'Will & Grace' Star Leslie Jordan Dead at 67

'Will & Grace' Star Leslie Jordan Dead at 67
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'Will & Grace' Star Leslie Jordan Dead at 67

'Will & Grace' Star Leslie Jordan Dead at 67

Leslie Jordan, an award-winning American actor and writer best known for his role in the sitcom "Will & Grace," died Monday at age 67, one of his agents said.

Jordan was involved in a single-car road accident as he drove in Hollywood, Don LeClair said, without specifying the exact cause of death. News reports said he may have suffered a medical emergency at the wheel.

"The world is definitely a much darker place today without the love and light of Leslie Jordan," LeClair said in a statement sent to AFP.

Jordan enjoyed a successful and career over the course of three decades as he appeared in TV shows that included "American Horror Story," "Murphy Brown" and "Ugly Betty."

In "Will & Grace" he played the pugnacious Beverley Leslie, a frenemy of the character Karen Walker, and in 2006 he won an Emmy Award for outstanding guest actor in the comedy series. 

Jordan was a versatile artist with movie credits including "The Help," and a Gospel record released last year.

In 2020 Jordan became wildly popular on Instagram by posting videos of how he tried to entertain himself during the coronavirus pandemic, such as doing silly exercises or impressions of famous singers. His follower count shot up from 100,000 to 5.8 million.



FIFA Signs Netflix to US Broadcast Deal for Women's World Cup in 2027, 2031

The Netflix logo is displayed at Netflix corporate offices on September 25, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
The Netflix logo is displayed at Netflix corporate offices on September 25, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
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FIFA Signs Netflix to US Broadcast Deal for Women's World Cup in 2027, 2031

The Netflix logo is displayed at Netflix corporate offices on September 25, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
The Netflix logo is displayed at Netflix corporate offices on September 25, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images/AFP)

FIFA has signed Netflix to a United States broadcast deal for the Women's World Cup in 2027 and 2031.

The deal announced Friday is the most significant FIFA has signed with a streaming service for a major tournament. The value was not given.

World Cups are typically broadcast on free-to-air public networks to reach the biggest audiences.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino publicly criticized public broadcasters, especially in Europe, for undervaluing offers to broadcast the 2023 tournament that was played in Australia and New Zealand. That tournament was broadcast by Fox in the US, The AP reported.

"This agreement sends a strong message about the real value of the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the global women’s game," Infantino said Friday in a statement.

FIFA will likely use the Netflix deal to drive talks with European broadcasters that will be more hardball negotiations.

The 32-team, 64-game tournament in 2027 will be played in Brazil from June 24-July 25. The 2031 host has not been decided, though the US is expected to bid.

Spain won the 2023 tournament after the US won the two previous titles.

Netflix dipped into live sports last month with more than 60 million households watching a heavily hyped boxing match between retired heavyweight legend Mike Tyson and social media personality Jake Paul.