Leslie Jordan’s character on the Fox show “Call Me Kat” will “live forever” as the cast continues to mourn the loss of the actor who died in October at age 67.
The show’s star and executive producer, Mayim Bialik, told Entertainment Weekly this week that she had been considering a funeral episode for Jordan’s character, Phil, but it didn’t feel right as the cast and showrunners were still “actively grieving our friend.”
“So we found a way for him to live forever,” said Bialik, who plays Kat. “His character will live forever, and he can have whatever adventures we all imagine.”
When Jordan died in a car crash in Hollywood while suffering a medical emergency, the show had been filming its third season. Jordan played Kat’s upbeat, humorous friend who worked as a baker at her cafe.
Bialik, who also starred in “The Big Bang Theory,” said the show’s writers had to adjust Jordan’s final episode, which aired in December. In his tribute episode, which airs Thursday, viewers will learn how Jordan’s Phil has moved on from Louisville, Ky., where the show is set.
It was difficult writing the episode and trying to encapsulate all of who Jordan was in one episode, Bialik said, calling him “truly larger than life.”
Jordan, who was also known for his roles in “Will & Grace” and “American Horror Story,” became an online sensation during the pandemic shutdown with his uplifting Instagram dispatches. His online fame allowed new generations to join in on Jordan’s witty musings, delivered in his signature Southern accent.
In the goodbye episode, the characters quote Jordan’s iconic sayings, Bialik said, though it was tricky to repeat his various Leslie-isms since many involved curse words.
“Our hope was to get it done in one take so that we wouldn’t emotionally go through it several times,” the “Jeopardy!” host said. “But it took a couple takes.”
The tribute episode, titled “Philiam,” will also feature Vicki Lawrence, known for playing famous TV moms on sitcoms including “Mama’s Family” and “The Carol Burnett Show.” Lawrence plays Jordan’s mother in the tribute episode, according to Deadline.
“For us, we’re still grieving,” Bialik said of the cast and crew. “Grief is a full process, and I think there’s a level of authenticity that we feel we want to have as actors. … We’re humans and we lost our friend. We lost our little buddy.”
