She transferred to Colorado State University when her coach took a job there and asked her to join him.
Gallery of Leslie Jones
After playing basketball in high school, she received a basketball scholarship to attend Chapman University in Orange, California.
Career
Gallery of Leslie Jones
2010
6925 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028, USA
Actress Leslie Jones arrives at the premiere of Warner Bros.' "Lottery Ticket" at Grauman's Chinese Theater on August 12, 2010 in Hollywood, California.
Gallery of Leslie Jones
2014
421 1 St SW, High River, AB T1V 1M6, Canada
Actress Leslie Jones attends the "Top Five" premiere during the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival at Princess of Wales Theatre on September 6, 2014 in Toronto, Canada.
Gallery of Leslie Jones
2017
NBC's "Today" Season 66
Gallery of Leslie Jones
2017
New York City, United States
Leslie Jones Visits 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' at Rockefeller Center on August 15, 2017 in New York City.
Gallery of Leslie Jones
2017
Pier 59, 59 Chelsea Piers 2nd floor, New York, NY 10011, United States
Leslie Jones and Gina Gershon attend the Christian Siriano fashion show during New York Fashion Week: The Shows at Pier 59 on September 9, 2017 in New York City.
Gallery of Leslie Jones
2017
741-775 Chick Hearn Ct, Los Angeles, CA 90015, USA
Leslie Jones at the 2017 BET Awards at Microsoft Square on June 25, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.
Gallery of Leslie Jones
2017
4 Pennsylvania Plaza, New York, NY 10001, USA
(L-R) Tracy Morgan, Michael Che, Leslie Jones, and John Oliver attend the 2017 Garden Of Laughs Comedy Benefit at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on March 28, 2017 in New York City.
Gallery of Leslie Jones
2017
New York City, New York, United States
GOOD MORNING AMERICA Leslie Jones is a guest on "Good Morning America," Monday, June 12, 2017, airing on the ABC Television Network. (Photo by Paula Lobo/ABC via Getty Images)
Gallery of Leslie Jones
2017
New York City, New York, United States
Leslie Jones is a guest on "Good Morning America," Monday, June 12, 2017, airing on the ABC Television Network.
(Photo by Paula Lobo/ABC via Getty Images)
Gallery of Leslie Jones
2018
777 Chick Hearn Ct, Los Angeles, CA 90015, USA
(L-R) RuPaul and Leslie Jones present award for Lead Actress in a Limited Series to Regina King onstage during the 70th Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on September 17, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.
Gallery of Leslie Jones
2018
777 Chick Hearn Ct, Los Angeles, CA 90015, USA
Cast and crew of Outstanding Reality-Competition Program winners for 'RuPaul's Drag Race' attend IMDb LIVE After The Emmys 2018 on September 17, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.
Gallery of Leslie Jones
2018
10 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023, USA
Comedian Leslie Jones attends the 2018 Time 100 Gala at Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 24, 2018 in New York City.
Gallery of Leslie Jones
2016
401 N La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
Celebrities enjoy a night out at The Nice Guy nightclub on June 9, 2016 in West Hollywood, California.
Gallery of Leslie Jones
2018
81 7th Ave, New York, NY 10019, USA
Leslie Jones performs onstage during the 2018 GOOD+ Foundation?s Evening of Comedy + Music Benefit, presented by Samsung Electronics America at Carnegie Hall on September 12, 2018 in New York City.
Gallery of Leslie Jones
2018
81 7th Ave, New York, NY 10019, USA
Leslie Jones performs onstage during the 2018 GOOD+ Foundation"s Evening of Comedy + Music Benefit, presented by Samsung Electronics America at Carnegie Hall on September 12, 2018 in New York City.
Gallery of Leslie Jones
2015
New York City, United States
Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, and Kate McKinnon perform on the set of 'Ghostbusters' in NYC on September 19, 2015.
