Amid the news of James Burrows‘ death, Hollywood is mourning the loss of the beloved sitcom director, who remains the most decorated in the multi-cam format.
On Friday, following the Cheers co-creator’s death at age 85 from a brief illness, Burrows’ past colleagues and peers paid tribute to “the greatest of all time” in some heartfelt tributes from the likes of Lisa Kudrow, Tony Danza and more.
Lisa Kudrow, who starred alongside Burrows on The Comeback, shared a behind-the-scenes photo of the two of them from the recent third and final season of the HBO series. “Thank you Jimmy. I mean, for everything…” she wrote on her Instagram Story. Burrows played himself on the satirical comedy after directing several episodes of Friends, including the pilot.
Cheers star Ted Danson said in a statement, “Jimmy was my show business father, my mentor and my friend. For 11 years his laughter taught me what was funny and what was not. Nothing made me happier than to make him laugh. I can only imagine that there are thousands of actors who feel the same way.
“Mary and I send all our love to his family. He will be in our hearts and our funny bones forever,” added Danson.
Instagram / lisakudrow
Danny DeVito and wife Rhea Perlman, who worked with Burrows on Cheers and Taxi, said in a statement, “Rhea and I are deeply saddened by the passing of Jimmy Burrows. The entire DeVito family feels the loss of such an exceptional man, and we send our love to Debbie, Jimmy’s children, and all of his loved ones.
“Jimmy guided Rhea and me through 16 seasons of television. He was the very best at his craft. His positive spirit, boundless energy, and tireless work defined what it takes to run a show and keep people laughing,” they added. “He will always be in our hearts.”
Sean Hayes’ husband Scott Icenogle shared a tribute from the two of them to Burrows, who directed and executive produced every episode of Hayes’ groundbreaking NBC sitcom Will & Grace. “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. Sean and I are sending his incredible wife, Debbie, and his loving family all our love and support during this difficult time,” wrote Icenogle on Instagram.
Hayes’ longtime co-star Eric McCormack also shared a statement. “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. 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,” he wrote on Instagram.
Will & Grace‘s Debra Messing wrote, “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. 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 added in part. “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.”
Kat Dennings, who worked with Burrows on 2 Broke Girls, wrote on her Instagram Story, “RIP to a real one.”
Her co-star Beth Behrs, who also worked with Burrows on the pilot episode of CBS’s The Neighborhood, shared some of her favorite memories with the director. “Dear Jimmy, I’ll never forget @katdenningsss and I becoming absolutely convinced you hated us during rehearsals for the pilot of 2 Broke Girls. We marched up to your podium like two fourth-graders called into the principal’s office and asked you point-blank. I’ll never forget the belly laugh. ‘Oh girls, of course not,’” she wrote on Instagram.
Behrs added in part, “After we shot the pilot but before we got picked up, I ran into my hero, Jennifer Aniston, in an elevator. I told her I had just done a pilot with you. She said, ‘Oh, you have Jimmy? You’ll get a pickup.’ That was the reputation. The legend.”
Tony Danza, who appeared on several Burrows-helmed episodes of ABC/NBC’s Taxi, wrote on Instagram, “We have lost the greatest of all time. Jimmy Burrows. I know I wouldn’t be here without him. My thoughts are with Debbie and the kids.”
Carrie Preston, who worked with the director on the 2016 NBC sitcom Crowded, wrote, “RIP Jimmy Burrows: I know you’re showing the angels how it’s done …”
Vanessa Bayer, who worked with Burrows on Will & Grace and Mid-Century Modern, wrote, “The end of an era. What an icon. Feeling lucky I got some time with him. A true legend and will always remember his kindness.”
A spokesperson for NBC said, “Jimmy Burrows was the man behind the curtain. He knew how to make us laugh, what buttons to push and was the absolute master of getting the most out of every joke. His loss to the television comedy world is immeasurable. Every time you have a smile on your face watching The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Taxi, Cheers, Will & Grace, Friends and countless others, think of Jimmy and know he made all our lives funnier.
“Jimmy Burrows was one of one, a legend in television and a brilliant director, who was responsible for many of the biggest comedy hits of our time,” Disney Entertainment Television said in a statement. “He will be missed by all who called him a mentor, colleague and friend, and we send our deepest condolences to his family and to all who were lucky enough to cross paths with Jimmy during his storied career.”
Journey Gunderson, executive director of the National Comedy Center, said in a statement: “Few individuals have had a greater impact on television comedy than James Burrows. Through a remarkable career spanning more than five decades, he helped shape the sound, rhythm, and language of modern television comedy, elevating the sitcom as an art form and influencing generations of writers, performers, directors, and storytellers. His work helped define television’s most beloved comedies, and his legacy is woven into the history of comedy itself.”
