Mayim Bialikis recalling the heartbreaking day she learned ofLeslie Jordan’s death.
At age 67, the beloved actordied in a car crashon Oct. 24 after suffering from “sudden cardiac dysfunction,” PEOPLE confirmed.
During a Tuesday appearance onThe Jennifer Hudson Show, Bialik shared that the entireCall Me Katteam had been waiting on Jordan to show up to set that daywhen they heard the tragic news.
“You know, we were a family,” Bialik continued, adding that their tight-knit “COVIDunit” was “one of the first shows back, actually, after the lockdown.”
Mayim Bialik and Jennifer Hudson.Chris Millard/Warner Bros.
“We were all very close, and people knew Leslie Jordan as Leslie Jordan, not necessarily just as the character he played on our show. He’s been in people’s lives, especially during COVID. He was in people’s Instagram feeds,” Bialik recalled with a smile. “Alot of people really formed a real connectionwith him, and he loved that. He loved being approachable. He loved being loved.”
“He was a beautiful soul,” Hudson, 41, later acknowledged.
In a statement shared with PEOPLE after temporarily pausing filming, the network called Jordan"the kindest person you could ever imagine."
FOX via Getty Images
At the time of his death, Jordan’s agent David Shaul shared a statement with PEOPLE about how special of a person and talent Jordan was known to be.
“The world is definitely a much darker place today without the love and light of Leslie Jordan,” Shaul said in the statement. “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.”
“What he lacked in height he made up for in generosity and greatness as a son, brother, artist, comedian, partner and human being,” he added. “Knowing that he has left the world at theheight of both his professionaland personal life is the only solace one can have today.”
“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,” an official Instagram post read the same day. “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.”
In addition toCall Me Kat, the character actor was famous for his scene-stealing roles in shows includingWill & GraceandAmerican Horror Story, and as Bialik noted, hefound a new followingamid the pandemic for his hilarious Instagram posts.
The key to entertaining, the Chattanooga, Tennessee-born comedian told PEOPLE in 2021, is, “You’vegot to have a very strong beginning. You’ve always got to have a punchline to end it with. It’s the middle part that’s hard.”
When he died, theCall Me Katcreative team decided, " ‘Wewant him to live forever,’ " Bialik said on Tuesday of their decision to keep his character alive.
“It’s a really hard thing to do. There’s no right way to do it,” she said, noting that their showrunners “really helped usher us through it.”
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Mayim Bialik; Leslie Jordan.Amanda Edwards/Getty Images; Amy Sussman/Getty Images
“But it was very emotional to decide, like, how do you grieve also while having to act as people grieving?” Bialik questioned, adding that the fact that they “break the fourth wall” on the show helped them to have some “grace about it.”
“We knew we could talk right to people,” she explained of the cathartic process, “and say, ‘There’s no way to make this what it’s not: We lost our friend.’ "
“I think this whole season, for us, feels likeit’s the season we lost Leslie. So yeah, it’s been hard, and we’re grateful to have gotten the opportunity to work with him the way we did, and in the time of his life we got to work with him,” Bialik said.
The Jennifer Hudson Showairs weekdays in syndication (check local listings).
source: people.com
