'Will & Grace' actor's viral videos are a beacon of funny in the darkness

Right now, with so much uncertainty in these unprecedented times, the power of humor is extremely formidable. One person who contributes a much needed laugh during these difficult times is actor Leslie Jordan.

You may recognize Jordan from his supporting role as Beverly Leslie in “Will & Grace”, the various characters he has played in the “American Horror Story” franchise over the years, or as Lonnie Garr in the sitcom “90s “Hearts on fire. ‘

But it’s the performances he’s given on his own personal social media that are making him viral amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“I didn’t realize (I’m bloated) until last night when everyone started calling me to say you went viral. I don’t even know what that means! ” Jordan told Monday.

The 64-year-old actor explained that while working on the show “Cool Kids” in 2018, he was urged by execs to get on social media, which he didn’t really want to do. But it is the videos that he has recently posted on Instagram that most comforted people.

“I had a friend when the pandemic hit, he said,” You know what, Leslie? Your thoughts are exactly what people should hear now. It’s not like wagging your finger or saying “Wear your mask” or do this or do that. You’re just funny, ”Jordan explained. “And so we started coming up with all kinds of little ideas. I mainly do it for the reaction of the people. “

And the reactions were enormous. In just a few days, Jordan’s Instagram followers have grown by over 400,000 followers. Many of his videos have been shared by fans on Twitter, collecting hundreds of thousands more views there.

In a hilarious clip, Jordan twists a back stretcher like a baton to demonstrate a home exercise.

In another gem titled “Torture,” he complains about how long March is before shouting at his 84-year-old mother with whom he is being quarantined in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

From talking about his famous friends like Betty White to demonstrating ancient Chinese medicinal remedies you can use to fight the coronavirus, Jordan shares every eccentric thought that comes to his mind. And the end result is comedy gold.

“We don’t deserve you,” said one person.

Another said, “You literally take my partner and I through quarantine with a smile, thank you.”

And while, Jordan’s comedic timing and jokes are worth viral, it’s his authenticity and sincerity that resonates with people on the Internet above all.

Jordan said he was not always as comfortable with himself as he is now.

“All my life, I’ve always been so ashamed of being feminine,” he said. “You know, you learned very early in American culture that the female boys don’t do well. And yet I had a father who was a lieutenant colonel in the military. My father was a man man, but he still adored me. “

“And somehow I still grew up disliking the coward in me.”

Jordan said that getting sober 22 years ago was a huge step on his journey to self-acceptance.

“And you know, the journey ends on this internet thing because the journey has been people who feel comfortable with themselves and can say, you know, this is it, this is who I am, this is what I am,” he said. “And people are attracted to that. I always call my journey sober, my journey to queerdom, because I really hated everything about myself. ‘

Jordan recalls his gay identity and remembers the AIDS crisis as an instructive moment during the coronavirus pandemic.

“The gay community came closer to AIDS and I think the world will get closer after this,” he said. “If we get out of this, people will be more friendly, they will be more connected than ever before and they will help each other more because we have a shared experience.”

What Jordan hopes people take away from his videos is that we all have roles and if we understand and do what we’re all called for, we’ll get through this.

“What we mainly learn during this is that each of us has a job. God bless the people on the front lines. I’m not a nurse or doctor or teacher, but I can make people laugh. That’s a gift and that’s meant to share. There are a lot of lonely people right now. If I can make someone feel a little less alone, I have done my job in this. “