Tuesday 25 October 2022

He made Blanche Devereaux sound like a trucker

We here at Dolores Delargo Towers are distraught at the news that the very lovely Leslie Jordan, award winning comedian and actor and, in his own words, "the gayest man I know", has died in a car crash.

He was famous, of course, for his waspish "Beverley Leslie" in Will & Grace (a show I never watched), but we first encountered him in the fabulous Sordid Lives movie; he was hilarious as the over-the-top Tammy Wynette impersonator "Brother Boy". He made such an impression that when his stand-up one-man show Leslie Jordan: Fruit Fly came to London in 2013 [from the review of which came the quote that is the title of this post], we just had to book!

His stage shows were wildly successful, and "our gang" thoroughly enjoyed My Trip Down the Pink Carpet at one of our recent "film club" get-togethers. Here's the trailer, for your delectation:

RIP, Leslie Jordan (29th April 1955 – 24th October 2022)

We'll miss y'all!

14 comments:

  1. I first became aware of him with Will and Grace. The show should have been named Beverly & Karen. Their timing and their characters boozy exchanges and nemesis relationship was very entertaining to watch even lethal shade at times. I could have watch a half hour of just watching them insult each other. And Sordid Lives was priceless.

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    1. As I say, it was only from the latter we discovered him. He also ended up doing a cameo over here in the prime-time ITV comedy series Benidorm, but somehow I doubt that show made it "across the pond". Jx

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  2. His "Well, shit..." made being in lockdown as a fellow-hunker-downer just that much easier to be, well hunkering down! He was just too damn delicious for words. xoxo

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    1. He certainly was a "no-nonsense" kind of person! Jx

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  3. I didn't watch Will and Grace either, but it's always sad to hear that a much loved character has departed.
    Sx

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    1. We loved him, despite never having seen him in that show - his one-man show is a genuinely funny and brutally honest tour-de-force. Highly recommended if you can get it via streaming services (or DVD)! Jx

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  4. I first remember him from 1980s American television. I immediately wanted to hug him. I think we saw Sordid Lives 5 times in the theatre in Palm Springs.

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    1. I can understand that - he was very "huggable"! I've only seen Sordid Lives once (on DVD at an American friend's house party), and was really quite surprised I'd never heard of it before. Not sure even whether it was released in cinemas in the UK. If it was, it sank without trace - a shame, 'cos it is faboo! Jx

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  5. So very sad. He was adorable. Sordid Lives was a amazing because of him. But... if you want to see his finest moments on film... check out Southern Baptists Sissies - he and Dale Dickey will break your heart.

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    1. Just looked it up, and that would appear to be even more "niche" than Sordid Lives - a filmed stage performance? That definitely would never have travelled to these shores... Jx

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  6. You can find "best of" Leslie Jordan clips from Will & Grace on YouTube, sparing you from having to watch entire episodes. Well worth your time for the laughs.

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  7. A lovely warm, kind and funny man. A great loss

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    1. 2022's turning into a bitch of a year for losses. Jx

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