Ailing Joe Manganiello has broken his silence following surgery over the weekend (16-17Apr16) to pay his respects to late actress Doris Roberts.

The Magic Mike hunk had to pull out of a TV project about a heroic team of NAVY Seals last week (ends15Apr16) after falling ill.

The 39-year-old, who is married to actress Sofia Vergara, checked in to the hospital, where medics discovered he was suffering "extremely serious" appendicitis and needed emergency surgery.

Joe, who also scrapped a weekend charity event because he was in the hospital, has yet to comment on his health scare, but on Tuesday (19Apr16) he offered up thoughts about Doris after learning his former co-star had died, aged 90.

He tweeted: "I'll miss you Doris. Thank you for all of the laughs and the stories. #RIPDorisRoberts You are a legend."

Manganiello and Roberts hit the stage together in 2009, when they co-starred in a La Jolla Playhouse production of Unusual Acts of Devotion in California.

Manganiello is the latest of Roberts' many former co-stars who have paid tribute to the actress' memory. The five-time Emmy Award-winner, who portrayed Marie Barone on beloved TV comedy Everybody Loves Raymond, died on Sunday (17Apr16) of natural causes.

Among those offering heartfelt thoughts about her life were her Everybody Loves Raymond co-stars Brad Garrett, Ray Romano and Patricia Heaton.

Ray released a statement, which read: "Doris Roberts had an energy and a spirit that amazed me. She never stopped. Whether working professionally or with her many charities, or just nurturing and mentoring a green young comic trying to make it as an actor, she did everything with such a grand love for life and people."