Will & Grace star Corey Parker dies at 60
Parker had begun his acting career at the age of five
Corey Parker, the actor remembered for his role as Grace Adler’s free-spirited boyfriend Josh on the original Will & Grace and for his part in the Friday the 13th franchise, has passed away at 60.
The news, first reported by TMZ, came from his aunt Emily Parker, who confirmed that he died Thursday in Memphis after battling cancer. While his official cause of death was not released, an online fundraising page noted he had been fighting stage 4 metastatic cancer. Parker had shared updates about his treatment and, on February 17, revealed he was preparing for hospice care.
“Parker has left us, this earth, this reality, finally to rest,” BGB Studio, where he taught for several years, wrote on social media Saturday. The post included a reflection from his sister Noelle: “I believe he left this world weightless, at peace & surrounded with love.”
Parker, who was from New York, began acting at age 5. By 14, he was studying under teachers from the Actors’ Studio, eventually graduating from Manhattan’s High School of Performing Arts. At just 20, he became one of the youngest members ever accepted into the Actors’ Studio.
His film work included playing the ill-fated Pete in Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning (1985) and appearing alongside Christopher Walken and Matthew Broderick in Biloxi Blues (1988). On television, he had a string of memorable roles: Dr. John Morgan on Love Boat: The Next Wave (1998–99), a 22-episode stint on Flying Blind (1992–1993), and, most notably, Josh, the laid-back boyfriend of Debra Messing’s Grace Adler during Will & Grace’s early seasons.
Parker was equally at home on stage, performing in a variety of Broadway and off-Broadway productions, as noted by the Ensemble Studio Theatre, where he held membership.
