Conchata Ferrell’s death has made Jon Cryer reflect on their time on Two and a Half Men.

On Tuesday, the 55-year-old actor paid tribute to Ferrell, who played maid Berta on the CBS sitcom, calling her a “great human.”

“The writers made up Berta’s harsh demeanor. According to him, Chatty’s authentic virtues were her warmth and openness. I’m crying for the woman I’ll miss and the joy she brought to so many.”

Cryer first met Ferrell in the second episode of Two and a Half Men, and he stated, “I was so delighted that they’d been able to place her on the show. When I told her that I was a tremendous fan of hers, she completely refused to believe me.”

“I had to reenact one of my favorite scenes from a canceled mid-’70s sitcom called ‘Hot L Baltimore,’” he remarked before she understood he was serious. I’m glad I was completely aware of how fortunate I was to play on stage with her.”

“I cherished every second and will do so till we cross paths again.  I have a hunch she’ll call me Zippy,” Cryer said of the show’s character’s nickname.

Ferrell’s “excellent body of film work,” which Cryer advised viewers to “check out,” includes Edward Scissorhands, Erin Brockovich, Network, and Heartland.

“My thoughts are with Arnie, Samantha, her family, and the many UCLA students whose lives she touched,” he added.

According to Deadline, Ferrell died on Monday at the age of 77 due to complications from a heart attack. She was surrounded by her family at Sherman Oaks Hospital in Sherman Oaks, California.

Ferrell’s representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment from PEOPLE.

According to her husband, Arnie Anderson, the actress was hospitalized in May after falling ill. Ferrell was in the intensive care unit for more than four weeks and had a cardiac arrest once, which Anderson estimated lasted around 10 minutes. Ferrell was unable to speak or communicate and was placed on a respirator and dialysis before being transferred to a long-term care facility.

In February, the actress told TMZ that she had been residing at her vacation home in Charleston, West Virginia, since Thanksgiving, when she was rushed to the hospital with a kidney illness in December.

She said that the sickness grew worse as it spread and entered her bloodstream. Ferrell spent weeks in the intensive care unit before being discharged and placed in transitional care in January. She recovered at home for a month while bedridden, receiving physical therapy many times every day.

The actress told the tabloid that her husband was there for her during the struggle and gave his all to look after her.