Will & Grace actor who starred in Friday the 13th dies aged 60 after cancer battle left him struggling to speak
ACTING veteran Corey Parker has tragically died after a battle with cancer.
The beloved star – who appeared in American sitcom Will & Grace and horror film Friday the 13th – died on Thursday.
The actor was just 60 years old.
Emily Parker – Corey’s aunt – told TMZ the star had passed away in Memphis after battling cancer.
After undergoing a hip replacement late last year, he was diagnosed with advanced stage four metastatic cancer.
He gave a heartbreaking update on his condition on February 18, saying: “The radiation that was intended to reduce the pain from the cancer in my arm and in my hips did help to reduce the pain in those areas but also impacted my esophagus, my ability to speak and my overall orientation.”
“It is hard for me to text and not easy to formulate speech,” he said.
“We have started to prepare the house for the time when we will begin hospice care.”
Getting a start in the film industry in the mid-1980s, Corey notably appeared in Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning.
He then landed a starring role in the sitcom Flying Blind in 1992, alongside Tea Leoni.
The show had a one-season run and featured other generational actors including Lisa Kudrow.
He went on to appear in Will & Grace in a recurring role as Josh – one of Grace’s boyfriends.
Corey appeared in five episodes of the popular sitcom.
His other acting credits include Biloxi Blues, White Palace and Love Boat: The Next Wave.
In his later years, Corey transitioned into working as an acting coach, where he later consulted on shows such as Sun Records and Ms. Marvel.
The actor came from a creative family.
His mother Rocky – who was married to Patrick Dempsey in the late 1980s and early 1990s – and his sister Noelle were both actors as well.
Rocky sadly died in 2014.
Prior to Corey’s death, his collaborators, creative partners and students set up an online fundraiser to help pay for the spiralling medical costs.
The professional actor had been a member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) for more than 45 years, but had recently become ineligible for its insurance.
According to a fundraiser set up for him, the diagnosis “turned his family’s world upside down”.
“His family is now navigating the financial strain of self-pay medical bills, while continuing to work full-time, all while supporting Corey as he fights this battle,” it said.
“We love this man, this artist, this teacher. There is no one like him.
“This situation feels like a bad dream, and we can only imagine the challenges his family is facing right now.”
He also taught at Duke University, the University of Memphis and Rhodes College.
