Actor Leslie Jordan Dies at 67
Actor Leslie Jordan died on the morning of October 24, 2022, when his car crashed into the side of a building in Hollywood. Authorities indicated that he had suffered a medical emergency.
Jordan was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1955 and raised as a Southern Baptist. When he realized that he was gay, he left the church. He later said, “It’s hard to embrace something that doesn’t embrace you.” He moved to Hollywood in 1982 with $1,200 sewn into his underwear.
Before he gained fame as an actor, Jordan spent some years abusing drugs and alcohol. He was incarcerated several times, including one brief period with actor Robert Downey Jr. They later worked together on the TV show “Ally McBeal.”
Jordan achieved sobriety at the age of 42, and he spoke openly about his past. He said, “I think there’s some sort of divine reason that I got sober when I did, because I had to do the work. I don’t know where I’d be, if I didn’t.”
The four-foot-eleven actor famously played Beverly Leslie on “Will & Grace,” for which he won an Emmy, and he appeared on “American Horror Story.” More recently, he starred alongside Mayim Bialik on “Call Me Kat,” and he was in post-production on “Strangers in a Strange Land.” He had planned to star with Margaret Cho in a film called “Ron.”
During the pandemic, while he was on lockdown with family in Tennessee, Jordan gained new fans on social media. He entertained millions on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter.
Ultimately, Jordan returned to the church he had left in his youth. In 2021, he released a gospel album, “Company’s Comin’,” which included contributions from Dolly Parton, Eddie Vedder, and Tanya Tucker.
Jordan wrote two books about his life: “My Trip Down the Pink Carpet” and “How Y’all Doing? Misadventures and Mischief from a Life Well Lived.” Both were best sellers. Jordan said, “Sometimes I don’t own what I’ve done. This is a big deal, to have written a book that’s a bestseller. But I’ve said before the only thing fame brings you is a platform. That’s all it brings you. And then you either give or take. And I want to give.”
Learn more about Leslie Jordan in his own words.
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SOURCES
France, Lisa Respers and Melas, Chloe. “Leslie Jordan, beloved actor and social media star, dead at 67.” CNN, October 24, 2022, https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/24/entertainment/leslie-jordan-dead
Kirkland, Justin. “Going to Church with Leslie Jordan.” Esquire, June 16, 2021, https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/music/a36718725/leslie-jordan-interview-companys-coming/
Limbong, Andrew. “Actor and comedian Leslie Jordan dead at 67.” NPR, October 24, 2022, https://www.npr.org/2022/10/24/1131127889/leslie-jordan-will-and-grace
Martinez, Gina. “Comedian Leslie Jordan, known for his roles on “Will & Grace” and “American Horror Story,” dies at 67.” CBS News, October 24, 2022, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/leslie-jordan-dies-at-67-comedian-will-grace-american-horror-story/
Wright, Tracy. “Leslie Jordan dead at 67.” FOX News, October 24, 2022, https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/leslie-jordan-dead-67
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