A much-loved TV star who appeared in Will & Grace has died, it was revealed tonight. Actor Corey Parker, who played Josh in the hit US sitcom passed away in Memphis aged 60 following a battle with cancer. The news was shared by Corey's aunt, Emily Parker.

As well as being an acting coach, Corey had a recurring role in Will & Grace as Debra Messing's character Grace Adler’s boyfriend as well as a string of TV and film appearances, among them the BBC's Lost Language of Cranes in the 1990s and the sitcom Flying Blind, in which he starred with Tea Leoni.

He had a creative upbringing. His mother Rochelle 'Rocky' Parker, who was married to Grey's Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey in the 1980s and 90s, and his sister Noelle both had notable acting careers.

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Corey's students and friends launched a GoFundMe to support him, saying he learnt he had advanced stage 4 metastatic cancer but had become ineligible for medical insurance through his union. It has raised more than $57,000 (£42,000) to date.

It read: "Corey is in extreme pain and unable to continue working during this time. His family is now navigating the financial strain of self-pay medical bills, while continuing to work full-time, all while supporting Corey as he fights this battle.

"We love this man, this artist, this teacher. There is no one like him. This situation feels like a bad dream, and we can only imagine the challenges his family is facing right now."

One Corey's first acting gigs came in the horror film Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning, part of the long-running franchise, where he played the character Pete. He later starred in the Kim Basinger and Mickey Rourke film 9 and a Half Weeks.

In recent years he moved into coaching young actors and worked on the Marvel series Ms. Marvel, about a 16-year-old who loves the Avengers and finds she's developed powers of her own.