My Trip Down the Pink Carpet [Hardcover]

Leslie Jordan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 3, 2008

A hilarious romp from small-town USA to the pink carpet of Hollywood with the beloved Emmy-winning actor, playwright, and gay icon

Leslie Jordan is a small man with a giant propensity for scene stealing. Best known for his bravura recurring role as Karen's nemesis, Beverley Leslie, on Will & Grace (for which he won a Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series Emmy in 2006), he has also made memorable appearances on Ally McBeal, Boston Public, Monk, and Murphy Brown.

Raised in a conservative family in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Leslie -- who describes himself as "the gayest man I know" -- boarded a Greyhound bus bound for LA with $1,200 sewn into his underpants and never looked back. His pocket-sized physique and inescapable talent for high camp paved the way to a lucrative and varied career in commercials and on television. Along the way he immersed himself in writing for the stage, and his one-man testimonials have become cult off-Broadway hits. But with success came dangerous temptations: a self-proclaimed former substance abuser and sexaholic, Leslie has spent time in jail and struggled to overcome his addictions and self-loathing.

My Trip Down the Pink Carpet is a rollicking, fast-paced collection of stories, served up with wit, panache, and plenty of biting asides. Filled with comically overwrought childhood agonies, offbeat observations, and revealing celebrity encounters -- from Boy George to George Clooney -- it delivers a fresh, laugh-out-loud take on Hollywood, fame, addiction, gay culture, and learning to love oneself.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Actor and playwright Jordan, who calls himself "the gayest man I know," makes a raucous, energetic and occasionally wistful tour guide to his life in Hollywood and out. Readers may know Jordan best as "Beverley Leslie," his Emmy-winning recurring role on TV sitcom "Will & Grace," but Jordan spends remarkably little time dishing about that, or any other, job. Instead, he focuses much of the book on his personal life, especially the challenge and isolation of growing up gay in Chattanooga, Tenn., dealing with alcohol addiction and learning to accept himself. Sober since 1997, readers might wish for more details of his "drunken-addled sex life, a soap opera unto itself" (his harshest anecdote is a catty story about buying underwear for Beverly D'Angelo), but Jordan is funny and entertaining throughout. His grateful and optimistic tone is likable, and he proves most memorable when he gets serious; a story about joining an addiction recovery group populated entirely by heterosexual men sums up his appeal: vulnerable, wise, eye-opening and welcoming, Jordan should connect with just about anyone who's felt like an outsider.
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About the Author

Leslie Jordan hails from Chattanooga, Tennessee. Standing at just four feet eleven inches, he has become an instantly recognizable face in film and television. He is best known for his role as Beverley Leslie in the hit series Will & Grace, for which he won an Emmy in 2006. He lives in Los Angeles.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Gallery Books (June 3, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416955550
• ISBN-13: 978-1416955559
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,048,087 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Tennessee Jordan May 28, 2008

By Rich Merritt

Format:Hardcover

"It is a terrible feeling when you cannot find your way home," Jordan writes, describing a night out clubbing as a very young man in Atlanta. The sentiment is also a metaphor for Leslie's life, as well as for many of the rest of us. Finding your way home takes years of wondering, searching and facing disappointments.

What I love most about this book is that Leslie Jordan has found his way home, and his famiiy of fans are here for him. The book ends with hope and help.

Like Leslie, I'm a gay Southerner. "They circled the wagons, as only true Southern [I'd add and Jewish] women can do, and created a secret garden where it was okay for little boys to play with dools." They knew, they loved us, and they wanted in their own best way to protect us. God bless our Southern Mamas!

Memoirs are tricky because how does one write about oneself subjectively? Usually too self-praising, or the other extreme self-deprecating. Leslie gets that tone just right. "I would never be the kind of actor who could disappear into the roles he or she played. And quite frankly, I have never been asked to play a character I felt was more interesting than me in real life."

And how true! "I've decided almost all gay men my age have what I call 'Marilyn Monroe syndrome.' We love to fall apart. We love to take pills and cry and carry on. We love self-recreated drama."

This book is funny, well-written (and well-edited) concise and a short-read. Enjoy it laugh and take away the few important lessons at that end.

Rich Merritt, author ofSecrets Of A Gay Marine Porn Star and Code of Conduct

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Leslie Jordan and his sordid life! ;) May 23, 2008

By Daryl B

Format:Hardcover

Leslie Jordan's book is a lot like him...short, quirky and funny. I've seen this little southern diva before in many shows but it was his hilarious recurring role on television's "Will and Grace" and his side-splitting turn as Brother Boy in Del Shore's cult hit "Sordid Lives" that won me over. I've also had the good fortune of seeing him on stage with the traveling stage show of "Sordid Lives" and "Southern Baptist Sissies" in which he gave performances that brought down the house! When I read that he had a book coming out chronicling his life, I had to give it a read.

Jordan jumps back and forth in his book, never telling his story in chronological order. While that is not a bad thing, his story is choppy sometimes and I'm sure he's holding back some whopper-sized tales that would make his family blush if he really let loose and spilled the goods. However, what he does share is funny as well as touching. Through his words he shows how his Southern Baptist upbringing in Tennessee affected him as a young man, dealing with his sexual orientation and a life time of issues that come with that baggage. While he always knew he was a gay man, he was fighting those demons created by his Baptist teachings and the desires in his heart. Unfortunately, he wasted many years hating who he was and trying to numb that hate with drug and alcohol, all the while managing to keep his career moving along.

While he mentions many funny things, such as his celebrity crushes and some great stories about his mom and his overt "gayness", the most touching part of the book, for me, came near the end when he had the revelation of what we all truly should be striving for in life...which is to love and be loved. His revelation, sadly comes through the words of a friend dying of AIDS--words that are extremely relevant in today's world.

Jordan is a talented and wickedly funny character actor. I would love to have heard more about his time on the sets of shows like "Will and Grace" and "Ally McBeal" or on the movie sets he's worked on. It would also been nice to have heard more about his time as a child, his time in high school and his life in college. But all in all, 'My Trip Down the Pink Carpet' is a treat for fans of this diminutive firecracker.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Leslie Jordan...always such a delight! June 9, 2008

By G. ONeill

Format:Hardcover

I met Mr. Jordan several years ago when he was in town performing his one man show, Like a Dog on Linoleum. I was coming down the street and noticed his small frame immediately as 'Beverly Leslie' from Will & Grace, among other appearances. I walked up to him, absolutely thrilled to see him right there in the flesh. I hadn't got but a few words out when he hugged me like an old friend...not too difficult to do, since I'm honestly not much taller than him myself. I've been a fan ever since and have eagerly looked forward to reading this book. No long analysis here, folks, suffice to see that this delightful little read is like a drink of cool water on a hot day! Thoughtful, funny and totally capitivating, I found myself laughing out on the bus on my way to work as I read this! I can say my only criticism of the book is that is wasn't longer, as I was left very pleased with my read, but greedily wanting more. Well done, Leslie, well done!