Leslie Jordan on his new memoir and one-person show, My Trip Down the Pink Carpet.

BY CHRIS FREEMAN
PHOTOS BY BRENT DUNDORE

Leslie Jordan's prime time turn as Beverley Leslie, Karen Walker's acerbic nemesis on Will & Grace, garnered him an Emmy Award and a star status that was both hard-won and well-deserved.

He arrived in Hollywood with only a few hundred dollars (sewn into his underwear, his mother's idea) and boundless talent. He says, with a twinge of nostalgia, “I stepped off the Trailways bus at the corner of Vine and DeLongpre in 1982.”

A quarter century later, Jordan hauls out his baggage and unpacks his sometimes dirty laundry in a sensational new memoir and a one-person show, My Trip Down the Pink Carpet.

Jordan is arguably one of the most accomplished character actors working today. From Boston Legal to Boston Public, Lois & Clark to the film Sordid Lives and Logo’s TV adaptation, Jordan's racked up an enviable list of credits.

Disarmingly honest, his story is a rare and delicious treat. With Southern-fried humor and trademark sauciness, Jordan delivers a tale tinged with both sadness and triumph.

For years, off the set, Jordan fought to control his demons. His battle with drugs and alcohol (he's been sober since 1997) and the loneliness of growing up gay in Chattanooga, Tenn., will resonate with many, as will his ultimate self-acceptance.

Jordan's first one-man show was called—ready for this? Hysterical Blindness and

Other Southern Tragedies That Have Plagued My Life Thus Far. That show was not the best experience of his life: “By the time it was up, it was no longer a one-man show. The L.A. Times called it ‘the most overpopulated one-person show since Shirley MacLaine at the Pantages.' An agent from CAA saw the show and they had me in for a meeting. They said, 'we want the piece.' I completely, in all that whirlwind, lost control of my show. It was a nightmare and I was a nightmare. So many of my friends told me that the stories were funnier when I just told them.” So Jordan learned his lesson, and a couple of years ago, his stunning show Like a Dog on Linoleum was a huge hit nationwide.

Talking openly about his life—and laughing openly about it with audiences—has helped Jordan find an inner strength that he didn't know he had. “When I realized I could stand up in front of people and tell these stories, it was the best therapy in the world. I was set free from all my demons. Gay men of my generation come up to me and say, 'my God, you've told my story.' More than anything, doing this freed me.”

He's thrilled that My Trip Down the Pink Carpet will be at the Renberg Theatre in December at the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center. His idol, Lily Tomlin, and her partner Jane Wagner have been heavily involved at the Center. Jordan recently wrote Tomlin a fan letter, saying that he wishes he could be like her when he grows up.

As for Jordan, the view from where he is now only provides a better vantage point to see what must be said and done. “I think I have a responsibility. I survived drugs. I managed not to get HIV—and I was an alley cat! How and why am I here? I think I have to keep telling my story. We need empowerment. We need encouragement. I want to do something to combat all the right-wing Christians who do these horrible things to us.”

Jordan's doing his part, and we are lucky enough to watch, laugh and be dazzled by his unique mixture of comedy, humor and truth telling.

With frosting on his finger and a twinkle in his eye, Jordan offers us his suggestions for good eats:

For the best fried chicken dinner:

The Kitchen (323/664-3663; thekitchen-silverlake.com) next to Akbar in Silver Lake makes me wanna jump up and holler “yummy!" 

Best large-portion Southern-style breakfast:

The Griddle (323/874-0377; thegriddlecafe.com) on Sunset. The boys that work there will take your breath away. I told the owner, Jody, the other day, "Honey, I am an aging homosexual who has been blessed with a deep appreciation for beauty and coming here to eat at The Griddle is like going to a museum. Your boys are the best looking boys in town! Who is responsible for hiring these 'works of art'?" She smiled real big and said, "That would be me!"

Best Italian food in the city:

Terroni (323/954-0300; terroni.ca) in the old location that used to house The Authentic Café—amazing food and they show old Italian movies on the walls. Fun, fun, fun... just do not ask them to cut up your pizza. They will gladly show you how to cut the pizza Italian-style but do not ask them to cut it up before they bring it to the table, they might faint in the floor!

Best looking host to greet you at the door:

Ari at Cobras and Matadors (323/932-6178) on Beverly near Stanley. Straight as they come but when he smiles and greets you the whole world stops and then when he walks away to lead you to your table his God-given ass will make you weep... and the food is fabulous.