Javicia Leslie's Rise to Stardom Proves Passion and Preparation Pay Off

Photographer: Sarah Krick (@sarahkrickphotography)

Hair: Cynthia Alvarez (@cynthiaglam)

Make-Up: Dion Xu (@makeupbydion

Stylist: Jasmine Woolfork (@jasminwoolfork)

For nearly a decade, Javicia Leslie has been firmly and intentionally building her career in entertainment. Once a D.C.-based government contractor, Leslie took the end of a work assignment as her chance to move across the country. A chance encounter with her current manager only a month after landing in Los Angeles set the stage for her first act in Hollywood.

“It's a mix of luck and opportunity meets being prepared,” Leslie tells Bleu Magazine. “I had no other choice in my head. It's like, ‘This is what I'm going to do. This is what my focus is going to be.’”

Leslie’s laser-focused dedication to her craft has resulted in a consistent run in films and TV that started with her breakout role as Samantha Morgan in Lifetime’s Killer Coach. She has already made history in her career, and in addition to never forgetting where she came from, Leslie’s blossoming career reminds girls and women who look like her that anything’s possible.

Born in Augsburg, Germany, to parents in the Army, Leslie's formative years were spent in Maryland’s beloved Prince George’s County, a suburb just outside of Washington, D.C. While preparing for a professional life in business law through studies at Hampton University, her need for artistic expression prompted her participation in local plays and pageants. The actress candidly admits, however, that she never imagined the outlet as a career.

“Never in a million years when I was at Hampton did I think I would go and pursue acting as a full-time job,” she reflects. “I just felt like I love this [and] I'm going to do this while I'm here. I don't know that I ever thought it [would] be something I was going to pursue forever.”

Leslie’s journey is a lesson in foundation building. Post-college, she returned to D.C. and gained employment with the government. She also fed her creative side with a hosting gig at a local Apollo-style show and brought her first stage play to life. After facing the end of her government contract, Leslie knew it was time to pursue the passion in which she had discovered her most authentic self.

“My job [contract] came to an end, but I knew that if I went into another job, I probably would have stayed, so I took that opportunity to move to LA and follow my dream,” says Leslie.

Leslie credits getting representation early as the key to her experience, which she says has been a “really lucky, safe, [and] blessed journey.” After starring in several TV series and short films, notably starring as Paris Duncan in The Family Business on the BET+ streaming platform, her history-making breakthrough came in 2021 through one of America’s largest and oldest comic universes—DC Comics. Leslie stepped into the world of DC as Ryan Wilder, an orphaned Gotham resident who stumbles upon the bat suit and commits to avenging her adoptive mother’s murder as Batwoman. Using the newfound focus she discovered during the pandemic pushed Leslie to lean fully into auditioning while staying physical by taking on kickboxing and Muay Thai. Once again, her “stay ready, don’t get ready” mentality created room for a career-defining moment.

“That was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience—taking on a role that, even if you're not familiar with Batwoman, you're familiar with Batman,” she reflects. “Taking on any role that's in a suit and knowing you haven't seen anyone who looks like you play these characters before, it feels like a pinch-me moment. I was able to lose myself and fall into the world of Gotham, grinding, working, [and] making sure I could create a world that people could fall in love with [and] lose themselves in.”

After embarking on a nonstop six-year run of committing to her craft, Leslie says she’s now ready to slow down and be still. According to Leslie, the next opportunity to come her way has to connect to her “soul.”

“Whatever I do next, I want it to be something my soul says, ‘Oh, this is it,’” she explains. “For that to happen, I just need everything to calm down so I can read scripts and see what really connects with me.”

In addition to exploring her creative callings, the D.C. native remains connected to her hometown through philanthropic efforts with her nonprofit organization, The Chandler Foundation. Serving the Prince George’s community, the organization—inspired by her family’s surname—provides resources to the area’s brightest young people. The organization gifts backpacks and school supplies at the start of each year, and other similar programs are designed to help PG County youth pursue their biggest dreams. For the holidays, Leslie also partners with other local organizations for a toy giveaway in the NICU unit of Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C.

In contemplating what’s next, Leslie is embracing this time in her life, which she believes is preparation for the next act in her adventure. “My spirit is telling me to slow down for a reason,” she shares in anticipation. “There's another shift that's about to happen. I feel like it has something to do with me creating.”

In the meantime, Leslie is taking the holidays to enjoy the good feelings of family time and home-cooked meals, making room for her vision to unfold in new ways. A lover of new experiences, she hints at a book in the works but is also interested in other writing projects. Leslie’s “all in” approach to life is an inspirational reminder of the heights you can realize when passionately going after your dreams.