About Leisha Hailey
Born 1971. Leisha Hailey is a Japanese and American singer, actor, guitarist, film actor, television actor and songwriter.
Leisha Hailey (born July 11, 1970) is an American actress and musician known for playing Alice Pieszecki in the Showtime Networks series The L Word and The L Word: Generation Q. Hailey first came to the public's attention as a musician in the pop duo the Murmurs and has continued her music career as part of the band Uh Huh Her. Currently, Hailey hosts podcast PANTS with fellow L Word star and close friend, Kate Moennig.
Early life Born in Okinawa, USCAR (now Japan) to American parents, Hailey grew up in Bellevue, Nebraska.
At 17, she came out as lesbian before moving to New York City to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Career Music With her Academy classmate Heather Grody, she formed the pop duo The Murmurs in 1991. In the 1990s, they released several albums and performed with Lilith Fair. In 2001, Hailey and Grody changed their name to Gush. The group disbanded when Hailey was cast in The L Word. In 2005, Hailey founded Marfa Records.
In July 2007, Uh Huh Her, an electropop duo consisting of Hailey and Camila Grey, released an EP entitled I See Red; over a year later they released their first album Common Reaction.
Hailey also co-wrote the Shakira hit song "Don't Bother" for her 2005 hit album Oral Fixation Vol. 2.
Acting Hailey's television debut was in 1996 when she played a struggling musician on an episode of Boy Meets World. Her first major film role was in the 1997 movie All Over Me.
From 2004 to 2009, she starred as Alice Pieszecki, a journalist, television, and radio show host, on The L Word. At the beginning of the series, Hailey's character identified as bisexual. By the end of the series, specifically in season 5, her character dated mostly women. In 2007, Hailey was voted #1 in the AfterEllen Hot 100 list compiled by AfterEllen.com.
In September 2008, Showtime announced Hailey would star in The Farm, a "pilot presentation spinoff" of The L Word, to be written and produced by Ilene Chaiken, creator and executive producer of The L Word. It was announced in April 2009 that the show would not be picked up by Showtime.
Hailey's award-winning indie film La Cucina premiered on Showtime in December 2009, where she plays a straight pregnant newlywed.
Hailey has appeared in several Yoplait yogurt commercials as well as a BMW commercial. In April 2008, Hailey was named spokesperson for Olivia Cruises, a travel company which sells cruises and resort vacations marketed towards lesbian customers.
In 2011, she starred in the psychological thriller Fertile Ground. In 2015, Hailey appeared in an episode of long-running The CW show Supernatural as Amelia Novak, the estranged wife of Jimmy Novak (human vessel of the angel Castiel).
In May 2026, she is set to star as Joyce Price, the mother of Chloe Price, in the television adaptation of Life Is Strange.
Writing In 2025, Hailey co-authored a memoir, So Gay for You: Friendship, Found Family, and the Show That Started It All, with her L Word co-star Kate Moennig. Charlie Covell will adapt this book into a TV series at Amazon MGM Studios.
Personal life Hailey dated actress Kim Dickens from the age of 19 for ‘five nurturing and expansive years,’ up to 1996. Hailey dated k.d. lang for nearly five years until breaking up in 2001. Hailey and Kim Dickens are currently in a relationship.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
Family & relationships
People in Leisha Hailey's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Leisha Hailey's
Frequently asked questions
Who is Leisha Hailey?
American singer, songwriter and actress (born 1971)
When was Leisha Hailey born?
Leisha Hailey was born on 11 July 1971 in United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands.
What is Leisha Hailey's occupation?
Leisha Hailey is a singer, actor, guitarist, film actor, television actor and songwriter.
What nationality is Leisha Hailey?
Leisha Hailey is Japanese and American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Leisha Hailey. https://biography.guide/leisha-hailey/
MLA: "Leisha Hailey." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/leisha-hailey/.
Chicago: "Leisha Hailey." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/leisha-hailey/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:04 UTC