Leslie Jordan Hosts the 2011 Hookie Awards

Leslie Jordan won an Emmy Award for his portrayal of the gleefully bitchy Beverley Leslie on TV’s Will and Grace. He is also recognized nationally for his role as “Brother Boy” in the screen adaptation of Logo-TV’s Sordid Lives. Now, the venerable actor prepares for his most ambitious gig yet. He has been tapped to host The Hookies: The 5th Annual International Escort Awards.

Presented by Rentboy.com, the world’s largest male escort site, the show celebrates the best in the male escort industry with awards in 15 categories including Best Newcomer, Best Daddy and the night’s top prize, Mr. International Escort 2010.

Congratulations Leslie Jordan! You have officially trumped Neil Patrick Harris for the gayest hosting gig ever. The Hookies are way gayer than The Tonys.

Leslie Jordan: It’s important to celebrate our boys who work in the world’s oldest profession because they bring joy to so many of us. I have never had a single reservation about paying for an escort.

Why are you the right man for the job?

I’ve always been fascinated with hookers. I am of the generation of gay men who had to take love wherever we could get it. I remember giving a boy my lunch money before school for a little in-the-woods action. And when I got my learner’s permit to drive a car, I started cruising the bus station for sailors who were lonely and broke.

Bus stations were all the rage before websites like Rentboy.com.

Long before the Internet, love could be found all along Santa Monica Boulevard. My accountant used to say, “You can always tell when Mr. Jordan is working. There ain’t a boy on the boulevard without brand new tennis shoes.”

The evening will culminate with the award for Escort of the Year. What qualities are the judges looking for in their winner?

The winner should be stunningly handsome. He should be beautifully built. He should be nicely hung. And he should be able to have a conversation because from most of the working boys I know – and I know a lot! Over the years I have lived with many. I used to fall in love and move ‘em in. But I digress. The majority of clients put companionship at the top of the list of what they want in their escort.

Why is it important that we celebrate hookers and the oldest profession?

Most beautiful young men would not give me the time of day unless there was some compensation. I have money and they need money. I love the time I spend with them and they can then use their compensation to pursue their own passions…acting, music, art. I also love that our time together has no strings attached. I am always very clear about what I want and what is expected. No drama! In the words of Miss Mary J. Blige, “Leave your situations at the door!”

“The Hookies: The 5th Annual International Escort Awards” takes place March 18 at Roseland Ballroom in New York City. For more info, visit www.thehookies.com.

– Charlie Rockafort