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Tag: will & grace

  • Eric McCormack Reveals There Was Originally A 5th ‘Will & Grace’ Cast Member, Played By ‘Black Lightning’ Star Cress Williams

    Eric McCormack Reveals There Was Originally A 5th ‘Will & Grace’ Cast Member, Played By ‘Black Lightning’ Star Cress Williams

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    By Brent Furdyk.

    “Will & Grace” broke new ground on television for its depiction of LGBTQ+ characters, and involved the exploits of a group of four friends: Eric McCormack’s Will, Debra Messing’s Grace, Sean Hayes’ Jack and Megan Mullally’s Karen.

    However, fans of the show might be surprised to learn that when the pilot was shot, there was a fifth pal thrown in the mix.

    McCormack made that revelation during the inaugural episode of “Just Jack & Will”, the new podcast he co-hosts with Hayes (as reported by Deadline).


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    That character, McCormack recalled, was played by actor Cress Williams, who would later go on to star in The CW’s superhero series “Black Lightning”.

    Bob Mahoney/The CW © 2017 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved
    — Bob Mahoney/The CW © 2017 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved

    “There were five characters as regulars,” McCormack said.

    “And the fifth was my partner at my small law firm,” he continued, recalling the character was a “straight guy” who was “probably written as Jewish” at the outset.


    READ MORE:
    Debra Messing Says She Dropped From A Size 8 To 2 During ‘Will & Grace’ Days

    According to McCormack, Will’s friendship with this other character was intended to be “just as important” his relationships with Grace, Jack and Karen.

    However, while filming the pilot, director James Burrows told “Will & Grace” creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick he felt that five people was too many, and that Cress’ character needed to be ditched.


    READ MORE:
    ‘Will & Grace’ Creator Responds To Rumours Of On-Set Tension: ‘It Was Not An Easy Year’

    “I felt so terrible,” McCormack said. “It was nothing he did or didn’t do… It just didn’t fit what the show is supposed to be.”

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    Brent Furdyk

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  • Leslie Jordan, ‘Will & Grace’ star, dead at 67 – National | Globalnews.ca

    Leslie Jordan, ‘Will & Grace’ star, dead at 67 – National | Globalnews.ca

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    Leslie Jordan, the widely adored actor and comedian, died Monday morning after a car crash in Hollywood, Calif., multiple outlets reported.

    The frequent Will & Grace guest star was 67.

    Local authorities confirmed to entertainment news site TMZ that Jordan suffered a medical emergency while driving his BMW, which he crashed into the side of a building.

    Read more:

    Report claiming Sacheen Littlefeather faked Indigenous ancestry met with backlash

    “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 its most difficult times,” a representative for Jordan said in a statement Monday. “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.”

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    In 2006, Jordan, a Tennessee native, won an Emmy for his role as Beverley Leslie on Will & Grace. Jordan also appeared on several other popular TV shows, including Boston LegalRebaDesperate HousewivesAmerican Horror Story and Call Me Kat. 

    Jordan’s other eclectic credits include Fantasy Island and The United States vs. Billie Holiday.

    Tributes from fellow actors and fans of Jordan poured in quickly after news of his death broke.

    Sean Hayes, who plays Jack McFarland on Will & Grace wrote that Jordan “was one of the funniest people I ever had the pleasure of working with.”

    Jordan was much beloved among LGBTQ2S+ communities. This year, he appeared as a guest star on Season 12 of RuPaul’s Drag Race. The official RuPaul’s Drag Race Twitter account expressed sympathy for Jordan’s death, writing, “Thank you for all the countless laughs and for sharing your spirit with us all.”

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    George Takei wrote that he was “stunned” by news of Jordan’s death. “Leslie, we are heartbroken at your loss and will miss your mirth and inimitable spirit,” he wrote.

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    During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jordan regularly went viral on TikTok where he posted short, funny videos about his life and daily happenings. As of this writing, Jordan’s TikTok account has 2.3 million followers.

    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.

    @lesliejordan

    Hold Me Closer Tiny Dancer. Well done @eltonjohn and @britneyspears

    ♬ Hold Me Closer – Elton John & Britney Spears

    @lesliejordan

    Go ahead and try it 😂😂

    ♬ original sound – Leslie Jordan

    @lesliejordan

    Per Betty White, “Go Straight Home.”

    ♬ original sound – Leslie Jordan

    The spotlight led 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 his last post to social media, Jordan shared a video of himself singing with Danny Myrick to Instagram (where Jordan has 5.8 million followers) the day before his death.

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    As of this writing, no funeral plans or public memorial details have been released.

    — With files from The Associated Press. 

    &copy 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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    Sarah Do Couto

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