Nick Cordero, beloved star of such Broadway productions as Waitress, Bullets Over Broadway, and Rock Of Ages, has died at the age of 41 following a protracted battle with COVID-19. The actor’s passing was announced by his wife, Amanda Kloots, who had been documenting her husband’s struggles over the past several months on social media. Cordero is additionally survived by the couple’s son, Elvis, who is just over a year old. “God has another angel in heaven now,” read Kloot’s Instagram announcement. “My darling husband passed away this morning. He was surrounded in love by his family, singing and praying as he gently left this earth.”
Cordero initially believed he had a case of pneumonia back in March and was subsequently admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. The Canadian-born actor’s condition worsened and he spent several weeks in the intensive care unit, where doctors amputated Cordero’s right leg and it was eventually determined that he would require a double-lung transplant.
Born in Hamilton, Ontario in 1978, Cordero dropped out of university in Toronto to pursue a music career. He first gained notice for his lead performance in an off-Broadway production of The Toxic Avenger, based on the cult classic film of the same name. A Tony-nominated performer for his role in the Broadway production of Bullets Over Broadway, Cordero was also well-known and admired for his roles in Waitress, A Bronx Tale The Musical (co-directed by Robert De Niro), and Rock Of Ages. Following his Broadway and touring runs in the latter, Cordero had traveled to Los Angeles to reprise his role as Bourbon Room owner Dennis Dupree for an “immersive” production of the hit musical that began in January.
Following his death, fellow performers such as Josh Gad, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and others have been paying tribute to Cordero on social media, and directing fans to a GoFundMe page created to support Cordero’s wife and their son: