Leisha Hailey (born July 11, 1971) 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.Getting the word from Leisha Hailey, cltampa.com; accessed March 6, 2016.BYT Interview: UH HUH HER (feat. Leisha Hailey of The "L" Word), BrightestYoungThings.com; accessed March 6, 2016.
At 17, she came out as lesbian before moving to New York City to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.L is for Leisha , a February 2004 interview with Dennis Hensley for The Advocate, dennishensley.com; accessed March 6, 2016.
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.Leisha Hailey Cast in The L Wordpilot spinoff for Showtime from the Showtime website It was announced in April 2009 that the show would not be picked up by Showtime.Showtime passes on all pilot orders, Variety.com; accessed March 6, 2016.
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.Leisha Hailey Is the New Face of Olivia from Business Wire
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. She also had a relationship with Nina Garduno from 2004 to 2010. From 2011 to 2016, she dated her bandmate Camila Grey. In 2011, the couple were involved in a dispute with Southwest Airlines, after being ejected from a flight for arguing with a flight attendant who asked them to stop kissing. Hailey and Kim Dickens are currently in a relationship.
Filmography Film Year Film Role Notes 1997 All Over Me Lucy 1998 Some Girl The Murmurs 1999 Sleeping Beauties Sno Blo Band 2002 The Snowflake Crusade Marigold 2007 La Cucina Shelly 2009 Make Up Shelley Cabot 2010 Fertile Ground Emily Weaver 2016 Love Is All You Need? Coach Jenkins 2016 Quarries Madison 2017 Dead Ant Stevie Television Year Title Role Notes 1996 Boy Meets World Corinna 1 episode 1997 Ellen Woman in gay bar 1 episode 2004–2009 The L Word Alice Pieszecki 70 episodes 2006 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Allison Bradford 1 episode Grey's Anatomy Claire Solomon 1 episode 2007–2011 American Dad! Lily (Voice) 4 episodes 2009 Maneater Harriet 1 episode 2010 Drop Dead Diva Hope Prentiss 1 episode 2010 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Dana Carlston 1 episode 2012 The New Normal Victoria 1 episode 2014 Constantine Lanni's wife 1 episode 2015 Supernatural Amelia Novak 1 episode 2015 Chasing Life Juliet 1 episode 2016 Bosch Maureen "Mo" O'Grady 7 episodes 2016 Code Black Natalie 1 episode 2017 Silicon Valley Liz Tinsdale 2 episodes 2017 Strangers Kim 1 episode 2019–2023 The L Word: Generation Q Alice Pieszecki 28 episodes TBA Life Is Strange Joyce Price Main cast
Bibliography So Gay for You: Friendship, Found Family, and the Show That Started It All (2025) by Kate Moennig and Leisha Hailey, St. Martin's Press,
References
External links
Profile at AfterEllen.com