Leslie Easterbrook is more than just a Hollywood actress. From her breakout role as the bold Sgt. Callahan in Police Academy to chilling parts in Rob Zombie’s horror films, she has always been a powerful on-screen presence. But behind her tough characters is a woman who constantly reinvented herself.
Born in Nebraska and adopted at nine months, Leslie was raised in a musical home by a music professor father and an English teacher mother. Though she originally dreamed of becoming an opera singer, acting soon took center stage. After college, she got her break in 1980 as Rhonda Lee on Laverne & Shirley, and then truly rose to fame with Police Academy.
Interestingly, she wasn’t sure she could play the intimidating Callahan. But her fierce audition impressed the producers—and the rest is history. She trained in martial arts to bring realism to the role, and the name “Callahan” was a nod to Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry.
Leslie’s career went far beyond Police Academy, with appearances in over 300 TV shows like Murder, She Wrote and Baywatch, and films including Private Resort and The Devil’s Rejects. She found the horror fanbase especially warm and genuine, once saying horror lovers are “probably the healthiest folks around.”
She also had a strong singing career, famously performing the national anthem at Super Bowl XVII in 1983 after a chaotic journey to get there. Her love of music never faded, and neither did her adventurous spirit—she even won a state-level trap shooting competition after a filming accident damaged her ear.
Leslie balanced fame with philanthropy, supporting children’s causes and law enforcement. Her longtime marriage to screenwriter Dan Wilcox lasted until his death in 2024. Today, at 75, she hasn’t officially retired. Her last film was in 2022, and she remains close with former co-stars and fans alike.
