Lesley Powers

writer | director | producer | actor

Hi, I’m Lesley Powers — a writer, director, and producer based in Los Angeles with over 20 years of experience in the entertainment industry. I tell stories about flawed women, messy lives, and pretty people doing ugly things. If there’s a murder mystery, psychological unraveling, or feminine darkness involved, I’m probably interested.

Originally from Indiana (yes, actual Midwest nice), I graduated from Indiana University, where I somehow balanced academics with being the social chair of my sorority — a role that mostly meant throwing wildly themed parties and learning early that people are endlessly fascinating when you put them in emotionally charged situations. Turns out, that skill translates surprisingly well to storytelling.

I’m also a single mom to an incredible kiddo who keeps me grounded, humble, and laughing. Co-parenting can be hard, but I want my son to grow up knowing we can do hard things — and still find joy, humor, and ourselves in the process.

My love of storytelling started young, but my obsession with emotionally messy, beautifully layered stories really took hold when I discovered Dirty Dancing. It was the first movie that made me fall equally in love with what was happening onscreen and what was happening in the soundtrack. To this day, it remains my favorite film — proof that romance, longing, music, and emotional stakes can hit all at once.

I’m a proud Swiftie, an indie film lover, and someone who deeply believes genre stories can still say something meaningful. I gravitate toward murder mysteries and psychological thrillers with a feminine edge — stories where desire, secrets, identity, and power collide. Addiction and alcoholism have impacted people I love, and witnessing that secondhand shaped the way I see the world. It taught me gratitude, perspective, and the importance of protecting my peace. I wake up thankful for the small things and protect my serenity at all costs.

Right now, I’m in prep for my first feature film, Besties! — which we lovingly pitch as Mean Girls meets Get Out. It’s dark, funny, uncomfortable, and exactly the kind of story I love to tell. I'm also entering my limited series pilot - What happened to Troy Walker?, into several writing competitions and fellowships.

At my core, I’m basically a nerd in a sorority girl’s body — equally obsessed with character psychology, prestige television, pop culture, and the dream that someday a brilliant showrunner takes me under their wing… or better yet, lets me run one of my own ideas.