footprint," McCormack, 63, continued. "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. ❤️🥂."

Hayes, 55, reposted his husband Scott Icenogle's tribute to his Instagram Stories. Icenogle, 56, shared a selfie of the couple with the director.

"The world lost a cultural, television icon today – James 'Jimmy' Burrows. Jimmy was a dear friend and I am incredibly grateful to have had many fun times with him both personally and professionally," the composer wrote.

"Sean and I are sending his incredible wife, Debbie, and his loving family all our love and support during this difficult time. ❤️," he concluded.

Read the full article here