'Call Me Kat': Dolly Parton Pays Tribute to Late Leslie Jordan in Surprise Video Appearance

The country icon shared a heartbreaking eulogy during Thursday's episode revealing the fate of Jordan's character.

Call Me Kat said a final goodbye to Leslie Jordan during Thursday's emotional episode, which featured a surprise appearance by Dolly Parton to pay tribute to the late actor.

Jordan died Oct. 24 at the age of 67 following a car accident in Hollywood, California. The actor and comedian had completed work on eight episodes of the show's third season at the time of his death and was slated to film episode nine the week of his death. Following the news, the cast and producers of the Fox series released a statement in which they shared that they will be "taking time to grieve" the loss of Jordan as well as celebrate his life and the "many gifts" he gave to them and the world.

Parton, a close friend of Jordan's who appeared on the comedian’s 2021 album, Company's Comin', showed up in a pre-taped message toward the end of the episode. 

After singing a verse from their song, "Where the Soul Never Dies," the 76-year-old singer addressed her eulogy directly to Jordan.

"I know usually at a memorial, people talk about somebody. Well, I'm going to talk to you," she began. "Because there is that place on the other side, and I'm certainly going to see you there, little brother. You left a lot of people here with a lot of precious, precious memories. Everybody loved you, but I doubt many of them loved you more than I did."

She continued, "I just want you to know that we all love you, we all miss you, and I bet you're having a big laugh over all of us being sad and sorrowful. And I know that would be the last thing you would want us to be. You made us happy while you were here, and we're happy that you're at peace. I just want you to know that I will always love you. Goodbye, my sweet Leslie."

Parton then sang the line "I will always love you," from her song of the same name.

The episode before the tribute revealed the fate of Jordan's character, Phil, who had recently flown off to Tahiti with his boyfriend, Jalen (John Griffin). It's explained that Phil and Jalen bought a bakery on the island and eventually got married in an off-screen ceremony.

Back in October, the network released a loving montage to the star, including clips of Jordan’s best moments from the sitcom, along with footage from his appearances on the Fox shows The Masked SingerFantasy IslandThe Cool Kids and LEGO Masters.

"I'm a big believer in celebrating every moment," Jordan says in a scene as the montage ends with a title card reading: "Forever a part of the Fox family."

The late actor's last episode on the show aired last month, after which Mayim Bialik took to TikTok where she recalled the "incredibly special" time the cast and crew had on set.

"We didn't know at the time that that was Leslie's last episode," Bialik said of Jordan's final appearance on the series.

"Couldn't bring myself to watch it," she continued, "I'm not ready. That week was so incredibly special because of our dialogue coach directing for the first time and just how much fun we had."

The episode also marked Jordan's first on-screen kiss, Bialik said. "He and John Griffin, who plays his boyfriend on the show, were very specific about their appreciation for our writers' sensitivities in writing a gay couple that was navigating the newness of living a truly authentic out life," she shared. "It was a very important episode for Leslie in particular."

"...I just want to say that for those of you who watched and appreciated Leslie's final episode, we thank you. It was very, very special to us for so many reasons," she concluded the video.

For more on Jordan, check out some of his best moments with ET through the years below. 

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