LOS ANGELES — Leslie Jordan, who won an Emmy playing the conniving Beverley Leslie on “Will & Grace” and became a social media sensation during the pandemic, died Monday after he crashed his car into a tree in Hollywood, his agent said.
“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.”
Jordan, 67, was pronounced dead at the scene at 9:38 a.m. after firefighters responding to reports of a collision at Cahuenga Boulevard and Romaine Street found him “pulseless and non-breathing” in a gray sedan, authorities said.
His agent said it is suspected that Jordan suffered “some sort of medical emergency” that caused him to lose control of the vehicle.
Fox Entertainment said Monday that Jordan had completed taping nine episodes of its sitcom “Call Me Kat.” The latest will air as scheduled Thursday, but with an added “in memoriam” segment about the actor who played Phil, the company said.
Born April 29, 1955, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the diminutive Jordan (he was 4-foot-11) carved out a thriving career on the small screen playing small but often scene-stealing roles on shows from “Murphy Brown” and “Boston Public” to “Star Trek: Voyage,” “American Horror Story” and “Hearts Afire.”
“The world is definitely a much darker place today without the love and light of Leslie Jordan. 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,” Sarabeth Schedeen, Jordan’s talent agent, said in a statement to CNN.
“Beyond his talents, Leslie’s gifts of bringing joy to those he touched, his ability to connect with people of all ages, his humility, kindness and his sweetness will be sorely missed by all,” his attorney Eric Feig said in a statement.
Jordan was involved in a car accident on Monday morning in Hollywood and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the LA County coroner, who identified Jordan, and a spokesperson for the LA Fire Department.
But he was best known to television audiences as Beverley Leslie — the nemesis of the Karen Walker character played by Megan Mullally — who comes out as gay in one of the show’s most memorable episodes.
Declaring Jordan, who was openly gay, a “national treasure,” the Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics last year awarded him its Timeless Star career achievement honor.
In a statement Monday, GLAAD CEO Sarah Kate Ellis called him “a loyal friend to so many LGBTQ organizations.”
During the pandemic, Jordan’s Instagram posts, which he filed twice daily from an Airbnb near his mother’s house in Chattanooga, made him famous to a new generation of fans.
“What are y’all doing?” Jordan would typically begin before launching into his often hilarious ruminations, delivered in a thick Southern drawl, on life in lockdown.
In his 2009 book “My Trip Down the Pink Carpet,” Jordan documented his move from Tennessee to Hollywood in 1982. He “boarded a Greyhound bus bound for LA with $1,200 sewn into his underpants and never looked back,” a publisher’s description of the book read.
The actor found work on television in shows like “The Fall Guy,” “Designing Women” and “The People Next Door.”
Jordan originated the role of Earl “Brother Boy” Ingram in the award-winning play “Sordid Lives,” which he reprised in the 2000 independent film adaption.
In his 2009 book “My Trip Down the Pink Carpet,” Jordan documented his move from Tennessee to Hollywood in 1982. He “boarded a Greyhound bus bound for LA with $1,200 sewn into his underpants and never looked back,” a publisher’s description of the book read.
The actor found work on television in shows like “The Fall Guy,” “Designing Women” and “The People Next Door.”
Jordan originated the role of Earl “Brother Boy” Ingram in the award-winning play “Sordid Lives,” which he reprised in the 2000 independent film adaption. He was a fan-favorite for his recurring role as Karen’s friend Beverley Leslie on “Will & Grace.” He also appeared in “American Horror Story” and “The Cool Kids.”
The platform also became a place where Jordan shared about his struggles, memories and family stories (many about his beloved mama) through the prism of humor.
Jordan talked to CNN’s Anderson Cooper about his past substance abuse and being sober for more than 20 years.
“People say ‘Well how do you get sober, what’s the best way,’” Jordan said. “Yeah, well 120 days in the jailhouse in Los Angeles. That will sober you up.”
In one post, Jordan recalled a guard who took pity on how much Jordan disliked incarceration and informed him that they had Robert Downey Jr. (who decades ago made headlines for a few brushes with the law) in custody and would be releasing Jordan and giving Downey Jr. his bed.
“Pod A, cell 13, top bunk,” Jordan recalled. “I feel responsible for most of Robert Downey Jr.’s success. Honey, I gave him a bed.”
Jordan also published a book called “How Y’all Doing? Misadventures and Mischief from a Life Well Lived.” His first book, “My Trip Down the Pink Carpet,” published in 2008, chronicled his early days in Hollywood and his struggles with substance abuse.
“That sort of dealt with all the angst and growing up gay in the Baptist Church and la, la, la, la, la,” Jordan said in an Associated Press interview last year.