‘Call Me Kat’ Paused Indefinitely in Wake of Leslie Jordan’s Death

The death of beloved actor Leslie Jordan has sent shockwaves through Hollywood. Now, it’s been reported that his current series, Call Me Kat, is pausing production indefinitely. TV Line reports that it has learned the show’s producers plan to halt any more work on the show for an undetermined amount of time. Notably, the sitcom is in its third season at FOX. Jordan portrayed the lovable head baker Phil from Season 1 until his untimely death.

In a statement shared on Instagram,  series star and executive producer Mayim Bialik spoke out on behalf of the show, saying, “There aren’t words to convey the loss we are experiencing as a cast and a Call Me Kat family.” Bialik continued, “Leslie Jordan was larger than life. He was a Southern gentleman; tender, wise, naughty and hilarious. We got to know and love him at the height of his happiness and joy and it is inconceivable to imagine a world without our Leslie: the man who would spit on his contact lenses before putting them in his eyes, the man who had a story about every man in Hollywood and some of the women as well, the man who lived to make people laugh.”

The actress concluded, “We will be taking time to grieve and to celebrate the many gifts Leslie gave us and to the entire world, and we appreciate privacy at this time.” In a caption on the post, Bialik added, “They broke the mold when they made Leslie Jordan. He was a dear mentor and a beloved friend. I will miss him so much – it’s unimaginable that he’s gone. Rest well, sweet buddy.”

Jordan’s death was reported on Monday, with TMZ stating that the actor was involved in a car accident. No official cause of death has been announced but, according to TMZ, Jordan is said to have “suffered some sort of medical emergency.” This may have caused him to crash his BMW into the side of a building in Hollywood.

On Jordan’s official Instagram page, the actor’s family issued an official statement on her passing. In a caption on a smiling photo of Jordan, the family wrote, “The love and light that Leslie shared will never go out and we invite you to share your memories and comfort each other during this time. In the coming days we will be giving a glimpse of a project Leslie was really proud of and was looking forward to sharing with the world.” Jordan was 67 years old at the time of his death.