In this image released on April 18, Leslie Jordan speaks onstage at the 56th Academy of Country Music Awards at the Grand Ole Opry on April 18, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Kevin Mazur | Getty Images
LOS ANGELES — Leslie Jordan, who won an Emmy playing the conniving Beverly Leslie on “Will & Grace” and became a social media sensation during the pandemic, died Monday after crashing his car into a wall while driving in Hollywood, his spokesman said.
“The world is definitely a much darker place today without the love and light of Leslie Jordan,” the spokesperson said.
Jordan, who was 67, was pronounced dead at the scene around 9:30 a.m. (PT) after officers responded to reports of a collision at Cahuenga Blvd. and Romaine St, police said.
Born April 29, 1955 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the diminutive Jordan (he was 4-foot-11) carved out a thriving career on the small screen playing small but often scene-stealing roles on shows ranging from from “Murphy Brown” and “Boston Public” to “Star Trek: Voyage,” “American Horror Story” and “Hearts Afire.”
But he was best known to television audiences as Beverly Leslie, the Karen character’s rival who comes out as Gay on the show in one of the most memorable episodes.
During the pandemic, however, it was his Instagram posts that made his famous to a new generation of fans.
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