Leslie Jordan was recording new music when he died unexpectedly. (Getty)
Leslie Jordan opened up about his upbringing and “unexpected” career turn in a bittersweet final TV interview before his death.
The actor, who died on Monday (24 October) in a car crash, spoke to CBS about his big break into country music and his upbringing.
The interview was filmed two weeks before his death, and CBS aired footage for the first time on Tuesday (25 October).
Speaking about his early years in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Jordan recalled growing up feeling like a “sissy” compared to his dad, who he described as a “man’s man”.
“His group of guys would come home and I would be twirling a baton in the front yard,” he laughed.
After coming out to his mother aged 12, he remembered her telling him: “I think you’ll be subject to ridicule and I couldn’t bear that, so why don’t you just live quietly.”
A decades-long career as an actor, AIDS activist and pandemic influencer later, he threw up his hands joking “So, here I am!”
He also admitted he had not even considered acting until he reached college and joined an intro the theatre class.
“It just hit me like a drug,” he said about the first time he attended the class and soon he moved to Hollywood to pursue his dream. And the rest is history.
The Emmy award-winning Will and Grace actor, who was already beloved by many, gained millions of followers during the pandemic after documenting his lockdown experiences on Instagram.
It was also during this time that he began a new career in country music, releasing his first country album Company’s Comin’ in 2021.
Speaking with CBS about why he started down this new career path he said: “I had a Sunday Instagram hymn singing where we would sing hymns that I grew up with.
“And people started tuning in and so somehow from that we decided to make an album.
“So unexpected to happen in my 60s and I am a country music singer now. I love Nashville and the way Nashville embraced me.
“To be taken seriously and to have made an album with Dolly Parton, Christ Stapleton and Brandi Carlisle, that’s something.”
The final clip showed him singing a hymn with his producer Danny Myrick, one he posted himself on Instagram teasing his new project a day before his death.
“Danny helped me with a new original song that should be comin’ out real soon. Love. Light. Leslie,” he wrote in the caption.
Earlier this month he was working on a new music video with the country duo LOCASH and Blanco Brown as he pursued his country music dreams.
A post after his death confirmed: “In the coming days we will be giving a glimpse of a project Leslie was really proud of and was looking forward to sharing with the world.”