The cast and crew of “Call Me Kat” were waiting on set for Leslie Jordan to arrive when they learned of the actor’s death, star Mayim Bialik recalled in a new interview.
Jordan died in a single-car crash in Los Angeles last October at age 67.
“It was a sudden thing,” Bialik said on Tuesday’s episode of “The Jennifer Hudson Show.”
“We were all at work and waiting for him to show up at work, so it was very, very complicated to have the whole crew and the whole cast,” she said. “We were a family. We were one of the first shows back, actually, after the lockdown. We were all in our homes, and then the people we got to spend the most time with was each other. We kind of became this little COVID unit.”
Jordan died of sudden cardiac dysfunction and cardiovascular disease, according to an autopsy released in January.
The actor starred on “Call Me Kat” as Phil, the head baker at a cafe run by Bialik’s title character. Fox paused production on the sitcom following the actor’s death, and described Jordan in a tribute as “the kindest person you could ever imagine who simply lit up a room.”
The 4-foot-11 actor appeared in more than 100 roles, including his “Will & Grace” portrayal of Beverley Leslie, a socialite rival of Megan Mullally’s Karen Walker. Jordan’s upbeat Instagram videos drew widespread attention during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“He loved that. He loved being approachable,” said Bialik, who is also known for “The Big Bang Theory” and for hosting “Jeopardy!” “He loved being loved. ... We want him to live forever.”
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