Corey Parker, an actor best known to TV fans for appearing on Will & Grace, has died at 60 following a long battle with cancer, according to a family member.
Parker passed away Thursday in Memphis, Tennessee, and the news was later confirmed to TMZ by his aunt, Emily Parker. The specific type of cancer has not been publicly disclosed.
His sister, Noelle, shared an emotional tribute on Instagram, writing that she believes he “left this world weightless, at peace & surrounded with love.”
“We celebrate your incredible talent, your unparalleled passion and joy in your work and in your family, your immense gift for teaching, your generosity, and your love,” she wrote. “All our lives are so much richer for knowing you, and you live on in each of us, and in everything you gifted and inspired in us… forever.”
Parker built a steady career in Hollywood after first emerging in the mid-1980s. One of his earliest screen appearances came in the cult horror sequel Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning, where he played Pete. He later landed a small role in 9½ Weeks, the romantic drama starring Kim Basinger and Mickey Rourke.
TV audiences got to know him even more when he scored a lead role in the short-lived sitcom Flying Blind. On the series, he played Neil Barash, a socially awkward young man navigating life and romance opposite Téa Leoni’s character, Alicia. The show lasted just one season, but featured other familiar faces, including Lisa Kudrow.
Parker later appeared on Will & Grace as Josh, one of Grace Adler’s boyfriends, popping up in multiple episodes during the show’s run.
Over the years, he racked up credits across film and television, including Biloxi Blues, White Palace, Love Boat: The Next Wave, Nashville, and Blue Skies.
In more recent years, Parker stepped back from on-camera acting and focused on mentoring younger performers. He worked as an acting coach on projects including Sun Records and the Marvel series Ms. Marvel.
Parker also came from an entertainment family. His mother, Rocky Parker, was an actress who was previously married to actor Patrick Dempsey in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Rocky Parker died in 2014.
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