Jordan lifted spirits during the COVID-19 pandemic with his hilarious viral videos.
On Monday morning, the world was stunned by the news that Leslie Jordan had died at the age of 67 after a car accident in Hollywood, California, ET confirmed While Jordan is being lauded for his acting accolades and his sense of humor, many are remembering the hilarious viral videos Jordan posted throughout the COVID-19 pandemic that got so many through the difficult days of quarantine.
Whether it was twirling a baton, talking to his mother, or hilariously venting about quarantine, Jordan became a popular internet meme in the early days of the pandemic, simply by being himself. His feel-good, funny videos skyrocketed his career to new heights, earning him social media fame, countless cameos and a starring role on the Fox sitcom Call Me Kat.
ET spoke to Jordan in October 2020, about how he became the undisputed king of quarantine and the way his life had changed by going viral.
"I was being silly -- I thought all my friends have done exercise videos with these flat abs, I thought, 'I'ma do one,' and I got a backscratcher and I made it into a routine, like a baton, and I think that was the one," Jordan said of the moment he went viral.
From there, his career literally reached "new heights," with Jordan telling ET that it all stemmed from him "just doing funny things" on Instagram.
"I'm the only person that just used the pandemic to go to new heights," he joked at the time. "Because we were hunkered down and didn't have anything to do and I was in Tennessee with my mom and my identical twin sisters, who are 22 months younger than me.... I just started doing funny things on Instagram and [amassed] 5.5 million followers."
While he said he was grateful for how much his life had changed in such a short time, Jordan jokingly admitted to ET at the time that he wished it didn't happen.
"I'm 65. Do you mind if I take a nap? I'm telling you, it's just too much," Jordan quipped, adding, "Why didn't this happen when I was in my twenties? I'd have messed it up. And I think I've just started, so we'll see."
Even as his star continued to rise, Jordan's hilarious videos continued, with the late actor taking to Instagram as recently as Sunday, one day before his death, sharing a video of himself singing.
Shortly after Jordan's death, tributes began pouring in from celebs, his co-stars and devastated fans alike, many of whom shared that Jordan, and his videos, provided a bit of levity during such unprecedented times.
ET spoke to one fan in particular, who bumped into Jordan at a West Hollywood Starbucks last month and thanked him for the joy his Instagram posts brought them.
"I was recently at Starbucks in West Hollywood, and I bumped into Leslie Jordan at the drink pickup counter. Since we were the only two people waiting for our drinks, I told him how much joy his Instagram posts bring me, and he couldn’t have been sweeter/more grateful for the compliment," the fan shared. "His spirits were high and from what I could tell, his health seemed to be in good condition."
"He took his drink, picked a table, and sipped his beverage while reading a newspaper," the fan added. He was alone at a table for one, and seemingly enjoying a quiet afternoon."
Jordan's rep shared a similar sentiment in their statement to ET, saying, "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."
Paying homage to the famously 4'11" actor, Jordan's rep continued, "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."
For more with the late Jordan, check out ET's exclusive interviews below.
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