Before quarantine videos, Leslie Jordan was hilarious in ‘Sordid Lives’
Leslie Jordan has become a breakout star, again.
The 64-year-old actor has gone viral, thanks to daily Instagram videos chronicling his life under stay-at-home orders in the wake of the coronavirus. In the hilarious clips, we see Jordan attempting meditation (“I don’t wanna be up in my mind, it’s like a bad neighborhood, honey”); yoga (“It is filthy down here on the floor”); and recounting his time in jail (“They called me Little Bo Peep and that was the guards”). He frequently yells at his off-camera mother, who’s at home with him in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Jordan is best known to mainstream audiences as Beverly Leslie, foil to Karen Walker, in “Will & Grace.” He won an Emmy Award for the role and makes his last appearance on the show Thursday night. He’s also been featured in several episodes of “American Horror Story” and “The Cool Kids” with Vicki Lawrence and David Alan Grier.
But longtime fans know Jordan for another hilarious turn, as Brother Boy in the “Sordid Lives” movies and TV show.
If you’ve never seen “Sordid Lives,” do it. Immediately. It’s a complex and comical story by Texas native Del Shores, who based it on his family and calls it a “black comedy about white trash,” set in Winters, a small town near Abilene.
Jordan is the emotional center as Brother Boy, whose sexuality, penchant for dressing in drag and obsession with Tammy Wynette have kept him in a mental institution for more than two decades. He is hilarious and heartbreaking, taking what could be a cartoonish stereotype and turning it into a raw, real character. It hits close to home for anyone who has felt rejected by family just for being who they are.
And his slow, Southern drawl — particularly the way he says
— is unforgettable.
The 2000 “Sordid Lives” film was based on Shores’ play and starred Olivia Newton-John, Rue McClanahan and Delta Burke. It became a cult smash and stayed in release for almost three years, including a 96-week run in Palm Springs, Calif., 37 weeks in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and 29 weeks in Dallas. It’s required viewing for fans of LGBTQ cinema.
It spawned a 12-episode TV series on the Logo cable network and a 2017 sequel, “A Very Sordid Wedding.” Jordan reprised his role in every incarnation.
So, yes, we love Jordan as Beverly Leslie (@thelesliejordan) on Instagram. But Brother Boy will always hold a special place in many hearts.