Gallery of Leslie Jones
2015
2124 Broadway, New York, NY 10023, USA
(L-R) Actresses Aidy Bryant, Leslie Jones, and Sasheer Zamata attend the Opening Night premiere of "Live From New York!" during the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival at the Beacon Theatre on April 15, 2015 in New York City.
Gallery of Leslie Jones
2015
777 Chick Hearn Ct, Los Angeles, CA 90015, USA
(L-R) Actors Pete Davidson, Bobby Moynihan, Vanessa Bayer, Taran Killam and Leslie Jones attend the 67th Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on September 20, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.
Gallery of Leslie Jones
2015
New York City, United States
Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, and Kate McKinnon spotted on the set of "Ghostbusters" in New York City, New York on September 19, 2015.
Gallery of Leslie Jones
2016
Hollywood, California, United States
Actress Leslie Jones attends the Los Angeles Premiere of "Ghostbusters" in Hollywood, California, on July 9, 2016.
Gallery of Leslie Jones
2016
8117 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90046, USA
(L-R) ELLE editor-in-chief Robbie Myers and actors Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones attend ELLE Women In Comedy event hosted by ELLE Editor-in-Chief Robbie Myers and Leslie Jones, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon and Kristen Wiig on June 7, 2016 at Hyde Sunset in Los Angeles, California; presented by Secret Deodorant and emceed by Jane Lynch with stand-up performances by Michelle Buteau, Nikki Glaser, Iliza Shlesinger, and Ali Wong.
Gallery of Leslie Jones
2016
8117 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90046, USA
Actress Leslie Jones attends the Women In Comedy event with July cover stars Leslie Jones, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon and Kristen Wiig hosted by ELLE at HYDE Sunset: Kitchen + Cocktails on June 7, 2016 in West Hollywood, California.
Gallery of Leslie Jones
2016
3570 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109, USA
(L-R) Actresses Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Kristen Wiig and 'Ghostbusters' director Paul Feig speak onstage during CinemaCon 2016 An Evening with Sony Pictures Entertainment: Celebrating the Summer of 2016 and Beyond at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace during CinemaCon, the official convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners, on April 12, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Gallery of Leslie Jones
2017
741-775 Chick Hearn Ct, Los Angeles, CA 90015, USA
Actor Leslie Jones attends the 69th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on September 17, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.
Gallery of Leslie Jones
2016
4 Pennsylvania Plaza, New York, NY 10001, USA
Comedian Leslie Jones cheers during the New York Knicks vs the Portland Trail Blazers during their game at Madison Square Garden on November 22, 2016 in New York City.
Getty Images
Gallery of Leslie Jones
2018
Pyeongchang County, Gangwon Province, South Korea
Saturday Night Live's Leslie Jones has become a staple of the Pyeongchang Winter Games, thanks to her usual, good-spirited antics as a guest commentator—this time alongside breakout figure skater Adam Rippon.
Gallery of Leslie Jones
2018
Pyeongchang County, Gangwon Province, South Korea
Saturday Night Live's Leslie Jones has become a staple of the Pyeongchang Winter Games, thanks to her usual, good-spirited antics as a guest commentator—this time alongside breakout figure skater Adam Rippon.
Gallery of Leslie Jones
2018
Pyeongchang County, Gangwon Province, South Korea
Saturday Night Live's Leslie Jones has become a staple of the Pyeongchang Winter Games, thanks to her usual, good-spirited antics as a guest commentator—this time alongside breakout figure skater Adam Rippon.
Gallery of Leslie Jones
2018
Pyeongchang County, Gangwon Province, South Korea
Saturday Night Live's Leslie Jones has become a staple of the Pyeongchang Winter Games, thanks to her usual, good-spirited antics as a guest commentator—this time alongside breakout figure skater Adam Rippon.
Gallery of Leslie Jones
2017
741-775 Chick Hearn Ct, Los Angeles, CA 90015, USA
Host Leslie Jones speaks onstage at 2017 BET Awards at Microsoft Theater on June 25, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.
