Leslie Jordan, the Emmy Award-winning actor, writer and singer best known for his roles on Will & Grace, American Horror Story and Hearts Afire, has died. He was 67.
Jordan was driving in Hollywood Monday morning and crashed into the side of a building on Cahuenga Blvd. and Romaine St. It was suspected that he had suffered some kind of medical emergency.
Jordan was a veteran actor whose credits also included “The Help,” “The Cool Kids” and “Call Me Kat,” which is currently in its third season on Fox. In 2006, he won an Emmy Award for Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his work on “Will & Grace,” portraying Karen’s sexually ambiguous socialite Beverly Leslie.
One of Jordan’s most famous roles was his turn as Earl “Brother Boy” Ingram in the stage play “Sordid Lives,” which was later adapted into the cult 2000 romantic comedy of the same name. In 1993, he created his first autobiographical stage show, “Hysterical Blindness and Other Southern Tragedies That Have Plagued My Life Thus Far,” which ran off-Broadway for seven months at the SoHo Playhouse. The play chronicled Jordan’s early life in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and featured the actor backed by a gospel choir singing satirical songs about racism and homophobia. At the time of the play’s production Diversity praised Jordan’s “affectionate stage presence” and called the show “bittersweet and hilarious”.
He has appeared in television shows including “Ugly Betty,” “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,” “Hidden Palms,” “Star Trek: Voyager,” “Caroline in the City,” “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse,” ” Reba’, ‘Boston Public’, ‘Nash Bridges’ and ‘Boston Legal’.
In 2020, Jordan became a social media phenomenon, gaining millions of followers on Instagram thanks to his funny videos posted during the pandemic.
Jordan released a gospel music album titled “Company’s Comin'” in 2021 and later that year appeared as a guest panelist on “The Masked Singer” performing the gospel standard “This Little Light of Mine.”
“The world is certainly a much darker place today without the love and light of Leslie Jordan,” said David Shaul, Jordan’s agent. “Not only was he a tremendous talent and a joy to work with, he provided the nation with an emotional sanctuary during one of its most difficult times. What he lacked in height, he made up for in generosity and greatness as a son, brother, artist, comedian, partner and human being. Knowing that he left the world at the peak of his professional and personal life is the only consolation one can have today.”
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