20 Times That Leslie Jordan Delighted Us With His Unique Sense Of Humor
Has there ever been a celebrity quite like Leslie Jordan? A singular talent, Leslie's astounding social media presence proved that he was one of the few stars to get more famous as he aged. The actor, writer, comedian, and LGBTQ+ icon spent decades dazzling Hollywood, so when he died unexpectedly in 2022, people flooded social media with their favorite memories of the hilarious entertainer. Here are just a few of the reasons why Leslie was such a beloved figure for so long.
1. A 67-year-old social media star
It's not every day that a 67-year-old entertainer becomes a TikTok star, but that's exactly what happened to Leslie Jordan! As the world hunkered down in the early days of the pandemic, Leslie took to TikTok so he could connect with the outside world. And it didn't take long for his charming Southern accent and extroverted personality to go viral. By 2022, he had 6 million Instagram followers and 2.7 million followers on TikTok.
2. He was raised in a religious family
"I fell out of the womb and landed in my mother's high heels," Leslie once quipped. It's true that Leslie's personality couldn't have clashed more with his religious upbringing in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in the mid-1950s. Growing up, he went to a Southern Baptist church and felt shame surrounding his sexuality. "I was baptized 14 times!" he once said. And when the preacher would remind Leslie of his most recent baptism, Leslie would reply, "I don't think it took."
3. A military man
It may come as a surprise to learn that Leslie — the flamboyant, extroverted personality we all know and love — came from a military family. Yep, his father Allen was a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve. "I was not exactly the son he envisioned," Leslie once admitted to Katie Couric. Allen was, according to Leslie, your typical 1950s military man: straight-laced and responsible, with very traditional values.
4. Small but mighty
Leslie Jordan may have been small in stature, but he was big in personality! Despite being just 4 feet and 11 inches tall, Leslie stood out in even the most star-studded of crowds. "I'm Southern, I'm gay, I'm little — I get ma'am'd a lot on the phone," he once quipped. And it was how he embraced these three things that made Leslie so beloved!
