Leslie Jordan won an Emmy® Award for his portrayal of the gleefully bitchy Beverley Leslie on TV’s Will and Grace.  He is also recognized nationally for his role as "Brother Boy" in the screen adaptation of Logo-TV’s Sordid Lives.  Now, the venerable actor prepares for his most ambitious gig yet.  He has been tapped to host The Hookies: The 5th Annual International Escort Awards.   Presented by Rentboy.com, the world's largest male escort site, the show celebrates the best in the male escort industry with awards in 15 categories including Best Newcomer, Best Daddy and the night’s top prize, Mr. International Escort 2010.  

Congratulations Leslie Jordan!  You have officially trumped Neil Patrick Harris for the gayest hosting gig ever.  The Hookies are way gayer than The Tonys.

Leslie Jordan:  It’s important to celebrate our boys who work in the world’s oldest profession because they bring joy to so many of us.  I have never had a single reservation about paying for an escort.

Why are you the right man for the job?

I’ve always been fascinated with hookers.  I am of the generation of gay men who had to take love wherever we could get it.  I remember giving a boy my lunch money before school for a little in the woods action.  And when I got my learner's permit to drive a car, I started cruising the bus station for sailors who were lonely and broke.

Bus stations were all the rage before websites like Rentboy.com.
Long before the internet, love could be found all along Santa Monica Boulevard.  My accountant used to say, "You can always tell when Mr. Jordan is working.  There ain't a boy on the boulevard without brand new tennis shoes."

Were the boys along Santa Monica Boulevard gay for pay?
Back then, we called them "rough trade."  "Gay for pay" sounds much classier, don't you think?

What category are you looking forward to awarding at THE HOOKIES?

The Best Ass category.  There is something about a nice, big ass on a boy that makes me weak.  I am in London right now and the sports sections of the newspapers are filled with rugby players rolling around with their big asses in the air.  I love looking at the sports section. Like most gay men, I look for VPL (Visible Penis Lines) but I also like looking at the giant asses.

The evening will culminate with the award for Escort of the Year. What qualities are the judges looking for in their winner?

I have no idea what the judges will be looking for as I am just the poor, simple host but I think Escort of the Year should be a walking fantasy.  Something guys could not possibly find in their every day life. The winner should be stunningly handsome.  He should be beautifully built.  He should be nicely hung.  And he should be able to have a conversation because from most of the working boys I know – and I know a lot!  Over the years I have lived with many.  I used to fall in love and move’em in.  But I digress.  The majority of clients put companionship at the top of the list of what they want in their escort.

Will there be a swimsuit competition?

There will not be a swimsuit competition but their will be a "Best Body Contest" and the guys are encouraged to show as much as they like.... oh honey.

Why is it important that we celebrate hookers and the oldest profession?

Most beautiful young men would not give me the time of day unless there was some compensation.  I have money and they need money.  I love the time I spend with them and they can then use their compensation to pursue their own passions... acting, music, art.  I also love that our time together has no strings attached.  I am always very clear about what I want and what is expected.  No drama!  In the words of Miss Mary J. Blige, "Leave your situations at the door!"  

Do you hope to follow Harris and use this Hookies gig as a stepping stone to hosting The Emmys?
No thank you.  A gig like The Emmys comes with drama and carrying on.  I prefer the fun and frivolity of The Hookies.  

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Contributor Charlie Rockafort |

Person Leslie Jordan |

Topic Celebrity Interview | Will & Grace |