The finale garnered 18million American viewers,[37] making it the most-watched entertainment telecast in six years. Rooted in his church upbringing, those videos inspired him to make an album of country gospel, 2021s Companys Comin, which featured guests such as Dolly Parton and Brandi Carlile. Will became what he describes as a "lady of leisure" for Hal Linden's Alan Mills, while Jack agreed to a date with a cranky elderly gentleman named Bertram. Following Radner's death from ovarian cancer in 1989, Wilder focused on his interests in painting, writing, and philanthropy, though he returned to acting for several short-lived series and a pair of successful TV-movie mysteries. CORRECTION (Oct. 24, 2022, 5:20 PM): A previous version of this article misspelled the first name of the character Jordan played on Will & Grace. It is Beverley, not Beverly. [85], McCormack has been married to Janet Leigh Holden, whom he met on the set of Lonesome Dove,[12] since August 1997. Mars gave memorably funny performances in TV and features for decades, many of which showcased his talents for accents and comic voices: he was the deranged Franz Liebkind in Mel Brooks' original "Producers" and the one-armed Inspector Kemp in "Young Frankenstein," and played Francis's inept German boss on "Malcolm in the Middle." The downward spiral of their relationship reminded Will and Grace to curtail their own penchant for cutting each other down, even in jest. 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. Though he earned an Oscar nomination for "Cross Creek" in 1983, stardom largely eluded Torn until he was cast as Artie, the no-nonsense producer of "The Larry Sanders Show." For much of the late 1990s, he lived in Los Angeles and had minor roles. His fame grew while starring in NBCs Will & Grace, as well as stints on Ryan Murphys American Horror Story franchise and The Cool Kids, in which he played queer, confident senior citizen Sid Delacroix. USA TODAY. Many "Will & Grace" guest stars continue to perform in their own projects today, while a select handful died due to old age or other issues over the course of the 20-plus years since its first episode. [79], McCormack has set up his own production company called Big Cattle Productions to develop ideas for television. : Artificial Insemination." Reynolds was a major star during the Golden Age of Hollywood: she was not yet out of her teens when she co-starred with Gene Kelly in "Singin' in the Rain," and displayed her talent for singing, dancing, and light comedy in films like "The Tender Trap," "The Mating Game" and "The Rat Race." The actor played the role of Leo Markus, Grace's doctor ex-hubby in over 25 episodes. He is also known for "Sordid Lives," playing Earl "Brother Boy" Ingram in the stage production as well as both the film adaptation and the television spinoff. 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. Tim Stelloh is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. After his death, a spokesman for Jordan released a statement saying the world was a darker place. [5] McCormack has Scottish ancestry. He turned over his Instagram account to Deesha Dyer, a former Cabinet member of the Obama administration, to lead a conversation on systemic racism. He was 67. Morrison worked on other series and features while on the NBC comedy, including a run as the voice of Mrs. Portillo on Disney Jr.'s "Handy Manny." "The world is definitely a much darker place today without the love and light of Leslie Jordan," David Shaul said. Appearances on "The Golden Girls" and "Wings" preceded her Emmy-nominated run on "Will & Grace," which she followed with a string of wry comic performances in films like Albert Brooks's "Mother" (which earned her a Golden Globe nomination), "In & Out," and the popular Disney TV-movie franchise "Halloweentown." Will and Grace Lose Their "Homojo . Leslie Jordan, 'Will & Grace' actor, dies at 67 His witty Instagram posts made him a social media sensation during the pandemic. Among the throng of relatives is comic actor Kenneth Mars as Grace's Uncle Sid, whom Grace identifies by his primary medical ailment ("acid reflux"). "[57] Mary McNamara of the Los Angeles Times wrote that McCormack and Cavanagh "manage to keep their characters sharply defined but low-key. In February 2015, he guest-starred on an episode of NBC's The Mysteries of Laura which stars Debra Messing, his former co-star on Will & Grace. Valdez was raised in San Diego and attended La Sierra University in Riverside, where he edited the campus newspaper. 