Corey Parker, the actor who appeared in a number of hit TV shows including the sitcom Will & Grace, has died aged 60.
His aunt, Emily Parker, told TMZ that Parker died on Thursday (5 March) in Memphis, Tennessee, after being diagnosed with cancer.
According to a GoFundMe page set up to raise funds to support Parker’s family, he had previously been diagnosed with advanced Stage 4 metastatic cancer.
The page said the cancer was discovered after Parker underwent hip replacement surgery. In one update, Parker said that while his body initially responded to medication, the cancer had slowly spread.
By November 2025, he said “90 per cent” of his bones were covered with adenocarcinoma – according to the Cleveland Clinic, this is a common and often aggressive type of cancer that starts in the glands that line a person’s organs.
Parker then shared another update on 17 February that the cancer was “terminal”, having previously said that it was wearing down his body to the point that he could “no longer function properly” and had “lost the ability to write and type”.
“I cannot thank you enough for all the love and care,” he told his supporters. “Your donations have made such a huge difference in our life and have allowed me to rest a little easier knowing that our needs are being met even while I can no longer have income.”
Born and raised in New York City, Parker trained with teachers from the Actors Studio as a teenager and had his first uncredited role on the daytime show As the World Turns.
He scored bit parts through the Eighties in series such as The New Leave It to Beaver and CBS Summer Playhouse, while also being cast in the film Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning.
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After landing a part as Doctor John Morgan on Love Boat: The Next Wave, he was cast in a recurring role on Will & Grace as Josh, the meek boyfriend of Debra Messing’s character, Grace Adler.
Other roles included a 2014 episode of Nashville, the hit ABC musical drama about country music singers, and the 2017 miniseries Sun Records.
According to the GoFundMe page, Parker made a significant positive impact as an acting coach, with his students going on to win Tony, SAG and Emmy awards.
“Corey has a unique gift – he reminds us that we are enough. That we are worthy,” his students wrote. “Through his guidance and training, countless actors have not only grown in their craft, but have also rediscovered their confidence, power, and self-worth.
“For years, Corey has been our cheerleader, mentor, and inspiration, shaping our careers and changing our lives in ways we could never have imagined.”