Gallery of Leslie Jones
2017
741-775 Chick Hearn Ct, Los Angeles, CA 90015, USA
Host Leslie Jones onstage at 2017 BET Awards at Microsoft Theater on June 25, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.
Gallery of Leslie Jones
2017
741-775 Chick Hearn Ct, Los Angeles, CA 90015, USA
Host Leslie Jones speaks onstage at 2017 BET Awards at Microsoft Theater on June 25, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.
Achievements
Leslie Jones Elle Magazine cover
Membership
Awards
Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World
Actress Leslie Jones arrives at the premiere of Warner Bros.' "Lottery Ticket" at Grauman's Chinese Theater on August 12, 2010 in Hollywood, California.
Actress Leslie Jones attends the "Top Five" premiere during the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival at Princess of Wales Theatre on September 6, 2014 in Toronto, Canada.
(L-R) Actresses Aidy Bryant, Leslie Jones, and Sasheer Zamata attend the Opening Night premiere of "Live From New York!" during the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival at the Beacon Theatre on April 15, 2015 in New York City.
(L-R) Actors Pete Davidson, Bobby Moynihan, Vanessa Bayer, Taran Killam and Leslie Jones attend the 67th Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on September 20, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.
Comedian Leslie Jones cheers during the New York Knicks vs the Portland Trail Blazers during their game at Madison Square Garden on November 22, 2016 in New York City.
Getty Images
(L-R) ELLE editor-in-chief Robbie Myers and actors Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones attend ELLE Women In Comedy event hosted by ELLE Editor-in-Chief Robbie Myers and Leslie Jones, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon and Kristen Wiig on June 7, 2016 at Hyde Sunset in Los Angeles, California; presented by Secret Deodorant and emceed by Jane Lynch with stand-up performances by Michelle Buteau, Nikki Glaser, Iliza Shlesinger, and Ali Wong.
Actress Leslie Jones attends the Women In Comedy event with July cover stars Leslie Jones, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon and Kristen Wiig hosted by ELLE at HYDE Sunset: Kitchen + Cocktails on June 7, 2016 in West Hollywood, California.
(L-R) Actresses Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Kristen Wiig and 'Ghostbusters' director Paul Feig speak onstage during CinemaCon 2016 An Evening with Sony Pictures Entertainment: Celebrating the Summer of 2016 and Beyond at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace during CinemaCon, the official convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners, on April 12, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Pier 59, 59 Chelsea Piers 2nd floor, New York, NY 10011, United States
Leslie Jones and Gina Gershon attend the Christian Siriano fashion show during New York Fashion Week: The Shows at Pier 59 on September 9, 2017 in New York City.
(L-R) Tracy Morgan, Michael Che, Leslie Jones, and John Oliver attend the 2017 Garden Of Laughs Comedy Benefit at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on March 28, 2017 in New York City.
GOOD MORNING AMERICA Leslie Jones is a guest on "Good Morning America," Monday, June 12, 2017, airing on the ABC Television Network. (Photo by Paula Lobo/ABC via Getty Images)
Leslie Jones is a guest on "Good Morning America," Monday, June 12, 2017, airing on the ABC Television Network.
(Photo by Paula Lobo/ABC via Getty Images)
(L-R) RuPaul and Leslie Jones present award for Lead Actress in a Limited Series to Regina King onstage during the 70th Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on September 17, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.
Cast and crew of Outstanding Reality-Competition Program winners for 'RuPaul's Drag Race' attend IMDb LIVE After The Emmys 2018 on September 17, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.
Leslie Jones performs onstage during the 2018 GOOD+ Foundation?s Evening of Comedy + Music Benefit, presented by Samsung Electronics America at Carnegie Hall on September 12, 2018 in New York City.
Leslie Jones performs onstage during the 2018 GOOD+ Foundation"s Evening of Comedy + Music Benefit, presented by Samsung Electronics America at Carnegie Hall on September 12, 2018 in New York City.
Saturday Night Live's Leslie Jones has become a staple of the Pyeongchang Winter Games, thanks to her usual, good-spirited antics as a guest commentator—this time alongside breakout figure skater Adam Rippon.
