Jane Bethel Leslie was born on August 3, 1929, in New York City, the daughter of a well-to-do attorney and a socialite. She was a 15-year-old student at the prestigious Brearley School on the Upper East Side when she was discovered by legendary producer George Abbott for the Broadway play "Snafu" in 1944.
She quickly became a theatre mainstay, appearing in a wide range of productions, including "The Dancer" (1946),"How I Wonder" (1947),"Goodbye, My Fancy" (1948),"Pygmalion" (1952),and "The Time of the Cuckoo" (1952). Her impressive theatre credits also included performances in "Inherit the Wind" (1955),"Career" (1957),and "Catch Me If You Can" (1965).
Leslie's theatre career culminated in a Tony nomination for her portrayal of Mary Tyrone in "Long Day's Journey Into Night" in 1986, opposite Jack Lemmon, Kevin Spacey, and Peter Gallagher. The production was subsequently televised.
While she may not be as well-known for her film work, Leslie was a talented actress who appeared in a number of movies, including "The Rabbit Trap" (1959),"Captain Newman, M.D." (1963),"A Rage to Live" (1965),"The Molly Maguires" (1970),"Old Boyfriends" (1979),"Ironweed" (1987),and "Message in a Bottle" (1999).
Leslie's television career was marked by a wide range of roles, including her early work as Cornelia Otis Skinner in "The Girls" (1950). She went on to appear in numerous dramatic roles on episodic TV, becoming one of those faces without a name, playing neurotic or cruel villainesses. She also appeared in several TV soaps, including "The Doctors" (1963),"All My Children" (1970),and "One Life to Live" (1968),at various times. At one point, she was a head writer for "The Secret Storm" (1954).
Leslie died of cancer at the age of 70, leaving behind her daughter Leslie McCullough Jeffries.
