Leslie Jordan rose to social media stardom for his pandemic-era videos and many fans are flocking to some of his most-watched clips to pay tribute to the actor and comedian who died at the age of 67.
The Emmy-winning actor reportedly died in a car crash in Hollywood Monday morning after suffering some type of medical incident.
"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 it's 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 has left the world at the height of both his professional and personal life is the only solace one can have today," Jordan's spokesperson said via phone call to NBC News.
Jordan, known for his diminutive 4' 11" height and who appeared in "Will & Grace," "The Cool Kids" and the film "The Help" among others, became something of an even more notable star during the pandemic with his musings on social media that became memes.
Jordan earned an unexpected new following in 2021 when he spent time during the pandemic lockdown near family in his hometown. He broke the sameness by posting daily videos of himself on Instagram.
Many of Jordan’s videos included him asking “How ya’ll doin?” and some included stories about Hollywood or his childhood growing up with identical twin sisters and their “mama,” as he called her. Other times he did silly bits like complete an indoor obstacle course.
“Someone called from California and said, ’Oh, honey, you’ve gone viral.’ And I said, ’No, no, I don’t have Covid. I’m just in Tennessee,” said Jordan. Celebrities including Michelle Pfeiffer, Jessica Alba and Anderson Cooper, along with brands such as Reebok and Lululemon, would post comments.
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When news of his passing broke, fans began commenting on some of his most popular early videos.
"Rest in peace sweet Leslie. I hope you are making God laugh as hard as you did all of us. You will be so missed darlin. You got us [through] the pandemic, what will we do [without] you?" one comment read.
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"Oh Leslie😢you are such a ray of sunshine. Rest in paradise. You are sorely missed," another stated.
Here's a look back at five hilarious videos that had fans remember the Instagram comedy icon:
Eventually, the spotlight led Jordan to new opportunities. Earlier this month he released a gospel album called “Company’s Comin’” featuring Dolly Parton, Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Eddie Vedder and Tanya Tucker. He wrote a new book, “How Y’all Doing?: Misadventures and Mischief from a Life Well Lived.”
In a final message to his beloved fans, Jordan posted a video on Instagram just one day before his death.
