Corey Parker, the adaptable performer known for charming audiences on “Will & Grace” and making his film debut in the cult favorite “Friday the 13th: A New Beginning,” has passed away at 60 after battling cancer.
Parker died on Thursday, March 5, 2026, in Memphis, Tennessee, according to reports from his family. His aunt Emily Parker confirmed the news to TMZ, while his sister Noelle Parker and longtime friend Risa Bramon Garcia posted tributes on Instagram over the weekend.
“I believe he left this world weightless, at peace & surrounded with love,” Noelle Parker wrote in a heartfelt message about her brother.
Born July 8, 1965, in New York City, Parker entered the entertainment industry at age four through commercial work before attending Manhattan’s renowned High School of Performing Arts. The son of actress Rochelle “Rocky” Parker and John David Haas, he grew up deeply connected to show business. By 14, he was training with Actors Studio instructors, and at 20, he became one of the youngest members accepted into the famed institution.
Parker’s first on-screen appearance came in 1983 on the soap opera “As the World Turns.” Two years later, he broke out as Pete, a doomed greaser, in “Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning” (1985), which positioned him as a rising Hollywood talent.
His movie career expanded with roles in Kim Basinger’s “9 1/2 Weeks” (1986), Neil Simon’s “Biloxi Blues” (1988) with Matthew Broderick and Christopher Walken, “Big Man on Campus” (1989), “Encino Woman” (1996), and Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Rainmaker” (1997). He also appeared in “White Palace” and the British miniseries “The Lost Language of Cranes” (1991), a project warmly remembered by colleagues in tributes.
Television became Parker’s signature realm through the 1990s and 2000s. In 1992, he co-starred with Téa Leoni in the Fox sitcom “Flying Blind” as Neil Barash, an awkward recent graduate navigating a relationship with Leoni’s free-spirited Alicia. The series lasted one season and included appearances by Lisa Kudrow, Peter Boyle, Andy Dick, and Noah Emmerich.
Parker’s standout TV performance came during his five-episode arc on NBC’s hit comedy “Will & Grace”, where he played Josh, one of Grace’s artistic boyfriends during seasons two and three. The role highlighted his comedic instincts and ease alongside Debra Messing and the ensemble cast.
His additional TV credits included “The New Leave It to Beaver,” “Thirtysomething,” “Touched by an Angel,” “Nashville,” and “Love Boat: The Next Wave.” On the latter, which aired on UPN from 1998 to 1999, Parker portrayed Dr. John Morgan, the ship’s physician.
Later, Parker shifted to teaching, becoming a respected acting coach who mentored countless performers. Beginning in 2000, he taught at Duke University, Rhodes College, and the University of Memphis, and worked as an acting instructor on CMT’s “Sun Records” in 2017 and the Disney+ Marvel series “Ms. Marvel” in 2022. Many of his students went on to win Tony, SAG, and Emmy Awards.
Casting director Risa Bramon Garcia, who met Parker 45 years ago at Ensemble Studio Theater in New York, honored him for his enduring artistic and personal influence. She shared that he had been “a massive part of my creative work, my creative family, for decades,” praising his teaching talent, generosity, and lifelong dedication to storytelling.
Parker’s mother, Rocky Parker, was an actress and coach known for her former marriage to Patrick Dempsey. The couple married in 1987 and divorced in 1994. Rocky died in 2014 from throat and lung cancer. Parker’s sister Noelle also pursued acting, and the family’s artistic background shaped his perspective as both performer and teacher.
A GoFundMe created by his students shared details of Parker’s illness. After hip replacement surgery in fall 2025, pathology reports revealed advanced stage 4 metastatic cancer. In his final update on February 17, 2026, Parker said he was preparing for hospice care.
Across four decades, Parker became admired not only for shifting easily between horror, comedy, and drama, but also for his kindness and commitment to nurturing young talent. He once remarked, “I think actors are the gold mine, the source of authenticity and creativity.” Parker leaves behind his wife Angela, his sister Noelle, and his brother David. Friends and students remembered him for his humor, generosity, and passion for storytelling—a legacy that continues through the many performers he guided throughout his extraordinary career.
