Damian Dovarganes / AP
Leslie Jordan, who received an Emmy for his portrayal of the cunning Beverley Leslie on “Will & Grace,” and who gained notoriety on social media during the pandemic, passed away on Monday after colliding with a tree in Hollywood, according to his agency.
“The world is definitely a much darker place today without the love and light of Leslie Jordan,” David Shaul said. “Not only was he a mega talent and joy to work with, but he provided an emotional sanctuary to the nation at one of its most difficult times.”
Firefighters responding to reports of a collision between Cahuenga Boulevard and Romaine Street discovered Jordan, 67, “pulseless and non-breathing” in a gray automobile. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 9:38 a.m., according to authorities.
Jordan may have experienced “some sort of medical emergency,” according to his representative, which led to him losing control of the car.
On Monday, Fox Entertainment announced that Jordan has finished filming nine episodes of the comedy “Call Me Kat.” The most recent will show as scheduled on Thursday, but the production company has inserted a “in memoriam” section about the actor who played Phil.
The 4-foot-11-inch Jordan, who was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on April 29, 1955, built a successful career on television playing small but frequently scene-stealing roles on episodes including “Murphy Brown,” “Boston Public,” “Star Trek: Voyage,” “American Horror Story,” and “Hearts Afire.”
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However, he was best known to television viewers as Beverley Leslie, the antagonist of Megan Mullally’s Karen Walker character who comes out as homosexual in one of the series’ most enduring episodes.
The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics gave Jordan its Timeless Star career achievement award last year and referred to him as a “national treasure” because of his open homosexuality.
GLAAD CEO Sarah Kate Ellis referred to him as “a loyal friend to so many LGBTQ groups” in a statement on Monday.
Jordan became well-known to a new group of admirers because to his Instagram posts, which he posted twice daily during the pandemic from an Airbnb close to his mother’s home in Chattanooga.
What are you doing, guys? Jordan would often start off before diving into his frequently funny musings on life in lockdown, delivered in a rich Southern drawl.
Jordan gave off the impression that everyone was as astonished as he was to see so many Americans following him.
“I didn’t realize [he had blown up] until last night when everybody started calling me telling me you’ve gone viral,” Jordan told NBC’s “TODAY” show in March 2020. “I don’t really even know what that means!”
Brian Moylan and other cultural commentators were drawn to Jordan’s videos.
Jordan is one of the real lockdown stars, gaining more than 3.8 million Instagram followers in just over a month, according to a report by Moylan for NBC News’ Think section in April 2020.
On Monday, his attorney, Eric Feig, issued a statement: “Yesterday, on Leslie’s Instagram, Leslie posted himself singing the hymn ‘When the Roll is Called Up Yonder.’ Today, Leslie was called way too soon and the world is a little bit darker without him.”
The gospel album “Company’s Comin’,” which featured Dolly Parton, Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Eddie Vedder, and Tanya Tucker, was released by Jordan using his newly acquired popularity.
Additionally, Jordan released a book titled “How Y’all Doing? Mishaps & Mischief from a Well Lived Life. His 2008 debut book, “My Trip Down the Pink Carpet,” detailed both his early career in Hollywood and his drug misuse battles.
In an interview with the Associated Press from last year, Jordan remarked, “That sort of dealt with all the angst and growing up gay in the Baptist Church and la, la, la, la, la.”
Corky Siemaszko and Diana Dasrath both reported from New York and Los Angeles, respectively.