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. Jordan's agent, David Shaul, had said Jordan was likely to have suffered a medical emergency that caused him to lose control of his car. [47] In the miniseries, he played Jack Nash, a television reporter who battles an addiction to cocaine. In April 2017, the episode order was increased to 12 episodes. Pleshette was best known to television audiences as Emily Hartley on "The Bob Newhart Show," for which she earned two of her four Emmy nominations (the others were for a 1961 episode of "Dr. Kildare" and the title role in the 1990 TV movie "Leona Helmsley: The Queen of Mean"). I dont have COVID, Jordan joked in one of the videos. In Season 6's "A Gay/December Romance," Will and Jack attended an opening at an art gallery, where both met and connected with older men. Bean also appeared in numerous features, including "Anatomy of a Murder" in 1959, Joe Dante's "Innerspace," and Spike Jonze's "Being John Malkovich," which earned him a shared Screen Actors Guild nomination with the cast. Jordan also published a book called How Yall Doing? "[20] The show debuted on September 21, 1998, and was watched by almost 8.6million American viewers. [35] The film premiered at the 2005 Tribeca Film Festival. RIP!. But to Will's dismay, Nathan found Will's antipathy positively charming. [94], McCormack sang both the American and Canadian national anthems at the 2004 NHL All-Star game in Minnesota. You were truly one of the spirits that made aging as a queer man feel more exciting than existing in the present, wrote Tony Award-nominated playwright Jeremy O. Harris. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. LOS ANGELES "Will & Grace" actor Leslie Jordan, who was found without a pulse after a car crash in Hollywood last year, died of sudden cardiac dysfunction, officials said Thursday. [17] He was cast in the 1997 made-for-television movie Borrowed Hearts, where he portrayed a selfish businessman who learns to love, and in the HBO film Exception to the Rule, in which he played a cheating husband. Jonah Valdez is a reporter at the Los Angeles Times. In a June 2020 interview with the New York Times, Jordan said his queer identity allowed him to find solidarity during the uprisings following the murder of George Floyd. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, Jordan's vehicle crashed into a wall in Hollywood around 9:30 a.m. local time. She diedat the age of 84 following a stroke on December 28, 2016, one day after the death of her daughter, actress and author Carrie Fisher. From that moment there was no question. 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The series, set around a fictional advertising firm, starred McCormack as Mason McGuire, the firm's newly promoted creative director, and deals with his best friend's (Cavanagh) unpredictable behavior. Eric McCormack continued his role of Will Truman for all of the announced seasons of the revival. Cookies help us deliver our Services. Will Meets James (Taye Diggs) Dressed as Captain von Trapp - Will & Grace. [34] The following year, McCormack starred in the film The Sisters, based on Anton Chekhov's play Three Sisters. Before joining The Times as a member of the 2021-22 Los Angeles Times Fellowship class, he worked for the Southern California News Group, where he covered breaking news and wrote award-winning feature stories on topics such as mass shootings, labor and human trafficking, and movements for racial justice. Phoenix and her sister said they admired how he represented the LGBTQ community. 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. Diana Dasrath is entertainment producer and senior reporter for NBC News covering all platforms. He also appeared in "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" and numerous other films. Rosario did not return for the show's revival in 2017 and died off-screen in Season 9's "Rosario's Quinceaera," for which Karen sends off her frenemy with a celebration she never enjoyed in life. "At the end of the audition, Max Mutchnick, co-creator and executive producer of the show said 'That was perfect. Gone about thirty years too soon. Menu Movies Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight TV Shows [13], McCormack made his Canadian television debut in the 1986 movie The Boys from Syracuse. Mars, who also worked with directors ranging from George Roy Hill ("Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid") and Woody Allen ("Radio Days") to Peter Bogdanovich ("What's Up, Doc? He earned six Emmy nominations and one win for his performance, and would gain two more Emmy nods for a 1994 guest shot on "Chicago Hope" and as TV exec Don Geiss on "30 Rock.". "), died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 75 on February 12, 2011. Debra Messing, who plays Grace, Harry Connick Jr., who plays Leo, Eric McCormack, who