When I spoke with Leslie Jordan about his role in Eating Out 3: All You Can Eat, he
was getting his car serviced.
Hey, he’s just regular people! Well, if you consider regular people to be consis-
tently hilarious and able to spin a tale roughly about the size of Texas.
Seriously, if there is ever a yarn shortage, one’s grandmother would not need
look further than him. However, he is certainly not telling tall tales—he merely
tells it like it is as only he can.
But, the diminutive thespian is very, ahem, down-to-earth about his stature as a
character actor, which enables him to try on all types of roles.
Such as his latest one as Harry in the third Eating Out installment, which is a
far cry from “Will & Grace’s” Beverly Leslie and certainly does not walk in the same
pumps as Brother Boy of Sordid Lives fame.
At the movie’s center is a tale of mistaken identities, courtesy of a fake online
profile. Before you think this is based on a true story, it is a factional, I mean, fic-
tional account of what happens when Tiffani (Rebekah Kochan) encourages her
friend Casey (Daniel Skelton) to talk to his dream man Zack (Chris Salvatore) via
the World Wide Web.
The problem is (and becomes) that she uses a photo of her ex-boyfriend Ryan
(Michael E.R. Walker), who later re-enters her life again with complications,
shenanigans and hilarity ensuing. Plus, it features an appearance by Mink Stole
reprising her role as Aunt Helen.
But, at its heart is Jordan’s portrayal of an older gay man who works at a youth
center and acts as a mentor to the younger queer generation.
Fans of the first two Eating ventures know to expect raunchy humor peppered
“In the end he gives advice to one of the young gay characters,” he recanted. “And I
think there’s not enough of that within the gay community. It’s not easy growing old
and being gay – somebody needs to do a movie about that.”
with pop culture references to celebrities, such as Madonna and Anderson Coo- you think he’s this lecherous old queen. He’s eyein’ everybody,” Jordan said. “But
per, and lines like “It’s gayer than a midnight screening of Showgirls” being used to then I end up giving the character the advice that cements his journey. I liked that.
describe attendance at a funeral. He’s real and when I’m given the chance to do that, I really relish it.”
Much like it is featured in the film, the advent of the Internet has certainly Jordan even had a chance to do some research for the role that coincidently
changed the way that the world communicates. However, Ma Bell aided me in involved a night spent eating out in Los Angeles.
hearing that unmistakable Southern drawl oozing out of the phone receiver, like “There were two gay boys – adorable – and they’re holding hands, sitting side-
so much spilled molasses. by side in the same booth,” he explained. “I almost got teary-eyed. As I was leaving
He chatted about why he considers himself to be a “whore to laughter,” what’s they said, ‘You’re the guy from Will & Grace.’ And I said, ‘You know what? You kids
happening with two Del Shores-related projects and how he kept focused with have no idea what we went through, so that you can sit side-by-side in that booth
all the man flesh around on the set of Eating Out 3—talk about a buff-et. and hold hands.’ And they said they did, they realized. I said, ‘I hope so, because it
“It was a little jewel that dropped into my lap,” he said of his participation in the didn’t come easy.’”
latest Eating venture. “I loved the script – it was adorable. But the way I read a script Something else that was hard, maybe difficult is a better way to put it, was the
is bullshit, bullshit, my line, bullshit, bullshit, oh my line again!” on-set nudity coupled with the guy candy factor. Jordan, ever the consummate
As for his role of Harry, he was drawn to the part because he saw parallels professional, took it all in stride.
between the role and a previous project where he portrayed a “pitiful old queen” “Honey, that was such a fun set,” Jordan revealed. “One day we were in a coffee
known as Peanut in the Del Shores play Southern Baptist Sissies, and thought the shop and you have all these beautiful young boys playing extras. Then I was there
character had a good message to relay. for the big party scene and I even recognized a couple of porn stars that I love.
“In the end he gives advice to one of the young gay characters,” he recanted. “In fact, one of them came to me and said, ‘I’m a really big fan of yours.’ And I said,
“And I think there’s not enough of that within the gay community. It’s not easy ‘I’m a HUGE fan of yours!’ And he turned beet red. I said, ‘You’re AMAZING what you
growing old and being gay – somebody needs to do a movie about that. can take up your bottom.’”
The gay culture is all about lookin’ good and six-pack abs and la la la, you then Perhaps his appreciation stemmed from what he sees as the only useful tool the
start growing old. What I loved about that was the first time you see the character, Internet provides—porn. Up until four years ago, Jordan was wary of the online
OctOber 2009 | RAGE monthly 37
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96