Call Me Kat Pauses Production Of Season 3 Due To The Death Of Leslie Jordan

We lost a remarkably talented actor, gay icon, and an absolute gem of a human being today, as the incomparable Leslie Jordan passed away at the age of 67. The flirtatious funnyman was in the midst of the third season of the Fox series "Call Me Kat," which is now going on an indefinite pause in the wake of his passing. Jordan had already completed nine episodes of the season at the time of his passing, with four episodes having already aired.

The Fox series stars Mayim Bialik as a fun-loving woman named Kat who uses her entire life's savings to open up a cat café in Louisville, Kentucky. She's joined each day by a wonderful group of friends like aspiring artist Randi (Kyla Pratt) and Leslie Jordan's character Phil, the café's resident baker dripping with Southern sensibilities. The crew frequents a piano bar run by the effortlessly cool Carter (Julian Grant), where Kat's college bestie Max (Cheyenne Jackson) works as a bartender. Life seems perfect, except for the fact that Kat's mom Sheila (Swoosie Kurtz) is a nosy busybody obsessed with her daughter's love life.

"Call Me Kat" star Mayim Bialik took to Instagram to express her condolences, describing Jordan as "larger than life," and as "a Southern gentleman; tender, wise, naughty and hilarious." Bialik lamented that the cast was privileged to get to know Jordan and love him "at the height of his happiness and joy," saying it was "inconceivable" to think of a future world without him. She joked that Jordan had "a story about every man in Hollywood and some of the women as well," and lived to make other people laugh.

"We will be taking time to grieve and to celebrate the many gifts Leslie gave us and to the entire world," Bialik mentioned at the end of her post, "and we appreciate privacy at this time." In an additional gut punch to an already heartbreaking day, the upcoming November 10, 2022 episode of "Call Me Kat" was going to introduce a love interest for Leslie's character, a man named Jalen played by actor John Griffin.

"Call Me Kat" costar Cheyenne Jackson (who also does a spot-on impression of Leslie Jordan) also took to Instagram to honor his late friend, saying, "My heart is broken in half today." Jackson shared that his introduction to Jordan was on "Will and Grace," when his legendary character Beverly Leslie bellowed the phrase, "Karen Walker, I thought I smelled gin and regret." Jackson expressed feeling lucky to become Leslie's friend in real life, calling him, "my mentor, my sober brother, and my unofficial comedy coach." The post was accompanied by a series of photos, including one hilarious shot of Leslie Jordan on Jackson's back while dressed like Yoda.

Warner Bros. Television, who makes "Call Me Kat" released a statement of their own, saying, "Leslie was an extraordinary person and talent, and he brought joy to fans across the globe." They concluded with, "Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and fans at this time." There's no word on how "Call Me Kat" will address Jordan's passing within the show's storyline, but it might be wise to start stocking up on tissues now.