Leslie Louise Bibb was born on November 17, 1973, in Bismarck, North Dakota, and later relocated to Nelson County, Virginia, where she spent her formative years. Along with her mother and three older sisters, Leslie attended an all-girls Catholic high school, St. Gertrude, in Richmond, Virginia.
In 1990, Leslie's mother entered her into a nationwide modeling search held by The Oprah Winfrey Show and the Elite Agency, submitting photos of her 16-year-old daughter. Despite Leslie's initial disinterest in the photos, the judges, consisting of John Casablancas, Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, and Iman, were impressed and selected her as the winner.
Following her junior year, Leslie flew to New York City, signed a contract with Elite, and modeled over the summer. She then embarked on a trip to Japan before returning home for her senior year and graduating in 1992. However, Leslie decided to forego a full-time modeling career and instead attend the University of Virginia, only to drop out after a single semester and move to New York City.
Leslie then attended the William Esper acting studio for three years, taking a nine-month hiatus to pursue modeling opportunities in Europe. Her photographs have appeared in notable publications such as Maxim and FHM.
Leslie's acting career began with her role in the comedy film Private Parts (1997),followed by her debut television series, The Big Easy (1996),on USA Network, where she replaced Susan Walters as the female lead. Unfortunately, the show was canceled shortly after.
In 1999, Leslie starred as the lead character in the WB Network television series Popular, which gained popularity among teenagers and led to more notable film roles, including The Skulls (2000) and See Spot Run (2001). Most recently, she has appeared as intern Erin Harkins in ER (1994).
