Popular

Background:

“(Brooke) is flailing on the inside. She’s stuck with maintaining this image because that’s how she thinks she’ll be loved and fit in. But it’s stifling. After all, what 16-year-old knows herself well enough to understand all the contradictions?” Leslie Bibb on her character in “Popular”

American TV and film actress Leslie Bibb first found fame as a teen model before creating a flourishing acting career with her signature role, as cheerleader Brooke McQueen in the WB’s passionately successful comedy “Popular “ (1999-2001). She also played roles in “The Big Easy” (1997), “ER” (2002-03), the short-lived series “Line of Fire” (2003) and the Tim King-created “Crossing Jordan” (2005-06). On the silver screen, the 2001Young Hollywood’s Exciting New Face, Leslie dotted her resume with such vehicles as This Space Between Us (2000), The Young Unknowns (2000), The Skulls (2000), the comedy See Spot Run (2001) and Wristcutters: A Love Story (2006). Moviegoers should look forward for her upcoming performance in director Adam McKay’s Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006), along with Will Ferrell.

Off screen, North Dakota-born and Virginia-raised Leslie is now the resident of Los Angeles, where she continues her drama lessons with tutor Leigh Kilton-Smith. Aside from TV and film, she has appeared on stage with the Imau! Theatre Company. She likes spending her Sundays by volunteering and doing theater workshops with young delinquents through a group named “The Unusual Suspects.” As for her love life, the green-eyed beauty married the investment banker Rob Born from 2003 to 2004.


The Bibbster

Childhood and Family:

On November 17, 1973, Leslie Louise Bibb was born in Bismarck, North Dakota, but raised in Nelson County, Virginia. Her father passed away when she was three, leaving the youngest daughter, along with her three sisters under the custody of their young single mother. At age 14, Leslie, who carried nicknames the Bibbster and Lulu, moved with her family to Richmond, Virginia, in which she was sent to an all-girl Catholic high school, St. Gertrude’s. She modeled extensively as a teenager, but later decided to put the career on the backburner to study at the University of Virginia. However, she left the college life after only a single semester and moved to New York City to study acting with William Esper Acting Studios. Three years later, she headed for Los Angeles to launch a career in acting.

On a personal front, Leslie wed investment banker Rob Born on November 22, 2003, but called it quits in 2004. The green-eyed beauty now lives in her home in Los Angeles, California, with her two dogs: Harley and Jack. When not working, she likes reading, writing and watching films. Additionally, the very athletic Leslie enjoys some outdoors activities such as tennis, swimming, hiking, boxing and mountain biking, a hobby that once led her to make a New Orleans tour. She also collects antiques.


Talladega Nights

Career:

When she was a student of an all-girl Catholic high school, Leslie Bibb got her start in the world of modeling after one of her sisters entered her in a nationwide modeling search sponsored by “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in 1990. Chosen as one of 20 finalists out of 6,000 applicants, this teen girl appeared on the well-liked show and became the winner. Shortly after, the image of striking Leslie decorated a number of layouts and ad campaigns featured in teen magazines like YM and Seventeen.
“It was like winning the lottery. It was surreal. The summer before I won, I was babysitting my sister’s kids. The following summer, I was modeling in Japan.” Leslie Bibb

Flying to New York City after completing her junior year, Leslie further chased her career by signing with the Elite Management, and later did some gigs in Japan. She returned home to finish her senior year, but then decided to quit modeling and briefly attended a college. But, she dropped out and made her way to New York City to begin a three-year drama classes at the William Esper Acting Studios. Taking nine months off, Leslie modeled in London and Milan, before finally heading to Hollywood to become an actress.

Starting out with guest spots on such series as “Pacific Blue” and ‘Home Improvement” (both 1996), the model-turn-actress Leslie hit the big screen for the first time with a small part as NBC Tour Guide in Betty Thomas’ comedy Private Parts (1997), which starred Howard Stern and Robin Quivers, and followed by another tiny turn in the Amanda Peet and Michael Vartan starring vehicle Touch Me, that same year. Also in 1997, after guest starring roles in episodes of the NBC “Fired Up” and “Just Shoot Me,” Leslie made her debut as a regular when she was chosen to replace Susan Walters to star as the female lead Janine Rebbenack on the USA Network series “The Big Easy.” Unluckily, the show was quickly axed in few months.

Leslie maintained her small screen presence in the next years by taking guest roles like in “Something So Right,” “Early Edition” (both 1998) and the short-lived “Walker, Texas Ranger” offshoot “Sons of Thunder” (1999), where she was additionally featured as a beleaguered young woman declaring to be the daughter of Alan Autry’s character. The naturally dark blonde-actress, however, didn’t found a true stardom until she starred in the WB high school drama “Popular” (1999-2001). Costarring with her fellow, actress Carly Pope, as Brooke McQueen, a cheerleader who struggles to uphold a perfect image, Leslie became a favorite among young audiences as soon as the series scored a big success with the intended fans. By the time “Popular” came to an end in 2001, Leslie had netted a Young Hollywood for Exciting New Face.

Meanwhile, Leslie made her wide screen comeback with a supporting turn as Summer in the poignant independent comedy This Space Between Us (2000), starring Jeremy Sisto and Poppy Montgomery, and a costarring role opposite Devon Gummersall and Eion Bailey in Catherine Jelski’s drama The Young Unknowns (2000), in which she was cast as green wannabe actress Cassandra. With her newfound “Popularity” prominence, she achieved more significant film roles such as in Rob Cohen’s thriller The Skulls (2000), costarring with Joshua Jackson, Paul Walker and Hill Harper as a Yale student who unintentionally joins a menacing covert society, and the John Whitesell-helmed comedy See Spot Run (2001), where she portrayed young mother Stephanie, along with David Arquette and Michael Clarke Duncan.

Next up for Leslie, she joined the cast of the long-running medical drama “ER” in the recurring role of detain Erin Harkins for 2002-03 seasons, and starred as young female FBI agent Paige Van Doren in the short-lived ABC “Line of Fire” (2003). Still on TV, director Spenser Hill had her star as Paige Armstrong in the made-for-TV movie drama Capital City (2004) before she retuned to a one-episodic turn as Naomi Gaines in “Nip/Tuck” (2004). During the 2005-06 periods, she could be seen as Detective Lu Simmons in seven episodes of the crime drama serial “Crossing Jordan,” for creator Tim King and stars Jill Hennessy and Miguel Ferrer. As for film, Leslie recently appeared in Goran Dukic’s comedy Wristcutters: A Love Story (2006). She will be cast as Carley Bobby, the wife of the title character (Will Ferrell) in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006), directed by Adam McKay.


Awards:

• Young Hollywood: Exciting New Face – Female, 2001