Leslie Graves, born on September 29th, 1959, in either Albuquerque or Silver City, New Mexico, began her journey in the entertainment industry at a remarkably young age. Starting with small roles in a Broadway play, "A Cry of Players" (1968-1969),written by William Gibson, and several TV series, including Sesame Street (1969) and Mary Tyler Moore Show (1972),Leslie's early career was marked by a string of appearances in various shows.
After a decade-long hiatus, Leslie made a comeback in the early 1980s, which was characterized by a nude photo shoot for OUI Magazine, a Playboy corporation affiliate, in November 1980 and May 1981. She also appeared in a few slasher movies, including Piranha: the Spawning (1981) and Death Wish II (1982),which helped her gain recognition.
Leslie's breakthrough role came when CBS cast her as Brenda Clegg in the daytime soap Capitol in 1982, at the age of 23. Her co-star, Carolyn Jones, who played Myrna Clegg, became a sort of supportive mother figure to Leslie both on and off the set. When Carolyn passed away, Leslie was deeply affected.
Tragically, Leslie's personal struggles led to a heroin overdose on the set of the CBS soap opera in late summer 1984. Although she recovered, she left the show permanently. Her last public appearance was a nude photo shoot for OUI Magazine in October 1984.
Leslie Graves' life took a mysterious turn after her departure from the public eye. She married Jerry Schoenkopf and had two children, Amanda and Jimmy, born in 1994. Unfortunately, Leslie's life was cut short when she passed away in the Los Angeles area on August 23rd, 1995, due to an AIDS-related illness.
