An Emmy Award might open new doors for diminutive funnyman Leslie Jordan, but he may be too busy to notice

JUST LITTLE OL’ ME: Before Leslie Jordan returns to Big D for “Season of Shores,” he’ll be a co-presenter at the Emmys on Sunday night.

Leslie Jordan won an Emmy Award last weekend. And it's a good thing he did. "My God, it was so unexpected!" he gushes with faux humility, in the way award-winners often do.

Award-loser talks about how nice it is "just to be nominated." But Jordan admits he kind of expected it.

"I had done some handicapping. I looked at the nominees. There was Jon Stewart for playing himself on a cable series I'd never even heard of. I thought, "'If I was voting for best actor, would I vote for someone playing himself.'

The same was true of Patrick Stewart. Then there was Alec Baldwin, but nobody likes him cause he's fussin' with his wife. And I thought Martin Sheen would win for actor in a drama series. That left little ol' me!"

Having so carefully computed the odds, imagine the results if he hadn't won. The drawling spitfire who took the award for his guest performance as the mincing closeted socialite Beverley Leslie on the series finale of "Will & Grace" might have exploded in a cloud of bitchy bitterness that would still be hanging like smog over Los Angeles.

But there's no use speculating what might have been. Jordan who along with Cloris Leachman, Christian Clemenson and Patricia Clarkson took the award at last weekend's creative arts ceremony is finally at The Show. He'll even be co-presenting one of the major awards at the primetime Emmy ceremony, which airs Sunday on NBC.

"This will be my first big event," he says. "I've never been to the Emmys or the Oscars. I wasn't quite as nervous at the creative awards, but there aren't as many celebrities there. I still get absolutely star-struck and turn into a shy Japanese girl, giggling behind my fan."

Even with all of the excitement, Jordan has a lot more on his mind than just walking away with a trophy roughly half his size. The comedy actor, who has been in the business for nearly a quarter century, is as happy as he has ever been.

This is something of a new experience. Twenty years ago, he says he craved an Emmy with every fiber, rationalizing that winning an award would make his life fabulous. But middle age and years of sobriety helped reorder his priorities.

"It's a wonderful time to have won this, but I was fully prepared not to win. I was excited and it's a great honor, but the fabric of my daily life is not going to change. I will get more job offers and maybe get paid more, but that's my job. And I am not my job. I'm much more concerned about whether the sellers are the gonna accept the offer I just placed on their condo."

Events like the Emmys, in fact, bring up an array of mixed feelings for Jordan.

"The whole red carpet thing is your worst nightmare. It's like every time in junior high where you wondered whether anyone would notice you while the really popular kids are getting all the attention.

"A publicist was introducing me, but then Kate Burton, who was nominated for her excellent work on "'Grey's Anatomy,' showed up, and they literally shoved me out of the way to talk to her. It's horrendous. If I ever win again, I'm gonna do like Brando and send in an Indian woman to make an announcement: "'Mr. Jordan will not accept until we legalize gay marriage!'"

He might not be joking.

Jordan has invested substantial energy into campaigning for gay rights over the years. He even says the best part about being associated with "Will & Grace" is not his win, but the chance to make a difference.

"The show was so groundbreaking," he says. "I've always thought there are two ways to combat homophobia. One is through humor, which I learned on the playground playing dodgeball where I would either tap dance or
get creamed. And the other is to put a face on it. "'Will & Grace' got a lot of people to who would never have watched a show about gay people to tune in and enjoy it. I was happy to be a part of that."

The cancellation of "Will & Grace," however, has not slowed Jordan down. Within the next few weeks, he will begin filming two new series: "Hidden Palms," Kevin Williamson's project for the newly rechristened CW network, and a comedy for HBO.

"I'll have two series on at the same time!" he squeals with delight. "I'm like the gay Heather Locklear!"

He's excited about the HBO show. Set in Preston Hollow, he plays an orphaned man who has been living with two sisters (rumored to be played by Lily Tomlin and Mary Kay Place) who are the richest people in Texas.

"We drive Bentleys and drink a whole lot and dabble in real estate on the side," he says.

And this weekend, he opens in San Diego with "Season of Shores," a national tour of two plays by his close friend Del Shores, with parts written specifically for Jordan: "Sordid Lives" and "Southern Baptist Sissies." The tour arrives in Dallas over Gay Pride weekend.

"We're doing "'Southern Baptist Sissies,' with Delta Burke playing the mother, and "'Sordid Lives' with a lot of the original cast," Jordan says.

Emerson Collins, who performed in the Dallas production of "Sissies" in 2005, will also be appearing in the tour.

"It was hard to find venues on the tour. The Majestic is a little bigger we're playing mostly 800- to 1000-seat theaters, and we have 1,600 to fill."

Jordan admits to taking his Emmy out to breakfast and lunch the day after the awards. He even carried it on stage during a rehearsal for "Sordid Lives." So will he bring it with him when he arrives in Dallas?

"I'm afraid they won't let me through the airport," he says. "It's very heavy, and those wings could be considered weapons!"

The Emmy Awards air Aug. 27 at 7 p.m. on Ch. 5. Jordan performs in "Season of Shores" at the Majestic Theatre, 1925 Elm St., Sept. 16-17 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Visit SeasonOfShores.com for more information.




This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition, August 25, 2006.