Leslie Grossman often stole the show in the turn-of-the-century teen drama "Popular" as Mary Cherry, a spoiled, airheaded, and borderline sociopathic cheerleader voted by her fellow students as most likely to become a serial killer. Remarkably, this was the actor's first notable role — and it was written specially for her, too!
Indeed, Grossman had unsuccessfully tried out for another part in The WB's two-season wonder. But showrunner Ryan Murphy was so impressed with her audition that he decided to create a brand-new character better suited to her skills. And the Californian remains eternally grateful for this leap of faith in such an unknown talent.
In 2018, Grossman told Nylon, "[Murphy] really has been such an unbelievable gift to my career. There's no way I can ever repay him or thank him enough, and he continues to do that for me. Not just simply by giving me work, but giving me challenging, fun, meaty things for me to really sink my teeth into." So what does the actor believe her "guardian angel" sees in her? Well, even after two decades of working with the showrunner, she remains none the wiser, adding, "I don't know why he's been so good to me, but I just hope to make him proud and do the best that I can with the gift he's given me."
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