Career
Her early education and training included gymnastics, ballet camps, the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and Herbert Berkoff Studios in New New York She was inspired to pursue stunt acting upon seeing a Universal Studios Tour stunt show. She traveled to California to study at stuntman Paul Stader"s stunt gym.
Hoffman began stunt work in the 1970s with the film Two-Minute Warning (1976), and several television series, including Police Story, M*A*South*H. She performed a 78-foot high fall into water for The Love Boat, and did some work on Fantasy Island and Charlie"s Angels, and doubling for the six-foot tall Lainie Kazan in a circular stair fall for Columbo.
She also stunt doubled for Doris Roberts in the television series Remington Steele. Hoffman played the Hall Guard (Krueger) in Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), and performed stunt work in I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978), Motel Hell (1980), Resurrection (1980), Clue (1985), Alien Nation (1988), Mars (1997), Mystery Men (1999).
She served as stunt coordinator for, and acted in, the American Broadcasting Company After School Special Maine and My Hormones (1996). She performed as the stunt-double for Laurie Metcalf in Scream 2 (1997).
Hoffman was the first stuntwoman elected to the Screen Actors Guild Board of Directors, where she served from 1981 to 1985.
As a director, she advocated for stuntwomen and stuntpersons of color, advocating for equal work and representation in the union. She lost her bid for re-election in 1985. From 1990s onward, she worked as a stunt coordinator and rigger on several films, as well as continuing to double for several actresses in feature films and television
Her work includes stunt acting roles in multiple episodes of the Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine television series.
Hoffman provided stunt coordination for student film productions for University of Southern California, Loyola Marymount University and University of California, Los Los Angeles
Leslie became disabled in 2002, ending her career as a stuntwoman and stunt coordinator. Now on Social Security Disability due to trauma to her body doing stunt work, Hoffman advocates for fair treatment for disabled stuntpeople.
Although the Occupational Disability Pension and Health Plans by the Screen Actors Guild Health Plan provides payment to members injured in the course of performing, they have denied her any benefits. She has been in a legal battle with Screen Actors Guild to pursue payments.
A Los Angeles judge has ruled in favor of the health plan, citing that Screen Actors Guild had not even followed their own rules.
This judgement was later overturned by a higher California court and sent back to the Los Angeles court. Screen Actors Guild is looking to strip her of her disability pension and are pursing the money paid out to her with interest. She was declared disabled by the Social Security Administration and has been receiving disability since 2002.