“In a perfect world we'd want gay people to play gay people, but I think that's a good rule of thumb: Whoever gives the best audition should get the part. My problem is getting anybody to hire me for anything other than queens.”

American actor, comedian, writer, and singer

Leslie Jordan was an American actor, comedian, writer, and singer. Born in 1955 and active across stage, television, and social media, he was best known for his comic character work, especially as Beverley Leslie on Will & Grace. He also appeared in the American Horror Story franchise, The Cool Kids, Call Me Kat, and Hearts Afire. On stage, he played Earl “Brother Boy” Ingram in Sordid Lives, a role he later reprised in the film version. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he reached a large audience on Instagram, and in 2021 he published his memoir, How Y’all Doing? Misadventures and Mischief from a Life Well Lived.