plays Will, and Sean Hayes, who plays Jack, have been successful in films and on TV. His appearances included "Men in Black," Disney's "Hercules," "The Insider," and "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story." Leslie Jordan Dead at 67 The beloved character actor was most famous for his scene-stealing roles in shows including Will & Grace, Call Me Kat and American Horror Story By Lanford Beard and. CLIP 05/14/20. I came from Tennessee to L.A., and I had a little bit of money and I had my degree in theater. [13] McCormack recalls that after performing in Godspell, his feelings toward becoming an actor solidified and he decided to pursue a career in acting. Character actor Miguel Ferrer got a terrific showcase for his comic talents in Season 1's "Saving Grace," which cast him as an arrogant publicist who considered Grace as a decorator for his house. The Colleton County jury deliberated for less than three hours Thursday before finding Murdaugh guilty of killing his 22-year-old son, Paul, with a shotgun and his 52-year-old wife, Maggie, with a . Leslie Jordan, the actor, comedian and musician known for his roles in Will & Grace and American Horror Story and for his uplifting pandemic Instagram videos, died after a car crash Monday in Hollywood. LOS ANGELES Leslie Jordan, the actor whose wry Southern drawl and versatility made him a comedy and drama standout on TV series including "Will & Grace" and "American Horror Story," has. Leslie Jordan, a comedian and actor best known for his roles in "Will & Grace" and "American Horror Story," has died. Atherosclerosis is the thickening or hardening of the arteries caused by a build-up of plaque. Mars also voiced numerous animated characters, including King Triton in "The Little Mermaid" and the "Kingdom Hearts" games, and Grandpa Longneck in the "Land Before Time" series. His acting career, which included episodes of "The Twilight Zone" and "Have GunWill Travel," coincided with his directorial debut, which began in 1961 and soon encompassed episodes of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" and an episode of "Bob Hope Presents The Chrysler Theater," which earned him his first Emmy He followed his debut feature, 1965's "The Slender Thread," with a string of hit movies in the 1970s, many featuring Redford like "Jeremiah Johnson," "The Way We Were," "Three Days of the Condor," and "The Electric Horseman.". More recently, Jordan was starring in the Fox sitcom Call Me Kat, which premiered its third season last month. Character actor Wendie Jo Sperber, who played April in "My Fair Maid-y," was a brassy, funny presence in features and on television for decades. I mean, sexual orientation aside, Will was so much like me. Joanna Weiss of the Boston Globe wrote, "The presence of Eric McCormack, as an intrepid TV reporter, is especially extraneous (no disrespect to intrepid reporters). 1 on iTunes Charts, 36 songs, no apologies: Morgan Wallen delivers more (much more) of what made him countrys king, Joy Behar kicks off Joys Banned Book Club with gay-penguin tale And Tango Makes Three, Paramount to pay $122.5 million to settle lawsuit over CBS deal, Jussie Smollett finally appeals his conviction stemming from 2019 hate-crime hoax. TMZ reported that he appeared to. After his passing, it was revealed the beloved actor had been experiencing a strange symptom in the days beforehand. [95] McCormack is a supporter of same-sex marriage and attended a march in Fresno, California, on May 30, 2009, after the Supreme Court of California upheld a ban on same-sex marriage approved by voters in November by ballot Proposition 8. [46], In 2008, McCormack co-starred in the A&E television miniseries The Andromeda Strain, a remake of the 1971 movie based on the novel by Michael Crichton. I dont know how I did it because now I scramble for content. Every day, Im thinking, Oh, my God! Leslie Jordan, a veteran actor and comedian whose credits include "Will & Grace" and "Call Me Kat," died Monday morning after driving his car into a building. Leslie Jordans agent says star had medical emergency while driving, found without a pulse after a car crash in Hollywood last year. Heres a sampling of his best quotes. Stiller went on to significant fame on "Seinfeld" and "King of Queens," while Meara worked steadily on TV, earning one of four career Emmy nominations for the short-lived series "Kate McShane," and appearing on numerous series, including "ALF," "Sex and the City," "Oz," and "Archie Bunker's Place. Im really divided whether I would go on Instagram or anything about it, Jordan said. John Carman of the San Francisco Chronicle commented that McCormack and costar Debra Messing (who played Will's