Broadway Actor Nick Cordero Has Died At 41 From Coronavirus Complications
Over 90 days ago, Nick Cordero was hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles with coronavirus, and since then, his wife, Amanda Kloots, regularly gave updates on his condition. It was a roller coaster of emotions. There were good days sprinkled with a bit of hope and there were horrible days. People were rooting for Nick with hopes that he’d come out of it. But yesterday, Amanda delivered the soul-crushing news that Nick has died. He was only 41.
People says that in early March, Nick got the sicks and his only major symptom was exhaustion. But when he had trouble breathing, he was admitted into the ICU in late March. At first, doctors thought he had pneumonia but then they were convinced he had COVID-19. He tested negative twice, but his third test came back as positive. He was put on a ventilator the day after he went into the ICU, and over the next few months, he got a lung infection, he lost consciousness, he had to undergo surgery after the machine that was keeping his lungs and heart working stopped blood flow to his right leg, and eventually, doctors had to amputate that leg.
There was a little bit of good news here and there, like Nick tested negative for coronavirus in mid-April. But the news was mostly grim. Doctors couldn’t figure out why Nick wasn’t coming out of his coma, he had a temporary pacemaker put in after he experienced irregular heartbeats, he got another lung infection that spread to his lungs and caused him to get into septic shock, he lost 65 pounds, and he suffered two mini-strokes. It was more than a lot.
Nick woke up from his medically induced coma on May 12, but things didn’t get better. Amanda said that his lungs looked like the lungs of someone who smoked for 50 years and there was even talk of a lung transplant since doctors were cleaning out his lungs daily and the situation was not getting any better. Amanda was able to visit him last month after not being able to see him for 79 days. He was very weak and couldn’t talk because of the ventilator.
Amanda spit at the dingle-brained morons who don’t wear a mask and think coronavirus only affects the elderly by letting everyone know that Nick never had any pre-existing conditions. And last night, Amanda announced that after a long, horrible battle against coronavirus, Nick died. This story is already heartbreaking enough, but it gets worse, because Amanda gave birth to their son, Elvis Eduardo, just a year ago.
Nick was born in Hamilton, Ontario in Canada, and he made his NYC stage debut by playing the title role in Off-Broadway’s The Toxic Avenger. And he made his Broadway debut in Rock of Ages. After Rock of Ages, Nick starred in several Broadway musicals like Bullets Over Broadway, Waitress, and A Bronx Tale The Musical. He played Cheech in Bullets Over Broadway and it got him a Tony nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. He was also in episodes of Blue Bloods and Law & Order: SVU.
Nick was good friends with Zach Braff. They did Bullets Over Broadway together. Nick and his family were in Los Angeles for a production of Rock of Ages he was starring in (that production, of course, got shut down due to coronavirus). Amanda and Elvis were living in Zach Braff’s guest house while Nick was in the hospital. Zach paid tribute to Nick on Twitter yesterday:
Nick Cordero passed at 11:40am today with his mother and wife by his side. I can honesty tell you I have never met a kinder human being. Don’t believe that Covid only claims the elderly and infirm.
I am so grateful for the time we had. “We’ll catch up some other time.” pic.twitter.com/Oq2a8QsIyH— Zach Braff (@zachbraff) July 6, 2020
Nick Cordero fought as hard as he could for 90 days. Wear a mask. Fuck Covid. pic.twitter.com/E83Ln0EXdK
— Zach Braff (@zachbraff) July 6, 2020
This was Nick’s last Instagram post on March 19:
Nick and Amanda’s friends started a GoFundMe for them in April. All the money donated will go toward paying his medical bills and memorial.
Rest in peace, Nick Cordero.
Pic: Wenn.com