Will Jordan
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Born Name:
Wilbur Rauch
Born Date: July 27, 1927
Born Place: The Bronx, New York
Died Date: September 6, 2018
Died Place: Manhattan, New York
Occupations: Actor, stand-up comedian
Brief Biography: Will Jordan was master impressionist best known for his definitive, pop-culture-shaping imitation of television variety host Ed Sullivan.
Early Life and Career:
Born in the Bronx, Jordan discovered his knack for performance early, graduating from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He began working as a nightclub comedian in the late 1940s. An early contemporary and friend of Lenny Bruce, Jordan became part of an elite mid-century wave of television impressionists alongside performers like Rich Little and Frank Gorshin. While his repertoire featured voices like Bing Crosby, Groucho Marx, and Jack Benny, his career became completely intertwined with Ed Sullivan.
"Inventing" Ed Sullivan:
Ed Sullivan was notoriously wooden and awkward on stage. Jordan realized that a straight imitation was not inherently funny, so he manufactured a highly theatrical, comic caricature between 1953 and 1954. He invented physical tics—hunched shoulders, spinning on his heels, arm folding, knuckle cracking—and popularized the phrase "really big shew". Sullivan never actually said this on his own until he began playfully mimicking Jordan's imitation. Sullivan loved the routine and hosted Jordan on The Ed Sullivan Show more than 15 times. Pop culture experts note that almost all subsequent Ed Sullivan parodies are actually impressions of Will Jordan’s version.
Film and Television Appearances:
Following Sullivan's death in 1974, Jordan became the go-to actor whenever Hollywood needed to recreate the famous host. He portrayed Sullivan in six major feature films and high-profile media. He also performed the impression in both the original 1960 Broadway production and the 2009 revival of the musical Bye Bye Birdie. Outside of his Sullivan persona, Jordan appeared as himself alongside fellow comics in Woody Allen's Broadway Danny Rose (1984).
Born Date: July 27, 1927
Born Place: The Bronx, New York
Died Date: September 6, 2018
Died Place: Manhattan, New York
Occupations: Actor, stand-up comedian
Brief Biography: Will Jordan was master impressionist best known for his definitive, pop-culture-shaping imitation of television variety host Ed Sullivan.
Early Life and Career:
Born in the Bronx, Jordan discovered his knack for performance early, graduating from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He began working as a nightclub comedian in the late 1940s. An early contemporary and friend of Lenny Bruce, Jordan became part of an elite mid-century wave of television impressionists alongside performers like Rich Little and Frank Gorshin. While his repertoire featured voices like Bing Crosby, Groucho Marx, and Jack Benny, his career became completely intertwined with Ed Sullivan.
"Inventing" Ed Sullivan:
Ed Sullivan was notoriously wooden and awkward on stage. Jordan realized that a straight imitation was not inherently funny, so he manufactured a highly theatrical, comic caricature between 1953 and 1954. He invented physical tics—hunched shoulders, spinning on his heels, arm folding, knuckle cracking—and popularized the phrase "really big shew". Sullivan never actually said this on his own until he began playfully mimicking Jordan's imitation. Sullivan loved the routine and hosted Jordan on The Ed Sullivan Show more than 15 times. Pop culture experts note that almost all subsequent Ed Sullivan parodies are actually impressions of Will Jordan’s version.
Film and Television Appearances:
Following Sullivan's death in 1974, Jordan became the go-to actor whenever Hollywood needed to recreate the famous host. He portrayed Sullivan in six major feature films and high-profile media. He also performed the impression in both the original 1960 Broadway production and the 2009 revival of the musical Bye Bye Birdie. Outside of his Sullivan persona, Jordan appeared as himself alongside fellow comics in Woody Allen's Broadway Danny Rose (1984).