Leslie Jordan, actor and internet sensation, has died at 67 | Catch My Job

Jordan’s agent, David Shaul of talent agency BRS/Gage, said in a statement that “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 a joy to work with, but he provided emotional refuge to the nation during one of its most difficult times,” Shaul wrote, referring to Instagram videos Jordan took during the lockdown. “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 left the world at the peak of his professional and personal life is the only comfort he can have today.”

In an April 2020 interview with The Washington Post, Jordan said he joined Instagram at the urging of CEO Tess Sanchez Greenfield, who said it would be “perfect for you.” His following grew quickly as his videos were widely shared — first by fellow cast members like Megan Mulally, he said, and then by complete strangers. At one point, according to Jordan, he “once posted something a little unusual and something called ‘best of Grindr,’ a hookup kind of site, posted that.”

At the time, Jordan didn’t fully understand his rise to internet fame – “Who are these people? I had no idea,” he recalls of his initial response to the rise in followers – but embraced it anyway.

“But either way, it’s all good,” he told The Post. “It’s all good to be 65 years old and have a million followers on the Internet.” It’s not the path I planned, but you go with the flow.”

In addition to his comedic talents, Jordan has earned praise for being open about his sexuality. He spoke about what it was like to be a gay man who grew up in the church on Shania Twain’s radio show last year: “I’m a firm believer that God made me this way,” he said. “I’m not a mistake.”

After learning of Jordan’s death, playwright Jeremy O. Harris tweeted that Jordan “was really one of the spirits that made aging as a queer man more exciting than existing in the present.”

Eric McCormack, who played the titular Will in “Will & Grace,” wrote that he was “devastated to learn of the loss of … the funniest and most flirtatious Southern gentleman I ever knew” who brought “joy and laughter” to the series. “It’s gone thirty years too soon,” he added. “You were loved, dear man.”

Actor Sean Hayes, who also starred in the long-running show, shared a photo of himself with Jordan and he wrote on Twitter that “Leslie Jordan was one of the funniest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. Everyone who ever met him loved him. There will never be anyone like him.”

Jackie Harry, who tweeted that she is “totally heartbroken,” she shared a clip of Jordan appearing alongside her on the sitcom “The Cool Kids.” She continued, “This man was never afraid to act like a fool! The smiles he brought to our faces cannot be counted. They are endless.”

Actress Marlee Matlin he remembered working with Jordan in her first television series Reasonable Doubt, adding that he is “at the top of his game and has a lot to look forward to.”

Mayor Tim Kelly of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Jordan’s hometown, shared a photo of himself with Jordan and the actor described on Twitter as “a Chattanooga legend and national treasure who brought joy and hope to millions, leaving behind a lasting legacy of love and acceptance.”

Actresses Lynda Carter and Hannah Woddingham were among those who noted how Jordan’s videos cheered them up during the pandemic: “What a feat to have us all laughing and connecting during such difficult times,” Carter said. “It feels so cruel that this could happen to such a beautiful soul.”

Waddingham expressed her gratitude for Jordan’s “selfless warmth and humor during the closing of the world,” adding that she felt “so blessed to have been able to tell you in person what you meant to me.”