Saturday Night Live's Leslie Jones has become a staple of the Pyeongchang Winter Games, thanks to her usual, good-spirited antics as a guest commentator—this time alongside breakout figure skater Adam Rippon.
Saturday Night Live's Leslie Jones has become a staple of the Pyeongchang Winter Games, thanks to her usual, good-spirited antics as a guest commentator—this time alongside breakout figure skater Adam Rippon.
Saturday Night Live's Leslie Jones has become a staple of the Pyeongchang Winter Games, thanks to her usual, good-spirited antics as a guest commentator—this time alongside breakout figure skater Adam Rippon.
Annette Jones, better known as Leslie Jones, is an American comedian and actress who is a cast member and writer on Saturday Night Live. Jones has been a featured performer at the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal and the Aspen Comedy Festival.
Background
Annette Jones was born on September 7, 1967, in Memphis, Tennessee. Her father was in the United States Army, and her family moved frequently. Her family moved to Los Angeles, when her father took a job at Stevie Wonder's radio station, KJLH, as an electronics engineer. She also has a sister named Rhonda Jones and brother named Rodney.
Education
Jones attended high school in Lynwood, California, where she also played basketball; in May 2015, she said on Late Night with Seth Meyers that her father suggested that she play the sport because she is six feet tall.
After playing basketball in high school, she received a basketball scholarship to attend Chapman University in Orange, California. She transferred to Colorado State University when her coach took a job there and asked her to join him. At Colorado State, she first tried performing and found out she was talented. A friend secretly entered her into a comedy contest, which she won, earning her the title “Funniest Person on Campus.”
While attending college, Jones worked several odd jobs including being a cook, waitress, cashier, assistant to a judge, receptionist, and perfume salesperson, but comedy kept calling her. She returned to Los Angeles and performed at The Comedy Store, the legendary comedy club in West Hollywood, but her act bombed. Jones didn’t let the deflating experience stop her, and she went on to open for Jamie Foxx. She bombed again and this time the audience even booed her.
Foxx’s advice was that she had to live her life. "He told me, 'You're like 18. You don't have anything to talk about.’” Jones said in an interview with People magazine. “Go get a job, go get fired, go get your heart broken and go break some hearts.'"
She took a day job at UPS, but continued to work on her comedy craft at clubs around Los Angeles. “When I started out, I just wanted to go into a club and hold my own,” Jones said of her early days. “There were only a few women out. I wanted to be that one woman who would come out and everyone would love.”
Eventually she started to appear on TV in commercials and programs like In the House, Coach, Snap Judgment, Malcolm and Eddie and Girlfriends. Jones also continued to make a name for herself in the comedy world, again learning to use her height as part of her act. “I know I’m fly—don’t get me wrong,” she said an interview with The New Yorker. “But I don’t look, like, standard Hollywood. As a comedian, it’s something you learn to use.”
She performed at the Just for Laughs Montreal Comedy Festival, the Aspen Comedy Festival, on Comedy Central’s Premium Blend and Laffapalooza – Urban Comedy Arts Festival, BET’s The Way We Do It and Comicview and HBO’s Def Comedy Jam.
She also landed roles in Martin Lawrence’s comedy National Security (2003), Gangsta Rap: The Glockumentary (2007), Lottery Ticket (2010) and Top Five (2014), which was written and directed by and starring Chris Rock. It was Rock who suggested to Lorne Michaels, the creator and executive producer of Saturday Night Live, that he should audition Jones, calling her “the funniest woman I know.”
SNL was looking to add an African-American woman to its ensemble. Jones landed an audition for SNL, but was ultimately offered a writing position instead of a featured player role, which was given to comedian Sasheer Zamata. In 2014, Jones got out of the writers' room and in front of the cameras when she first performed in a Weekend Update segment, ranting about her hilarious dating experiences, which quickly earned her a fan following. Later that year, she joined the cast, the first time SNL included more than one African-American woman in its cast.
