Corey Parker, an actor celebrated for his role in the 1990s sitcom “Will & Grace” and his appearance in a “Friday the 13th” film, has passed away.
He was 60 years old at the time of his death.
According to his aunt Emily Parker, who spoke to TMZ, Parker succumbed to cancer on Thursday in Memphis. While the official cause of death wasn’t disclosed, a fundraising page revealed he had been battling stage 4 metastatic cancer. On February 17, Parker shared that he was moving into hospice care after several updates on his health.
“Parker has left us, this earth, this reality, finally to rest,” BGB Studio, where he had taught for the past several years, posted on social media Saturday. The studio shared a quote from his sister Noelle, who wrote, “I believe he left this world weightless, at peace & surrounded with love.”
Parker was born and raised in New York City and began his acting journey at the tender age of 5, as noted in his IMDB biography. By 14, he was training with instructors from the illustrious Actors’ Studio and later graduated from the High School of Performing Arts in Manhattan. At the age of 20, he became one of the youngest members to be accepted into the Actors’ Studio.
In 1985, Parker took on the role of Pete in “Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning” and acted alongside Christopher Walken and Matthew Broderick in the 1988 film “Biloxi Blues.”
Parker’s television career spanned several decades, with one of his most notable roles being Grace Adler’s free-spirited boyfriend, Josh, on “Will & Grace” during its original run from 1998 to 2006. Prior to that, he played Dr. John Morgan, the ship’s doctor, on “Love Boat: The Next Wave” between 1998 and 1999, and featured in 22 episodes of the comedy series “Flying Blind” from 1992 to 1993, among various other TV appearances.
He was no stranger to the stage either, appearing in numerous productions both on and off Broadway, according to the Ensemble Studio Theatre, where he was a member.
After “Will & Grace,” Parker segued into coaching, and was beloved by his students and collaborators at BGB Studio, where he shepherded talent onto screen and stage. “I think actors are the gold mine, the source of authenticity and creativity,” he once said, according to the studio.
“I have known and loved you for the past 45 years, since our E.S.T days in NY as hungry wild artists,” wrote his BGB colleague and longtime friend Risa Bramon Garcia, addressing him directly in the studio’s tribute. “You were a massive part of my creative work, my creative family, for decades.”
She lauded his generosity as well as “your incredible talent, your unparalleled passion and joy in the work and in your family, your huge gift for and devotion to teaching.”
