Will Jordan
Encyclopedia
Will Jordan is an American
character actor
who is best known for his resemblance to—and ability to do uncanny impressions of—television host and newspaper columnist Ed Sullivan
.
itself. In his act, Jordan came up with the catch-phrase, "Welcome to our Toast of the Town 'Shoooo'", which became a stereotypical joke for nearly every Sullivan imitator after that, usually as the more generic "Really Big 'Shoooo'" (or "shoe").
In virtually all of his film appearances since the 1970s, Jordan has portrayed Sullivan in films that feature characters appearing on Sullivan's famous variety series. Sullivan himself died in 1974.
Jordan impersonated Sullivan in the 2003 film Down with Love
. Currently, Jordan appears as Sullivan in the Broadway revival of the musical Bye Bye Birdie (as he did in the original Broadway production in 1960-1961).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
character actor
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
who is best known for his resemblance to—and ability to do uncanny impressions of—television host and newspaper columnist Ed Sullivan
Ed Sullivan
Edward Vincent "Ed" Sullivan was an American entertainment writer and television host, best known as the presenter of the TV variety show The Ed Sullivan Show. The show was broadcast from 1948 to 1971 , which made it one of the longest-running variety shows in U.S...
.
Career
Sullivan often tended to appear ill-at-ease on stage, with stiff-armed, jerky mannerisms, which made him easy to impersonate. Jordan's early appearances mimicking Ed came on The Ed Sullivan ShowThe Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
itself. In his act, Jordan came up with the catch-phrase, "Welcome to our Toast of the Town 'Shoooo'", which became a stereotypical joke for nearly every Sullivan imitator after that, usually as the more generic "Really Big 'Shoooo'" (or "shoe").
In virtually all of his film appearances since the 1970s, Jordan has portrayed Sullivan in films that feature characters appearing on Sullivan's famous variety series. Sullivan himself died in 1974.
Jordan impersonated Sullivan in the 2003 film Down with Love
Down with Love
Down with Love is a 2003 romantic comedy film directed by Peyton Reed and written by Eve Ahlert and Dennis Drake. It stars Renée Zellweger and Ewan McGregor, and is a pastiche of the romantic comedies of the early 1960s starring Doris Day, Rock Hudson and Tony Randall such as Pillow Talk and Lover...
. Currently, Jordan appears as Sullivan in the Broadway revival of the musical Bye Bye Birdie (as he did in the original Broadway production in 1960-1961).