Making people laugh is no easy task. Trying to make people laugh and find joy in a pandemic is an even more arduous task. But a  4’11’’ man from Chattanooga, Tennessee,  accomplished this with ease and poise. 

   On October 24th news broke that beloved actor and social media star Leslie Jordan died at the tender age of 67. Early morning on the 24th in Los Angeles, reports stated that Jordan was involved in a car crash due to a medical emergency.

    Sarabeth Schedeen, Jordan’s talent agent, released this statement hours after the actor’s death; “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 had left the world at the height of both his professional and personal life  is the only solace one can have today.”

   Jordan was known for his roles on the NBC hit sitcom, “Will & Grace” and the FOX hit sitcom “Call Me Kat”. Some of his co-stars took to social media to share their condolences and fondest memories with the actor. 

   “My heart is broken. Leslie Jordan was one of the funniest people I ever had the pleasure of working with. Everyone who ever met him, loved him. There will never be anyone like him. A unique talent with an enormous caring heart. Leslie, you will be missed, my dear friend,” said Sean Hayes, Jordan’s co-star.

   “There aren’t that many people who are truly great at anything. But Leslie was flawlessly funny, a virtuoso of comedy. His timing, his delivery, were all apparently effortless. You can’t get any better than that. I love you, Leslie. Miss you already. And one thing I know for sure… there will never be another you,” said co-star and close friend Megan Mullally.

  His most recent co-star and friend, Mayim Bialik, also weighed in with sweet words of remembrance: “He was a southern gentleman; tender, wise, naughty, and hilarious. We got to know and love him at the height of his happiness and joy and it is inconceivable to imagine a world without our Leslie; the man who would spit on his contact lenses before putting them in his eyes, the man who had a story about every man in Hollywood and some of the women as well, the man who lived to make people laugh. They broke the mold when they made Leslie Jordan. I will miss him so much – it’s unimaginable that he’s gone. Rest well, sweet buddy.”

 For those who didn’t know of Jordan’s acclaimed shows, they would know of his ever-growing Instagram presence.

    During the height of the pandemic, Jordan provided short videos for his many viewers that detailed his life during quarantine. During these few short minutes, people found comic relief and connected more with not only Jordan, but also his followers around the world. Before his death, his Instagram account now has nearly 6 million followers.

   Before his death, Jordan sat down with the media source Pride Source to talk about his acclaimed fame on social media; “I blew up,” Jordan shared. “Give me a good pandemic and I flourish.” 

   Also in this interview, Jordan is asked how he would want to be remembered and he responded by simply saying, “I think I want to be remembered, like a Dolly Parton. Nobody had a bad word.”

Thank you, Leslie. May you rest in peace.