Interview: Gay funnyman Leslie Jordan – out of the womb and into his mothers high–heels

Leslie Jordan, the comedian best known nationally for his hilarious role of Beverley Leslie on the hit TV show Will and Grace, is no stranger to Hollywood. With other recurring roles on hit television shows including Boston Legal, Ugly Betty, and Desperate Housewives, the gay comic has brought his most recent project, “Fruit Fly,” with a worldwide touring schedule which incorporates digital media, to the Mile High City.

Jordan’s project “Fruit Fly” plays June 7 through June 9 at Lannie’s Clocktower Cabaret under the famous D&F Clocktower on Denver’s 16th Street Mall.

Jordan took time from his busy tour to chat with Out Front about his upcoming visit to Denver, his year–long celebration of Pride, and his advice for LGBT youth looking to find themselves.

Lauren Archuletta: What was family life like for you growing up?

Leslie Jordan: Well you know I look back and it seemed really rough, but I had a pretty amazing childhood. I had a mother that took one look at little Leslie and thought ‘He’s gonna need some help here.’

I sort of fell out of the womb and landed in my mother’s high heels.

I was photographed relentlessly as a child. There’s photos of me in little cowboy outfits, in little white raincoat with a white umbrella. As I looked through al those pictures I saw the amazing journey of a gay man and his mother. The show I’m bringing to Denver involves a lot of pictures projected on the walls.

LA: Is that where the idea for your current show, “Fruit Fly,” came from?

LJ: A few years ago I took my very devout Baptist mother on a gay cruise, kind of forgetting it was a gay cruise. Two thousand gay men adopted my mother. Something amazing happened on that cruise, and so I wrote this book “Fruit Fly” that asks, ‘Do gay men become their mothers?’

LA: Are you enjoying touring the world with the show?

LJ: I just did it on the west end of London and I’ve done it at gay resorts in Mexico. I’ve done it all over the place and now I’m bringing it to Denver. I love Denver.

What I like doing best are these one-person shows. That’s what I love doing. What that involves is 45 cities a year and a lot of travel. But at my age travel is just not fun period anymore.

LA: Have you spent much time in Colorado before?

LJ: I’ve been there many times with Judy Shepard’s foundation. She asked me if I wanted to come sometime and help us raise money. When I first met her I said, ‘For you to have turned something so horrific into this [foundation] is just so beautiful.

LA: You and Megan Mullally on Will and Grace were such a dynamic duo. Do you have any specific memories of the two of you that you still crack up about?

LJ: That Megan Mullally is the kind of actress with wonderful comedic instinct. She just does it. It’s just like a verbal Ping-Pong game with her and I.

The first time I worked with Megan she didn’t really lay that voice on in rehearsal but, honey, you put her in front of an audience and just wait.

I was standing there and the scene started and all of a sudden, honey, she threw it back at me.  We looked right in the eyes and I said, ‘You bitch. All right.’ That was the chemistry. We just have this wonderful back and forth. And I would toss it right back at her.

LA: Any plans for Pride this year?

LJ: Our Pride coincides with Denver. I’ll be in Denver during LA’s Pride, which has gotten so big. I’ve done pride for 20 years. And it seems to be that Pride seems like an excuse to get really fucked up. You know it’s just too much. I’ve been the grand marshal of many prides over the years.

I am going to do San Diego Pride the following week and I’ll be performing at a bar called Martinis and they want me to ride on their float. At first my manager said, ‘He’s not just gonna ride on a float!’ But I said, ‘Honey, are you kidding me? I’m a gay man! Any excuse to ride on a float.’

But I’m always proud. Every day is Pride for me.

LA: What words of wisdom would you deliver to the LGBT youth of today?

LJ: My new platform is a new source of shame. I have been sober since I was 42 years old and I had never registered to vote. And I thought, ‘Who had time to vote?’

During the ’60s and ’70s we marched in the streets a lot. That brings some publicity to your cause. But you can march in the streets ‘til the cow comes home but change comes from within the system and therefore as a member of the GLBT community you have to vote. We have to be heard.

And for any gay kid that’s considering suicide, just know that it does get better and you’re killing the wrong person. You can find yourself. When I was growing up I thought there was something desperately wrong with me. I didn’t have the Internet, I grew up in the hills of Tennessee. Find someone to talk to. We will welcome you.

Leslie Jordan will be performing at Lannie’s Clocktower Cabaret Friday, June 7 at 8 p.m., Saturday, June 8 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, June 9 at 7:30 p.m. For more information or to purchase tickets visit http://lannies.com/?p=22816. Reach the box office by phone at (303) 293-0075.