You know, you learned that very young in American culture that the feminine boys don't do well. And yet, I had a dad who was a lieutenant colonel in the army. My dad was a man's man, but he still adored me. And somehow in the midst of that, I still grew up hating the sissy in me.

All my life I've always been so ashamed of being feminine.

I don't watch scripted television, and I finally figured out why. It's my line of work, you know? It's what I do.

I've always been interested in forensics and the way they solve things.

I was reading Agatha Christie as a little boy.

The only thing I know how to do is be funny - that's it.

I had 20,000 followers and I treasured that. People'd say, 'Oh that's nothing.' I said, 'What are you crazy? That's 20,000 people that wanna hear what I gotta say!'

Film's a director's medium. Stage an actor's medium.

In 1993, I premiered my solo piece 'Hysterical Blindness and Other Southern Tragedies That Have Plagued My Life So Far' at the Hudson Mainstage Theatre. It then went to New York and ran for several months Off-Broadway.

My mother and grandmother created this secret garden where it was OK for boys to play with dolls, and it was OK for little boys to sew potholders.

From my years on 'Will & Grace,' you'd think I'm Madonna.

I'm Southern to the bone.

That's the secret to happiness. Find something you can make money at that you really love to do.

People say, 'Oh, you do theater!' And I say, 'Honey, I do theater to get better TV and film roles.'

The thing that I love about 'Will & Grace' is that there's a clear-cut reason for my character to be there. I come in with the zinger. My character seldom has much to do with moving the story ahead. I know exactly what my job is there. It's just a party, basically. I'm just having a ball.

Big Brother' has put me off people. I thought, 'I'm gonna get a dog.' I really think I'm going to become more reclusive. It was nothing like I expected. I was so naive about it.

I don't mind playing gay because there's a whole plethora of gay roles out there, but if I get asked to play one more Southern hairdresser, I'm going to scream.

All my boyfriends are in their 20s.

I grew up in Chattanooga.

I have a lot of shame, and until I got sober at 42 years of age, I had never voted. I was just a hippie.

I'm not Kathy Griffin. I can't do 1200 seat venues. I need 300, 400 something like that.

I don't know why all three, my comedic idols are... women.

In my day there was no one to tell me anything and I feel I have a responsibility to help a new generation. A lady in Atlanta came up to me and said: 'Honey, you are a ministry.' It is about the knowledge I can give others. I think gays will look after their own.

In my head I have had the most torrid affairs with actors I have worked with. You should hear what George Clooney and I have got up to!

Time has taught me that parents do the best they can with the light they are seeing with. That is what we all do.

I grew up riding. From the time I was nineteen years old to the time I was twenty five I exercised race horses.

I was always the class clown. I was always the funny one.

People are really surprised when they meet me that I'm a recluse. People think I'm very gregarious and outgoing - and I am - I'm thinking about writing a book about it called 'The Gregarious Recluse.' How the more that you put me out there in front of audiences, the more that when I have down time I have to disappear.

Lesbian humor is nothing like gay men's humor. We're sillier.

I'm on the road almost eight months of the year.

I'm a true Hollywood success story - knew no one, had no connections.

I won an Emmy in 2006!

I can entertain myself for hours.

I'd do an exercise video because there are so many gay men with these perfect abs and they do exercise videos. So I did an exercise video where my stomach looked like my water's about to break.

We figured out as a community of gay people, we have to take care of our own.

I was there when APLA was started in somebody's living room.

My gift is to be funny.

We've got to be kind.

Growing up, the main thing I was ashamed of was my voice. It is very effeminate.

I had a degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where they said, 'Mr. Jordan, please learn to pronounce your degree.' 'Cause I said I have a degree in 'thee-a-ter.'

I really think 'Straight Outta Chattanooga' is one of my best shows.

I have not left the house after 6 o'clock without a paycheck for years.

I am not a drag queen.

You just can't move back with your mom at 64. It just doesn't quite work.

I can spot a homosexual at forty paces.

The church was everything: our social engagements, Sunday morning, Sunday evening. Wednesday night was the hour of power. We had Bible study on certain days. Saturday afternoon was choir practice. I wanted desperately to be a good Christian.

I got sober at age forty-two.

I always thought I'd be good at musicals, and it turns out I make up for my lack of skill with enthusiasm.

My theater professor once said to me 'Leslie, you are capable of genuine artistry but you're the laziest actor I know. And yes, you can make people laugh, but you're going to become a parody of yourself and end up in Hollywood if you're not careful.' And he's right, I did all of that.

I've never been known for being a team player, but I've adjusted to being part of a big cast and it has worked out beautifully.