Leslie Jordan mini-bio: For such a diminutive (4' 11") frame, character actor Leslie Jordan has a
tall propensity for scene-stealing. He hails from the South, as his
dead-giveaway drawl quickly exposes, and was raised in a highly
conservative, deeply religious atmosphere in Chattanooga, Tennessee. His
father, a Lieutenant Colonel with the Army, was killed in a plane crash
when he was only 11. Uncertain about his direction in life, an
inescapable talent for high camp, not to mention an impish mug and
pocket-sized structure ideal for commercials, must have inspired Leslie
enough to risk taking on Hollywood in 1982. Following training with
acting coach Carolyn Barry, who ran the Professional Artist's Group
during the 80s, he became highly marketable in commercial spots. TV would
invariably be the next step. In the midst of it all he involved himself
deeply in writing. Avid L.A. theatergoers will probably recognize him for
such prone-to-misfit characters as Brother Boy, an institutionalized drag
queen, in "Sordid Lives," and Peanut, a habitual barfly, in "Southern
Baptist Sissies." His own one-man testimonials, such as the off-Broadway
"Hysterical Blindness" and the more recent "Like a Dog on Linoleum," show
an actor quite adept at baring his soul and exposing his childhood
agonies on stage amidst laughter and tears. These shows came at a price,
however. A self-proclaimed substance abuser and sexaholic, Jordan spent
jail time more than once for DUI before facing his inner demons and
reaching full recovery (since 1996). In the end he has reaped the rewards
of comedy success. In lowbudget film projects since 1988, he has been
part of such off-the-wall material as Frankenstein General Hospital
(1988), Black Velvet Pantsuit (1995) and Farm Sluts (2003), to name a
few. He has also experienced the joy of seeing one of his own writing
projects come to full fruition with the film Lost in the Pershing Point
Hotel (2000). He was also given the chance to recreate his Big Brother
role in Sordid Lives (2000) to the big screen. TV has been an
exceptionally inviting medium over the years with a number of fun,
flouncy roles coming his way. Noted for his catchy guest work on "Murphy
Brown" and "Lois & Clark," among others, he was also a series regular on
"Reasonable Doubts" (1991) and "Hearts Afire" (1992). These days Leslie
has a wonderfully wicked recurring role as a (very) small thorn in Megan
Mullally's side on the popular "Will & Grace" (1998) sitcom. Playing the
snide, mincing and unconvincingly homophobic hanger-on Beverley Leslie,
the actor plays the hilarity up for all its worth. At other times his
loser types have proved quite touching, if pathetic, in offbeat drama.
