The Untold Truth Of Nick Cordero
Broadway star Nick Cordero died at age 41 on July 5, 2020, his wife, Amanda Kloots, announced on Instagram. "He was surrounded in love by his family, singing and praying as he gently left this earth," she captioned a photo of her husband. Although Kloots didn't note how the Bullets Over Broadway actor died, he was diagnosed with the coronavirus in March 2020 and had suffered a series of medical complications.
Kloots, who welcomed a baby boy named Elvis with Cordero in June 2019, announced on April 18, 2020, that her husband had his right leg amputated due to blood clotting issues, per TODAY. The news came after the dancer and fitness trainer revealed that Cordero was unconscious and on a ventilator in intensive care at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. The couple had moved to LA from New York so Cordero could star in Rock of Ages, which made its Hollywood Boulevard debut in February 2020, Forbes noted.
Kloots' last major update about Cordero's health before his death came on July 2, 2020, when she told CBS This Morning's host Gayle King that the actor would possibly undergo a double lung transplant. "We think that that is most likely the possibility," the former Rockette told King. "A 99% chance that he would be needing that in order to live the kind of life that I know my husband would want to live."
As Cordero's loved ones and fans mourn his death, let's take a moment to reflect on the legacy he left behind.
Nick Cordero put his 'heart and soul' into his work
Nick Cordero, who also starred in A Bronx Tale and Waitress in addition to his other high-profile roles, seemingly wasn't intimidated by fame or bad press. "It's fantastic. You know, you just put your heart and soul into a new production, but you never know, man," he told Forbes in 2017 about his love for performing no matter the outcome. "You just hope people like it."
Cordero's success was made sweeter by his beloved family, which along with Amanda Kloots and Elvis, included his mom. The Canadian revealed to Forbes that his father died in 2016.
As for Cordero and Amanda Kloots' recent move to Los Angeles, it sounded like the actor had hoped to have an extended stay on the west coast. "It'd be nice to go out there for some professional development," Cordero said. He added later on in the interview, "I can't wait to get out there."
The Rock of Ages star also revealed his goals for the future. "Oh, man, I'd love to have a TV or film thing happen," he revealed. "I'm not ashamed to say I'd like to work a little more in that area, there is so much to learn."
Cordero did get the chance to dabble in television, starring on shows like Blue Bloods and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
How Nick Cordero and Amanda Kloots' love story unfolded
When Nick Cordero was hospitalized in March 2020 due to coronavirus complications, his wife, Amanda Kloots, became his fiercest advocate. From encouraging fans to wish Cordero well to FaceTiming with him regularly (she was unable to be with him in person during most of his 95 days battling COVID-19, E! News noted), Kloots was the actor's rock throughout his battle.
So, how exactly did the couple's love story begin? The pair actually met when they worked together on the Broadway show Bullets Over Broadway, which debuted in 2014, as Cordero confirmed to Forbes. However, Kloots was married to her first husband at the time.
"I found my marriage unexpectedly and abruptly ending after seven years," she told Time magazine in 2018. "Just six months before it seemed like everything was about to fall into place, now everything was falling apart. I found myself in my thirties without a job, without a husband, and without a plan."
But that all changed when Kloots and Cordero took their relationship to the next level. "We were friends first and then fell in love," the fitness instructor wrote on Instagram in June 2020. "We got married in NYC in 2017 and had [their first child] Elvis two years later."
"Elvis, our baby boy, just turned 1!" she added. "I have wanted to be a mom my entire life. I would have five more kids if I could!"
Nick Cordero was a talented musician
Nick Cordero was not only a talented actor and Broadway star — he was nominated for a Tony Award for his role in Bullets Over Broadway — but he also was a gifted musician. "I play guitar, piano, I write songs on both," he told Forbes in 2017.
"I have a band called 'Other Courage,'" he added. "I love it, it's a little tough to do regularly on a Broadway show schedule just because you're busy every night. We do what we can, and we're recording."
However, Cordero admitted there were no plans for an album with his band — "just singles for now" — but he was hoping that would change in the future. "If I had the luxury of taking two weeks to really focus on an album, that'd be one thing," he explained. "But at the moment I don't have that luxury. But one day I will."
Music was meaningful to Cordero, telling the outlet how he was "always gonna write songs and play them." He added, "And as long as I'm lucky enough to have musicians who want to go on the ride with me, that's great."
While Cordero was in the hospital, Amanda Kloots encouraged her followers to play his single, "Live Your Life," on social media so that the actor would feel the energy and make a speedy recovery. "He is hearing the support, the love, and your voices everyday. I just know it," Kloots wrote on Instagram in April 2020.