Leslie Easterbrook’s career is a testament to versatility, resilience, and an undeniable screen presence. Many recognize her for her role as the formidable and hilarious Sergeant Debbie Callahan in “Police Academy,” but her journey in Hollywood extends far beyond this iconic role. Born in Nebraska and adopted at nine months old, her Midwest upbringing shaped her down-to-earth and pragmatic outlook on life. Her adoptive father, a music professor, and adoptive mother, an English teacher, instilled in her a love for education and music. As the only child of singing parents, Leslie was always surrounded by the sounds of music.
Leslie Easterbrook aspired to be an opera singer, but after graduating from Kearney High School and subsequent studies at Stephens College, it seemed that Easterbrook was destined for an ordinary life. But Hollywood had other plans. In 1980, she landed the role of Rhonda Lee in the series “Laverne & Shirley,” a long-running ABC hit. When the series moved from Milwaukee to California, her character—a glamorous, witty neighbor—quickly gained prominence in subsequent seasons.
