Corey Parker, the multifaceted actor who won over TV viewers through his recurring part on “Will & Grace” and began his movie career 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, and tributes from his sister Noelle Parker and longtime friend Risa Bramon Garcia appeared on Instagram over the weekend.
“I believe he left this world weightless, at peace & surrounded with love,” Noelle Parker wrote in her touching message about her brother.
Born July 8, 1965, in New York City, Parker entered the entertainment industry at age four, acting in commercials before attending Manhattan’s renowned High School of Performing Arts. As the son of actress Rochelle “Rocky” Parker and John David Haas, he grew up fully immersed in show business. By 14, he was training with Actors Studio instructors, and at 20, he became one of the youngest people ever accepted into the acclaimed institution.
Parker first appeared on screen in 1983 on the soap opera “As the World Turns.” Two years later, he earned his breakout role as Pete, a doomed greaser, in “Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning” (1985). The horror sequel established him as a promising new actor and led to more prominent roles.
His movie career expanded with appearances 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 acted in “White Palace” and the British miniseries “The Lost Language of Cranes” (1991), a performance remembered warmly after his passing.
Television ultimately became Parker’s strongest arena throughout the 1990s and 2000s. In 1992, he co-starred with Téa Leoni in Fox’s sitcom “Flying Blind,” where he played Neil Barash, an awkward recent graduate navigating a relationship with Leoni’s unpredictable character Alicia. The show aired for one season and featured guest roles by Lisa Kudrow, Peter Boyle, Andy Dick, and Noah Emmerich.
Parker’s most notable TV role was his five-episode appearance on NBC’s hit comedy “Will & Grace”, where he portrayed Josh, one of Grace’s artsy boyfriends during seasons two and three. The character highlighted Parker’s comedic instincts and his rapport with Debra Messing and the cast.
His broad TV résumé also included roles on “The New Leave It to Beaver,” “Thirtysomething,” “Touched by an Angel,” “Nashville,” and “Love Boat: The Next Wave.” On the “Love Boat” revival, which ran for two seasons on UPN from 1998 to 1999, Parker played Dr. John Morgan, the ship’s doctor.
In the later phase of his career, Parker turned to coaching, becoming a highly respected acting instructor who shared his decades of knowledge with young performers. He began coaching in 2000 and later taught at Duke University, Rhodes College, and the University of Memphis. He also served as an acting coach on CMT’s “Sun Records” in 2017 and Marvel’s “Ms. Marvel” on Disney+ in 2022. Many of his students eventually won Tony, SAG, and Emmy Awards.
Casting director Risa Bramon Garcia, who met Parker 45 years ago during their early work at Ensemble Studio Theater in New York, honored his deep influence as both an artist and mentor. She shared that Parker had been “a massive part of my creative work, my creative family, for decades,” applauding his talent for teaching, his generosity, and his commitment to storytelling.
Parker’s mother, Rocky Parker, was an actress and acting coach widely known for her marriage to Patrick Dempsey. They married in August 1987 and divorced in 1994. Rocky died in 2014 from throat and lung cancer. Parker’s sister Noelle also became an actress, and the family’s artistic background heavily shaped his approach to acting and teaching.
A GoFundMe created by his students revealed the severity of Parker’s illness. He was diagnosed with advanced stage 4 metastatic cancer after hip replacement surgery in fall 2025, when pathology tests showed the disease had spread. In his final update on February 17, 2026, Parker wrote that he was preparing for hospice care.
Across his forty-year career, Parker became admired not only for his range—from horror to comedy to drama—but also for his kindness and commitment to nurturing talent. He once said, “I think actors are the gold mine, the source of authenticity and creativity.” Parker is survived by his wife Angela, his sister Noelle, and his brother David. Friends, colleagues, and former students remembered him for his humor, generosity, and sincere love for storytelling—a legacy carried on by the many performers he guided.