best friend Grace Adler) worked "nicely" together. Suzanne Pleshette played Lois in three episodes of "Will & Grace," including Season 6's "Looking for Mr. Good Enough," in which she tricks Grace into redecorating her apartment. While working on a film project for Karen's birthday in Season 4's "Someone Old, Someplace New," Jack meets her long-estranged mother, Lois, and decides to bring the pair together. The star, known for his roles in Will and Grace and American Horror Story, was killed in a car crash in Los . Jan. 19, 2023, 4:46 PM PST. In many of his Instagram videos, Jordan shared stories of the difficulties growing up gay in a religious environment with a father who served in the military. Jordan was behind the wheel of a BMW when he crashed into the side of a building at Cahuenga Boulevard and Romaine Street at 9:30 a.m., Los Angeles Police Department Officer Lizeth Lomeli told The Times. Talking to the Los Angeles Times to promote the album, Jordan reflected on his journey in Hollywood. Murdoch has survived scandal after scandal. Jordan became a hit on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic, entertaining the world with playful and lighthearted videos, which often went viral, on Instagram. Playing Mrs. Friedman in "Star-Spangled Banter" was Anne Meara, who partnered with her husband, actor Jerry Stiller, as a successful comedy duo during the 1960s and 1970s. The actor then revealed that he struggled more with being effeminate than with being gay. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. 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.. [73] In 2018, McCormack received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the television industry.[74]. [5][14] McCormack commented that it was a "fantastic role". At 65, Leslie Jordan is an Instagram star with a new TV show, book and debut album of old hymns featuring Dolly Parton, Brandi Carlile and Eddie Vedder. I knew exactly what I was going to do. "You want heat?" The latter includes her relationship with Jack, whom she invites to Hanukah dinner instead of Grace. Some mourners also celebrated Jordan, who was openly gay, as an LGBTQ icon who expanded the possibilities of queer identity on and off the screen. One of the keys to the series' long network runit originally aired from 1998 to 2006 and returned for three more seasons in 2017was its long list of supporting cast members and guest stars. He opened a lot of doors for the whole community, he said. He earned an Emmy for outstanding guest actor in a comedy series for his work in 2006. "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.". Murdaugh's fall from grace ends in life sentence for murder. In August, the actor who died Monday said he had recently bought his first piece of property. Though best remembered for her TV work, which included "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter," "Good Morning Miami," "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," and "The Fugitive," Pleshette also earned a Golden Globe nomination for Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" and appeared in features like "Support Your Local Gunfighter" and "Nevada Smith" with Steve McQueen. ", Character actor Don Perry played Bertram on "Gay/December Romance." [72] In October 2010, McCormack received a star on Canada's Walk of Fame. Positive critical and audience reception for her "West Wing" performance led to more high-profile work for Joosten, including a recurring role as an incarnation of God on "Joan of Arcadia," appearances on "Scrubs," "The X-Files" and "My Name is Earl" (as Earl's mother), and a supporting role in "Wedding Crashers." [14] He left Ryerson in 1985, several months before graduating, to accept a position with the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Ontario, where he spent five seasons performing. Ferrer became a go-to performer for intense types on both sides of the law, a persona he parlayed in projects ranging from the original "Twin Peaks" series and Steven Soderberg's "Traffic" to Jonathan Demme's remake of "The Manchurian Candidate" and "Iron Man 3." McCormack appeared in several television series, including Top Cops, Street Justice, Lonesome Dove: The Series, Townies, and Ally McBeal. The joy and laughter he brought to every one of his #WillandGrace episodes was palpable. While there, they discover more than $40,000 stashed under a bed. [13] He appeared in the 1992 theatrical films The Lost World, based on Conan Doyle's novel of the same name and in its sequel, Return to the Lost World, also released in 1992. The actor won an outstanding guest actor Emmy award in 2005 for his role in Will and Grace. "[3], McCormack graduated from high school in 1982[5] and then enrolled at Ryerson University School of Theatre in Toronto to further improve his acting. 