Modern Family and Will & Grace star Helen Siff dies aged 88

Helen Siff, who starred in Will & Grace and Modern Family, has died at the age of 88.

The veteran actress is said to have died in Los Angeles, California, due to complications from surgery for a ‘long, painful illness’, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

In a statement her family said: ‘Those who worked with Helen knew her not just as a talented performer, but as someone who brought professionalism, dedication and genuine kindness to every set.

‘She understood that every role, no matter how large or small, was an opportunity to contribute something meaningful to the story being told.’

The 88-year-old’s four-decade career began back in 1981 with an appearance in the CBS drama series Lou Grant.

Throughout the 1980s, she continued to feature in TV series, including Cagney & Lacey, Silver Spoons, L.A. Law and Highway to Heaven.

In the 1990s Siff then began to find stage work, in roles such as Lilies of the Field, Lost in Yonkers, and Over the River and Through the Woods.

As she continued to return to TV, her roles in the 2000s included Scrubs, Will & Grace, The Tracy Morgan Show and My Name Is Earl after a two-episode stint on Married… With Children.

The actress also played several roles in movies, including a woman named Mrs. Skitzer in You Don’t Mess With the Zohan (2008) and a maid in the Coen brothers’ Hail, Caesar! (2016).

Her most recent roles included S.W.A.T., Mom, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Good Trouble and High Desert.

Siff’s family added in their statement to THR: ‘She had the rare gift of making even the smallest part memorable.’

She is survived by her sisters, Carol and Janet as well as her son, Matt and four daughters, Susie, Karen, Victoria, and Jenny.

Her husband of 41 years, Marshall Siff, died in 2007 after her son, Bruce, died in 1999.

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