The Devastating Death Of Leslie Jordan

Leslie Jordan, the immediately recognizable actor with a distinct look and voice, has passed at the age of 67. As reported by TMZ, Jordan's death occurred on Monday morning, October 24, 2022, and it is believed that he suffered some kind of medical condition that resulted in him crashing his car into the side of a building. At this point in time, details are fairly sparse as to what the medical condition might have been, and the death will be investigated to see if he died before, during, or after the automobile accident, which occurred at 9:30 in the morning. Jordan was declared dead at the scene, according to the LA Times.

Jordan was born in Memphis, Tennessee on April 29, 1955, and he was raised in a deeply conservative and religious family (via Philly Magazine). Suffering the loss of his father at the age of 11 due to a plane crash, he later moved to Los Angeles in order to pursue a career in entertainment after briefly considering the role of a horse jockey due to his relatively short stature. Referring to this moment in his life, Jordan spoke with The Guardian in April 2021, and said, "I got on a bus in 1982, from the hills of Tennessee. I had $1,200 sewn into my underpants by my mother and I arrived in LA and found West Hollywood, which is where I currently live."

Jordan was beloved for several roles in his career and experienced a late surge in popularity in the last few years thanks to his social media presence.

Referring to IMDb, one can see that Leslie Jordan has 134 acting credits, and he has stolen scenes in "Will & Grace" as Beverley Leslie, and in "American Horror Story" in several roles like a powerful witch, a psychic medium, and a browbeaten assistant. Jordan also appeared in "Dharma & Greg," "Caroline in the City," and most recently "Call Me Kat," to just name a few more of his works. His first break was in the 1980s television show "The Fall Guy," where he played a small bit part. From there, Jordan utilized his distinct sound, look, and comedy to garner more and more work. During the COVID-related lockdowns, Jordan quickly built up a following on Instagram that saw his 88,000 followers balloon to 5.8 million, which eventually led to him co-hosting CNN's 2021 New Year's Countdown alongside Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper (via TMZ).

Speaking with NME in April 2021, Jordan spoke about his growing popularity, and said, "People think I'm an overnight success, but I've been doing this for 40 years now. In the past I've had certain levels of fame – especially with 'Will & Grace' – but it's nothing compared to how it's been lately. I used to love sitting in Starbucks with my tea and four different newspapers, but I can't do that now. People come by and ask for a picture, and I'm so gracious that I'm not gonna say no." 

Jordan's final two acting credits are for the upcoming "Strangers in a Strange Land," which is in post-production, and "Ron.," which was only in pre-production so it's likely Jordan hadn't filmed anything for it yet.