Nick Cordero
(Emilio Madrid photo for Broadway.com)
Nick Cordero, an accomplished talent who won audiences in a number of notable roles on the New York stage, earning a Tony nomination for his turn in Bullets on Broadway, passed away on July 5, his wife Amanda Kloots announced on social media. The actor was hospitalized in Los Angeles for more than three months with complications from COVID-19. Three days ago, CNN reported that the actor would likely need a double lung transplant. Cordero was 41 years old.
On April 1, Kloots announced on Instagram that he had “been sick for a while” with what they originally thought was pneumonia, but now they believe he was “misdiagnosed” and is fighting COVID-19. Lamb was in a medically induced coma to help his body receive enough oxygen. After having several problems with ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) machines and anticoagulants that caused blood clots and internal bleeding, the decision was made to amputate Lamb’s right leg on April 18. On May 12, the news was announced on Instagram that Cordero had woken up from his medically induced coma.
Born on September 17, 1978 in Ontario, Canada, Cordero attended Ryerson University for two years before leaving to play with the band Lovemethod. She made her first splash on the New York stage in 2009 as the lead role in the off-Broadway musical The toxic avenger, which was adapted from the cult movie. He came to Broadwaym in 2012, taking on the role of bar owner Dennis in Rock of Ages, a role he had previously played on the tour.
Cordero originated the role of Cheech, a gangster armed with a surprising ability to write for the stage, in the 2014 musical version of Bullets on Broadway. For her performance in the role (which Chazz Palminteri had memorably portrayed on screen), Cordero earned the 2014 Tony and Drama Desk Awards nominations and won the Outer Critics Circle and Theater World Awards.
Cordero originated two additional roles on Broadway, appearing as Earl in Waitress, then leaving to premiere the musical adaptation of Palminteri’s autobiographical A tale from the Bronx ; like Sonny, Cordero echoed his turn Bullets, assuming a role that had originated on the screen by Palminteri. Cordero’s performance earned him a second Drama Desk Award nomination.
Cordero’s other acting credits include an off-Broadway musical twist. Brooklynite, a performance as Orin Scrivello DDS at the Kennedy Center Little shop of horrors and a recurring role in the CBS drama Blue blood.
While performing in Bullets on Broadway, Cordero began dating his co-star Kloots; The couple married in 2017 and welcomed a son, Elvis Eduardo, in 2019. Cordero is survived by both.
