Why ‘Call Me Kat’ Star Leslie Jordan Is a Total Scene-Stealer

Call Me Kat is back for Season 2 and so is star Leslie Jordan. We break down why the actor’s a total scene-stealer, below.

He Plays

Saucy Phil Crumpler, serving up coffee and sass as head baker in Kat’s (Mayim Bialik) Cat Café in Louisville, Kentucky. Forever devoted to his mama, Phil, Jordan explains, is “still nursing that broken heart” after ex-boyfriend Marty left him for someone else. “You want to tell Phil, ‘Honey, he has moved on!’”

(Credit: Lisa Rose/FOX)

Where You’ve Seen Him Before

In standout roles as Hearts Afire’s endearing Lonnie Garr, Will & Grace’s snide Beverley Leslie, The Cool Kids’ upbeat Sid, and Kat’s Phil, a common thread exists. “They all have a delightful sense of self,” says Jordan. “I was a very self-conscious child. I am still very conscious of how people perceive me. But the more comfortable I am with myself, the more people are drawn to me. I try to look for that in any character I play.”

Why We Love Him

Is it the Southern drawl? His 4-foot-11 stature? “I just have that kind of face!” he says. Plus, his agile frame is perfect for Kat’s physical comedy. “They have stunt people for us, but we never need them,” he adds. He even agreed to hang off the side of a roof. “They said, ‘We can’t have you get hurt.’ I said, ‘I won’t get hurt; I promise.’ They love to throw me around, out of windows….”

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Heel Thyself

In the January 13 episode, Phil helps Kat pick a date outfit for one of the men she chose between in the January 9 premiere — boyfriend Oscar (Christopher Rivas) or crush Max (Cheyenne Jackson). For kicks, Phil slides on a pair of her heels. “In fact, I put them on way too early, like hours before the scene,” he says with a laugh. That’s no tall tale.

Call Me Kat, Season 2, Thursdays, 9/8c, Fox