American actor Patrick Dempsey, wearing a tuxedo with a brown bow tie and matching cummerbund, and his wife, American actress Rochelle ‘Rocky’ Parker, who wears an off-white trouser suit over a white v-neck top, attend the 42nd Annual Writers Guild of America (WGA) Awards, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, 18th March 1990 – Source: Getty
Actor Corey Parker, son of Rocky Parker, the former wife of Grey’s Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey, has died at 60. TMZ was the first to report the 60-year-old acting coach’s death. The Will & Grace actor passed away in Memphis, Tennessee, following a battle with cancer, his aunt Emily Parker told the outlet.
Corey is preceded in death by his mother, Rochelle Natalie “Rocky” Parker, who died in 2014 at 74 from lung and throat cancer, according to Hello! magazine. Rocky Parker was an acting coach who had appeared in some TV and movie projects. She was a mother of three – David, Corey, and Noelle – and had been married thrice.
Rocky’s marriage to Patrick Dempsey sparked controversy during the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, due to the couple’s nearly three-decade age difference. Dempsey had met Parker in his late teens and married her at 21, when she was around 46. Rocky, who had reportedly worked with the actor, also became his manager.
After tying the knot in 1987, the couple remained together for 7 years before parting ways in 1994. According to Hello! In a 2006 interview with Barbara Walters, Patrick Dempsey addressed his marriage to Rocky Parker and described it as “a Freudian nightmare that is public knowledge.” The actor said:
“I think I needed a mother. There were a lot of negative things that I’m still undoing from it. She had a son one year older than me.”
LA-based acting studio pays heartfelt tribute to former teacher and Rocky Parker’s son, Corey Parker
Los Angeles-based The BGB Studio announced the death of its ex-acting coach in an emotional Instagram post. Its official account shared, “Corey Parker has left us, this earth, this reality, finally to rest.” According to the post, Corey’s sister, Noelle, said:
“I believe he left this world weightless, at peace & surrounded with love.”
The BGB Studio founder, Risa Garcia, also remembered Corey Parker, as she shared:
“I am writing to you, Corey, here, directly, because this is how I… we… keep you with us. I have known and loved you for the past 45 years, since our E.S.T days in NY as hungry wild artists.”
Garcia stated that Corey was a massive part of her “creative work, my creative family, for decades.” She added:
“It meant everything and full circle when you joined our BGB community as a teacher, and we navigated the work together, all of us, always coming back to the truth and the potential of storytelling, of the actor’s endless power. You kept us all honest and brave and hopeful and about art.”
The post continues:
“And so we celebrate your incredible talent, your unparalleled passion and joy in the work and in your family, your huge gift for and devotion to teaching (which kept you going throughout), your generosity, your love. All our lives are so much richer for knowing you, you carry on in each of us, in the abundance you gifted and inspired in us… forever. Goodbye but not farewell, dear friend.”
Risa Garcia and The BGB Studio sent “light and love to Corey’s family” and shared a quote from the late acting coach. According to the Instagram post, Parker once said:
“I think actors are the gold mine, the source of authenticity and creativity… I love teaching and I really do remember each actor who has come through class. While the industry is impersonal, our class is a place where we make personal connections and we feel safe to take risks and to grow. The payoffs from our class are many, for our work and for our journey forever.”
According to IMDb, the actor also appeared in projects such as Love Boat: The Next Wave, Blue Skies, Nashville, and others. He was also credited as an acting coach on an episode of the MCU’s Ms. Marvel.