Corey Parker Cause of Death: Will & Grace Actor Dies at 60 After Stage 4 Cancer Battle
The entertainment community is mourning the loss of Corey Parker, the actor best known for his recurring role on Will & Grace. Parker died Thursday, March 5, 2026, in Memphis, Tennessee, after a long and devastating battle with advanced stage 4 metastatic cancer. He was 60 years old.
Corey Parker Cause of Death: Stage 4 Adenocarcinoma
Corey Parker's cause of death was cancer. A GoFundMe page launched by his students and friends provided additional details, revealing that Parker had received a devastating diagnosis of advanced stage 4 metastatic cancer after hip replacement surgery in the fall, when bone removed during the procedure was sent to pathology.
In a November 2025 update on the GoFundMe, Parker wrote that roughly 90 percent of his bones were covered with adenocarcinoma — a type of cancer that originates in the glands that line a person's organs. By January 2026, he wrote that the cancer was wearing down his body to the point where he could no longer function properly and had lost the ability to fully engage in speech or write and type.
In a final update posted February 17, Parker described the cancer as terminal and shared that he had undergone radiation intended to reduce pain from the cancer in his arm and hips.
Who Was Corey Parker? His Will & Grace Role and Career
Parker got his start in the film industry in the mid-1980s, winning the role of Pete in Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning. He followed that up with a small part in the Kim Basinger romantic drama 9½ Weeks.
Will & Grace fans will remember Parker for his recurring part as Josh — one of Grace's boyfriends — appearing in five episodes of the hit sitcom. His other credits include Biloxi Blues, White Palace, Love Boat: The Next Wave, Nashville, and Blue Skies. In 1992, he landed a starring role in the sitcom Flying Blind alongside Téa Leoni, with Lisa Kudrow, Peter Boyle, and Andy Dick also appearing on the show during its one-season run.
Parker was born Corey Parker Haas on July 8, 1965, in New York City. He began working as an actor at age five, attended the High School of Performing Arts in Manhattan, and began training at the Actors Studio by age 14. He later became a lifetime member of both the Actors Studio and the Ensemble Studio Theatre in New York and Los Angeles.
Corey Parker as an Acting Coach — His Lasting Legacy
Parker was also an established acting coach, beginning that part of his career in 2000. He went on to teach at Duke University, Rhodes College, and the University of Memphis, and lent those talents to the 2022 Marvel series Ms. Marvel.
The GoFundMe launched to help cover his medical bills raised $65,000. Students wrote that through his guidance and training, countless actors had not only grown in their craft but had also rediscovered their confidence, power, and self-worth. Parker's acting students went on to win Tony Awards, SAG Awards, and Emmy Awards.
Family Tributes and Final Moments
Parker's sister Noelle shared a statement through BGB Studio: "I believe he left this world weightless, at peace, and surrounded with love." She described him as someone whose passion, joy in the work, generosity, and devotion to teaching made countless lives richer.
A woman who knew Parker as a teacher wrote on Instagram that he just wanted to see one last spring. "This is devastating news, but I'm so glad he's not suffering anymore," she added.
Parker is survived by his sister, Noelle Parker, and his brother, David Parker. His mother was actress Rochelle "Rocky" Parker, who was briefly married to actor Patrick Dempsey from 1987 to 1994.