In 2015, Jones had small role in Amy Schumer's comedy hit Trainwreck, and then landed a high-profile starring role by joining the all-female cast of the 2016 remake of Ghostbusters. In the reboot of the classic comedy, which was directed by Paul Feig and also stars Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig and Kate McKinnon, Jones plays Patty Tolan, a New York City transit worker who becomes a Ghostbuster after seeing paranormal activity in the subway.
That year Jones also appeared in the heist comedy Masterminds, featuring Zach Galifianakis, Owen Wilson, Kristen Wiig and Jason Sudeikis, and provided voice work for the animated hit Sing.
During the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, Jones tweeted clips of herself draped in an American flag and rooting on Team USA during competition. Her hilarious posts drew the attention of NBC executives, who invited her to contribute to the network's coverage. In early 2018, Jones again was invited to join NBC's Olympic crew for coverage of the Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, which she confirmed through another exuberant tweet.
Leslie is not very vocal about religion. A few sources state she is a Christian, but it assumes that she kept her religious upbringing. She was raised as a Christian but it’s unsure what her religion is.
She once said: "God really makes me very happy. Thank God I have a relationship with him or I would be bats—t crazy. And I make myself happy. That’s how it’s supposed to be."
Politics
Leslie is liberal and is a Democrat. She is a social justice campaigner, particularly after she received racist abuse and also criticism regarding her role in Ghostbusters. She supported Barack Obama when he ran for president.
Views
She is a big feminist and has made several outspoken statements on race relations.
Quotations:
"As soon as I touched the mic, I knew that's what I would do for the rest of my life."
"Hate speech and freedom of speech are two different things."
"I would never quit comedy to make money. I've been doing it, like, 30 years. I still love it. That's my life."
"You can look good. Don't let nobody tell you you can't look good because of your size... or what size your feet is."
"The big percentage is us, the real people, and we have to say something. You have to speak up. You have to."
"It takes a real designer to design for real women."
"I know who I am."
"When my brother passed away... I made a decision that I might die soon, and if I die, I want people to know who I really am."
"I love the people at my job. I love my boss. I love my camera men, I love my crew - because they all surrounded me with straight love."
"When you're writing a sketch, it has to be surrounded by a situation. It can't just be out of the air."
"There was a time where I knew I was as funny as many dudes, but I had people telling me, 'You have to wear a dress onstage. You need to be more feminine.'"
Personality
Leslie is scared of all kinds of spiders and bugs.
She loves to wear sneakers and a good jacket.
Leslie is friends with Loni Love.
Physical Characteristics:
In childhood, Jones, who would grow to be 6 feet tall, was insecure about her looks. "People used to call me names so my mom had this beautiful African lady come talk to me,” Jones told People magazine. “I was like, 'Oh my God if I'm going to look like you then I don't care what anyone says about me."
Leslie is decently tall possessing a height of 6 feet 1 inch and weighs about 78 kilos. Her skin is brown, has black hair and eyes. Her body is measured 38-26-40 inches.
Quotes from others about the person
"Experiencing the Olympics through the lens of Leslie is unlike anything else," said Jim Bell, president of NBC Olympics production and programming. "Her passion for Team USA is contagious, and her adventures in South Korea should be fascinating."
Interests
Her comedic inspirations are Richard Pryor, Whoopi Goldberg and Pearl Bailey.
Politicians
Barack Obama
Writers
Her favorite book is Kindred by Octavia Butler.
Sport & Clubs
Leslie is an avid basketball player and loves the sport. Her tall height gives her a natural advantage. She has said that comedy has always been a hobby for her. She used comedy to help her get through waitress and cashier jobs.
Jones is a fan of the MLS team Seattle Sounders FC.
Athletes
She is a huge fan of the Us Olympic Team.
Music & Bands
She worked as a DJ for the former school’s radio station.
Connections
Leslie is very secretive when it comes to her personal life. She has explicitly said to the media that, she doesn’t like to reveal things regarding her private life.