Will Jordan, a gifted impressionist who appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show over fifteen times, died on Thursday at his home in Manhattan. He was 91.
The stand-up comedian and actor had many impressions in his repertoire including Bing Crosby, Jack Benny and Groucho Marx, but it was his impression of Ed Sullivan that put him on the map. He was known as the man who “invented Ed Sullivan.” Many of the mannerisms associated with Sullivan, including “really big shoe,” were popularized by Jordan and nearly all other Sullivan imitations were based on his.
Jordan went on to appear in several movies playing Sullivan including The Doors, I Wanna Hold Your Hand, Mr. Saturday Night, and Down with Love.
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Watch Will Jordan’s classic impression of Ed Sullivan below:
https://youtu.be/n9lGrn9vxZQ