LOS ANGELES — Actor Leslie Jordan, who died after a car accident in Los Angeles on Monday, was also an Instagram star beloved for the amusing and uplifting stories he shared with his 5.8 million followers.
In August, he brought joy to many belated first-time homeowners when he announced that, at age 67, he had just bought his first piece of property.
“It’s never too late to be happy, y’all. I really did it. I bought my first piece of …………. property,” Jordan said in an Instagram video he posted Aug. 13.
In the reel, the “Will & Grace” and “American Horror Story” star spun along with the camera around the empty condo, showing a balcony view of several units behind it, while singing the theme to “The Jeffersons” sitcom in his signature Southern drawl.
“Movin’ on up to the East Side, to a deluxe apartment in the sky. Movin’ on up, to the East Side, we finally got a piece of the pie,” Jordan sang.
It’s unclear where the property is located. But weeks later, when he was practicing a tap-dance number, Jordan quipped that he would "(h)ate to be the people living below me in my new condo building.”
Born and bred in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the longtime actor and writer became a social-media star during the COVID-19 pandemic, dubbing himself an “Instagram maven” while sharing funny and self-deprecating videos with his fellow “hunker downers.”
He launched a “Pillow Talk” series, where he snuggled up with a pillow and told comfort food tales of Hollywood, posted videos of him dancing to Lisa Rinna’s aerobics class. Those informal jam sessions even led to Jordan releasing a star-studded album of country gospel and hymns last year.
In an interview with The Times last year, the “How Y’all Doing?: Misadventures and Mischief From a Life Well Lived” author reflected on his newfound success.
“A friend of mine called from California and said, ‘You have gone viral.’ And I said, ‘No, honey, I’m fine. I don’t have COVID,’” he joked. “I don’t know how I did it because now I scramble for content. Every day, I’m thinking, ‘Oh, my God! I need to post. What should I come up with?’”
The posts kept coming, his more recent Instagram content remained on brand with his Southern charm. They include him sharing his coming-out story.
On Monday, the “Call Me Kat” actor was declared dead at the scene after a BMW he was driving crashed into the side of a building at Cahuenga Boulevard and Romaine Street in Hollywood.
It was not immediately clear whether Jordan was killed in the crash or suffered a medical emergency beforehand, but the condition of the vehicle suggested Jordan may have lost control of the car before the crash, sources told The Times.
Shortly thereafter, news of his death landed on his Instagram grid after followers had flooded his recent posts with comments expressing grief and condolences.
“The love and light that Leslie shared will never go out and we invite you to share their memories and comfort each other during this time,” his account’s latest post said. “In the coming days we will be giving a glimpse of a project Leslie was really proud of and was looking forward to sharing with the world.”
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