Gay Comedy Icon Leslie Jordan Dies at 67
Gay icon Leslie Jordan died Monday in an automobile accident in Los Angeles, Variety reports. News of his death was first reported by TMZ sometime after 2 p.m. on October 24. "Jordan was driving in Hollywood Monday morning and crashed into the side of a building at Cahuenga Blvd. and Romaine St. It was suspected he suffered some sort of medical emergency," writes Variety.
Jordan first came to fame in "Sordid Lives" playing Earl "Brother Boy" Ingram in Del Shores' stage comedy "Sordid Lives," a role he repeated in the film version that has gone onto cult status.
He came to national fame as Karen Walker's bitchy adversary Beverly Leslie on "Will & Grace," for which he won a Guest Actor in Comedy series Emmy. Over the years, Jordan appeared on such shows as "Murphy Brown," "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman," "Star Trek: Voyager," "Caroline in the City," "Pee-Wee's Playhouse," "Reba," "Boston Public," "Boston Legal," "Nash Bridges," "American Horror Story," and "Hearts Afire," He is currently a regular on the Fox sitcom "Call Me Kat," along with Mayim Bialik, Swoosie Kurtz, Kyla Pratt, and Cheyenne Jackson, currently in its third season.
Nearly 30 years ago in 1993 Jordan appeared off-Broadway in an autobiographical stage show, "Hysterical Blindness and Other Southern Tragedies That Have Plagued My Life Thus Far," which ran for seven months off-Broadway at the SoHo Playhouse.
More recently, he became a social media sensation, gaining millions of Instagram followers due to his humorous videos posted throughout the pandemic.
"The world is definitely a much darker place today without the love and light of Leslie Jordan," said David Shaul, Jordan's agent. "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. 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 has left the world at the height of both his professional and personal life is the only solace one can have today."