'Will & Grace' actor Leslie Jordan has died at 67 after his car crashed into a building Rebecca Cohen and Libby Torres Leslie Jordan co-hosts the announcement of nominees for the 94th Annual Academy Awards on February 08, 2022. Leslie Jordan, the actor, comedian and musician known for his roles in "Will & Grace" and "American Horror Story" and for his uplifting pandemic Instagram videos, died after a car crash. Sources told TMZ the comedian had been feeling unwell and had even scheduled an appointment to see a cardiologist. Remembering actor Leslie Jordan after his death at age 67. Cutell was an impish and eclectic presence in features and on television and stage for more than four decades. [41] He plays a writer who is ready to settle down and marry, but decides to visit four ex-girlfriends first. However, it was on "Will & Grace," playing the role of Beverley Leslie during the original run and on the revival when he truly made his comedic mark on the small screen. Torn's TV fame also boosted his film career in the 1990s. He wrote several memoirs during his life, including 2008's "My Trip Down the Pink Carpet," and most recently with 2021's "How Y'all Doing? Will & Grace is an American television sitcom created by Max Mutchnick and David Kohan.Set in New York City, the show focuses on the friendship between best friends Will Truman (Eric McCormack), a gay lawyer, and Grace Adler (Debra Messing), a straight interior designer.The show was broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998, to May 18, 2006, for a total of eight seasons, and returned to NBC on . What are yall doing? Jordan would typically begin before launching into his often hilarious ruminations, delivered in a thick Southern drawl, on life in lockdown. Both grew up watching Jordan on Will & Grace and were among the millions who tuned into his amusing pandemic dispatches. [12], Also in 1997, he had minor roles in the comedy shows Townies, Veronica's Closet, and Ally McBeal. He soon settled into steady work in both mediums, and appeared to specialize in playing older professional types: judges on "My Name is Earl" and "Coach," doctors ("ER"), priests ("Everybody Loves Raymond"), and more than his share of grandparents ("The Drew Carey Show") and characters who simply bore the name "Old Man" ("Malcolm in the Middle," "Southland," "That '70s Show," etc.). Joey Wiser and Felipe Araipa also dropped by on their way home to visit the memorial. Died on January 5, 2014, he played Uncle Winnie, Grace's uncle. [12] There, he enrolled in theatre classes and performed in high school productions of Godspell and Pippin. The Colleton County jury deliberated for less than three hours Thursday before finding Murdaugh guilty of killing his 22-year-old son, Paul, with a shotgun and his 52-year-old wife, Maggie, with a . She netted an Academy Award nomination for "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" in 1964, and voiced the title role in the 1973 animated film "Charlotte's Web," but worked largely on stage in the 1970s and 1980s. Bean parlayed his quirky presence into dozens of acting roles on television from the mid-1950s through the 2010s, including appearances on the original "Twilight Zone," "7th Heaven," "How I Met Your Mother," and a recurring run on "Desperate Housewives" as the husband of Kathryn Joosten's Karen McCluskey. 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, the spokesperson said, referring to Jordans popular COVID lockdown videos. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Its now been revealed Leslie died after a sudden cardiac dysfunction, according to a coroners report. When I got off the bus in 1982, I had $1,200. He would often use the line,How yall doin?. [82][83], McCormack recorded a song, "The Greatest Discovery", which was written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin in 1970, for the 2006 album Unexpected Dreams Songs From the Stars. [40], Following the end of Will & Grace, McCormack starred on the New York stage opposite Fran Drescher, Judy Reyes, Brooke Smith, and Maura Tierney, in Neil LaBute's off-Broadway play Some Girl(s) at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. '"[12] He explained that when he first read the script, "what hit me immediately was that this was me. She first captured audiences' attention as a devoted Beatles fan in Robert Zemeckis' "I Want to Hold Your Hand," and reunited with the director for "Back to the Future" (as Marty McFly's sister, Lisa), "Back to the Future Part III," and "Used Cars." 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