Cheyenne Jackson Recalls the ‘Devastating’ Moment Leslie Jordan’s Call Me Kat Cast Learned of His Death

On the one year anniversary of Leslie Jordan’s unexpected death, his friends and colleagues continue to celebrate his larger-than-life presence while coming to terms with his absence.

Jordanova Call me Kat Costar Cheyenne Jackson joined several loved ones and fans of the beloved actor over the weekend to celebrate the unveiling of his star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars.

Leslie Jordan’s best roles, funniest videos and inspirational journey

The Grammy and Emmy nominee, 48, said at the ceremony that he first met Jordan when he was a “young queer 20-something in Idaho” watching Emmy-winning Jordan play Beverly Leslie on Will & Grace. In perfect impersonation, Jackson recounted, “I remember him bursting through the door and saying, ‘Karen Walker, I thought I smelled gin and regret.’ And I thought, God, I hope to meet him one day.”

Jackson continued: “And not only did I meet him, he became so dear to me – one of my best friends. He was a friend of mine, so we knew each other in the AA rooms in West Hollywood, he was my comedy mentor and he was my dirty-mouthed little sidekick.”

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Jackson regaled Saturday’s audience with some deliciously NSFW stories about how he starred with Jordan in 2016. American Horror Story: Roanoke and, most recently, for three seasons Call me Katwhich premiered in January 2021.

But on October 24, 2022, Call me Kat family received shocking news about Jordan, who suffered a fatal heart attack while driving to the set.

“It was gut-wrenching and devastating,” Jackson, 48, tells PEOPLE of the moment he learned his friend had died.

“I talked to my husband on the phone [Jason Landau], who went to his apartment to see if he was there. I was sitting in the hallway of Warner Bros. with Mayim [Bialik] when the news broke.”

Dolly Parton, Cardi B and more pay tribute to Leslie Jordan: ‘Shocked like I lost a family member’

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Bialik, 47, also spoke about the day.

“We were all at work waiting for him to show up,” Jennifer Hudson said on the Oscar winner’s talk show last April.

“We were all very close and people knew Leslie Jordan as Leslie Jordan, not necessarily just the character he played on our show,” Bialik noted.

“It was in people’s lives, especially during COVID. It was in people’s Instagram feeds,” she added with a smile. “A lot of people really made a real connection with him, and he loved that. He loved to be approachable. He loved to be loved.”

Leslie Jordan’s life in photos

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Call me Kat paused production shortly after Jordan’s death at age 67 so the cast and crew could grieve.

“There are no words to describe the loss we feel as a cast Call me Kat family,” Bialik said in a statement at the time. “Leslie Jordan was larger than life. He was a Southern gentleman; gentle, wise, mischievous and funny. We met and loved him at the height of his happiness and joy and it is unimaginable to imagine a world without our Leslie: a man who would spit on his contact lenses before putting them in his eyes, a man who had a story about every man in Hollywood and some of the women also, a man who lived to make people laugh.”

The statement concluded: “We will take time to mourn and celebrate the many gifts Leslie gave to us and the world and appreciate privacy during this time.”

In December, Jordan’s character Phil received a farewell in the form of an off-screen wedding in Tahiti and a special end-of-episode tribute from longtime friend Dolly Parton. The next month, Fox announced it 30 Rock alum Jack McBrayer will join the cast as Gideon, a new employee stepping in for Phil at the cat cafe owned by Bialik’s title character.

Watch Leslie Jordan’s Heartwarming ‘Call Me Kat’ Dedication: ‘I’m a big believer in celebrating every moment’

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Shortly after the series was canceled in May, Bialik took to Instagram to share her vision of a happy ending that resonated both on and off screen. “Choose the ending you want,” she captioned a photo of the actor, “but as far as I’m concerned, I think we’re all going to end up here: Kat and Max living happily ever after, Randi [Kyla Pratt] and Carter [Julian Gant] marry and do the same, and Sheila [Swoosie Kurtz] forever brings joy and wisdom to everyone’s life. And Phil lives forever.”

“We’ve made a lot of people laugh during COVID in ways that at first seemed impossible,” she wrote. “But with this incredible cast – Cheyenne, Swoosie, Julian and Kyla – and, of course, the late Leslie Jordan, all the things that seemed impossible became possible.”

As for Jackson, he told PEOPLE on Friday that he still carries many memories of Jordan — especially when he hears “dirty lyrics, Dolly Parton and gospel music.”

“He taught me to have fun. I can be very serious about my work,” he shared, adding that Jordan taught him “to use your time and laugh. And he told me to wear tighter pants.”

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Call me Kat can be fully transferred to Max.

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