Leslie Jones My Hard Road to Hilarious

AS SHE PREPARES TO DROP HER RAW NEW MEMOIR, THE COMEDIAN AND SNL ALUM OPENS UP ABOUT TRAUMA, LOSS AND CHASING LAUGHTER

- JANINE RUBENSTEIN

Leslie Jones knows exactly where she got her confidence. "My dad would always say to me, 'I don't care what they tell you, you can do whatever you want to do as long as you work hard,'" she recalls. "They're going to tell you you're Black; they're going to tell you you're a female, he'd say, but none of that matters." 

The Army veteran knew what he was talking about, even if he had no idea his young daughter, then struggling with low self-esteem and emotional scars from childhood trauma, would one day be a superstar comedian after a bumpy decades-long ride on the stand-up circuit. "That's why I never quit," says Jones, 56. "There were days where I was just crying and worrying, but the thought always came to my head: 'Okay, what can I do?' Dad said, 'Become undeniable.'"

There's no denying Leslie Jones now. Longtime pal Chris Rock encouraged her to audition for Saturday Night Live in 2013, and Jones-already beloved by peers and comedy fans for her expletive-laden jokes and dramatic, in-your-face style-had a star-making run as a writer turned cast member from 2014 to 2019. With multiple Emmy nods and stand-up specials, roles in films like the 2016 Ghostbusters remake and, earlier this year, a well-received turn as guest host of The Daily Show, she's savoring the fruits of her labor. She's also finally had time to reflect on her journey, from losing her parents and younger brother to having to fight for her place in Hollywood. It's taken hard work to become Leslie F*cking Jones, as her new memoir, excerpted here, is titled. Says Jones: "I knew I would write a book one day, but I'm kind of glad I did it now, so I can remember some of it."