Career
Her big-screen debut was as ‘Penelope’ in the 1981 Canadian comedy ‘Ups and Downs,’ directed by Paul Almond. The film was shot in Victoria while she still attended ‘St. Michael's University School.’
She featured as ‘Joanie’ in the critically acclaimed 1984 American film ‘Love Streams.’ The John Cassavetes-directed film won the ‘Golden Bear’ award at the 34th ‘Berlin International Film Festival.’
The American primetime TV soap ‘Berrenger's,’ which aired on ‘NBC’ from January 5, 1985, to March 16, 1985, saw her essaying the role of ‘Cammie Springer.’ The same year, she played the recurring role of ‘Linda Martin’ in six episodes of the popular ‘CBS’ TV soap ‘Knots Landing.’
In 1986, she appeared in the big-screen feature ‘The Education of Allison Tate,’ in which she played the titular role. The same year, she appeared as ‘Shoshana’ in the TV movie ‘Sword of Gideon.’
She landed up with the starring role of ‘Stephanie Lawrence’ in the David Beaird-directed romantic comedy ‘It Takes Two,’ which released on July 13, 1988, in the US. The same year, she appeared in the American crime drama ‘Kansas,’ in the TV movie ‘Tales from the Hollywood Hills: Golden Land,’ and in the American miniseries ‘War and Remembrance.’
Moving on, she garnered the lead role of ‘Lucy’ in the Jerry Ciccoritti-directed 1993 Canadian comedy–drama film ‘Paris, France.’ The film, based on a novel by Tom Walmsley, received mixed reviews and garnered $44,159 at the box office.
In 1998, she starred as ‘Jenny Hatcher’ in the Jamie Dixon-directed film ‘Shadow Builder.’ Other notable appearances of Leslie that year included her role in the American family adventure–drama film ‘Summer of the Monkeys,’ her performance in the TV movie ‘Blackout Effect,’ and her single-episode role in the science–fiction TV series ‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.’
In 2000, she starred as ‘Rosemary Newley,’ along with Jason Flemyng and Peter Stormare, in the George A. Romero-directed French horror–thriller film ‘Bruiser.’ The film released on February 13 that year and received mixed to positive reviews.
Other notable films of Leslie include the 2000 Canadian crime film ‘The Spreading Ground,’ the 2008 martial-arts film ‘Never Back Down,’ and the 2015 American gothic romance ‘Crimson Peak.’
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She played ‘Teri Bauer,’ a freelance interior designer and wife of counter-terrorist agent ‘Jack Bauer’ (the lead character played by Kiefer Sutherland), in the American TV series ‘24.’ Leslie featured in the first season of the series, which encompassed 24 episodes and aired on ‘Fox’ from November 6, 2001, to May 21, 2002. Her character died in the first season.
She portrayed ‘Lisa Cohen,’ the head of the ‘FBI’ branch, in the American crime–drama series ‘Line of Fire,’ which aired on ‘ABC’ from December 2, 2003, to May 30, 2004.
She was part of the multiple ‘Gemini Award’-winning Canadian TV miniseries ‘Human Cargo,’ which premiered on ‘CBC’ on January 4, 2004. Leslie essayed the role of ‘Charlene Fischer’ in the miniseries that also starred Nicholas Campbell, Cara Pifko, and Kate Nelligan.
She then starred as ‘Sgt. Leah Collins,’ along with Paul Gross in the Canadian political drama and two-part miniseries ‘H2O,’ which released on ‘CBC’ on October 31, 2004. The series earned five ‘Gemini Award’ nominations. Other TV pursuits of Leslie that year included the movies ‘The Incredible Mrs. Ritchie,’ ‘Meltdown,’ and ‘Open Heart.’
She featured in four of the 18 episodes of the American TV drama ‘Commander in Chief,’ which was aired on ‘ABC’ from September 27, 2005, to June 14, 2006. She played ‘Melanie Blackston,’ the Attorney General of the United States.
Her next notable TV feature was as ‘Lily Rader’ in the American drama ‘Runaway,’ which was broadcast on ‘The CW’ from September 25, 2006, to October 15, 2006.
She directed and produced the award-winning short documentary 'What I See When I Close My Eyes,' which released on February 12, 2008. After a couple of years, she wrote and directed the 10-minute long short–comedy film ‘Gaykeith,’ which released on December 8, 2010.
Continuing with several other TV productions, she earned the leading role of ‘Tess Cole’ in the American series ‘The River.’ It ran on ‘ABC’ from February 7, 2012, to March 20, 2012, featuring her in all its eight episodes.
Between 2013 and 2016, she played the recurring role of ‘SECNAV Sarah Porter’ in six episodes of the popular American police procedural ‘NCIS.’ Meanwhile, in 2014, she featured in recurring roles in the series’ ‘The Strain’ and ‘Tyrant.’ She reprised the role of ‘SECNAV Sarah Porter’ in a single episode of the third series of the ‘NCIS’ franchise, ‘NCIS: New Orleans,’ in 2015.
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Another notable feature of Leslie is the recurring role of prosecutor ‘Anita Gibbs’ in the ongoing American legal drama ‘Suits,’ which premiered on ‘USA Network’ on June 23, 2011. Her character featured in eight episodes, aired between 2016 and 2017.
The second season of the Canadian TV horror series ‘Slasher,’ titled ‘Slasher: Guilty Party’ (2017), has seen her playing one of the main roles of ‘Judith Berry.’
