Leslie Zemeckis is a best-selling actress, writer and award-winning documentarian. Leslie's critically acclaimed films include Behind the Burly Q, the true story of old-time burlesque in America. She the author of Behind the Burly Q, the definitive oral history of burlesque and Goddess of Love Incarnate; the Life of Stripteuse Lili St. Cyr. Her third book Feuding Fan Dancers was published and became a bestseller October 2, 2018 about Sally Rand, Faith Bacon and the golden age of the showgirl. Specializing in women in American pop culture from the early part of the 20th century Zemeckis is a frequent contributor to Huffington Post, Medium, Talkhouse and has written for W Magazine and Stork Magazine. She has presented her work and spoken at panels and Universities including Santa Barbara City College, Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, The Chicago Club, Chicago History Museum, MoMa, Burlesque Hall of Fame, Burly Con. She continues to revisit and shine a light on formerly stigmatize and marginalized female entertainers.
Read moreShow less
Biography from TMDB.
- February 5, 1969 (57)
- USA
- Actor, director and writer, also producer
- 16 on MovieCove · 31 credits in all
What are Leslie Zemeckis' films like?
Across their 10 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Society.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 1 · Wry 0 · Earnest 9
Light 5 · Serious 5 · Dark 0
Grounded 8 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 1
Gentle 3 · Charged 6 · Intense 1
A split, not a type: Steady 5 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 1
Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 0
Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 0
Casual 7 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0
A split, not a type: Easy watch 4 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 3
Resolved 10 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Happy2
- Bittersweet7
- Ambiguous1
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Leslie Zemeckis' films?
As of October 24, 2026, 12 of their 16 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (6).
Subscription and free streaming for Leslie Zemeckis' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
31 credits, 16 with a MovieCove page.

Here(2024)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
Transcendent (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

From Zero to I Love You(2019)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
Welcome to Marwen(2018)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Bound by Flesh(2012)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
Behind the Burly Q(2010)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
A Christmas Carol(2009)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Beowulf(2007)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
Pepper Dennis (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

The Polar Express(2004)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
Sacrifice(2000)
Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films
Spiders(2000)
Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films
Blowback(2000)
Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films
Dark Nova (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

Life of a Gigolo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

I Married a Monster(1998)
Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films
Restless Souls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

Intimate Sessions (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

Sex Files: Pleasure World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

The Sex Files: Double Identity (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

The Sexperiment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

Women: Stories of Passion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

Damien's Seed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

Encounters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

Beverly Hills Bordello (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

Caroline in the City(1995)
Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all shows
Jailbait(1993)
Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films
Beverly Hills, 90210(1990)
Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all showsDeep Tissue (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

National Lampoon's Hollywood Heist (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
Star power in the 88th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 31 titles, 29 of them dated from 1990 to 2024; peak year 2003.
Film career
Peak 2003 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.
- 2000Screen debut· Spiders
Billing
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.
How do Leslie Zemeckis' films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 46th percentile, the median of all 14; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 26th percentile for acclaim.
- 50th to 74th5
- 25th to 49th4
- Below 25th7
Shape of the crowd
7 of their 16 titles are Mixed.
- Universally Panned1
- Divisive1
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser4
- Broadly Agreed2
- Mixed7
Reviewers score the acting 50/100 in their films, across 8 reviewed titles; fans 68, detractors 30. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Leslie Zemeckis' work okay for kids?
Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.
Who does Leslie Zemeckis work with?
People who share at least 2 of Leslie Zemeckis' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Robert Zemeckis shares the most, 5.
Directors
- Robert ZemeckisShared titles: Mabel, Mabel, Tiger Trainer (2018), Welcome to Marwen (2018), Bound by Flesh (2012), Behind the Burly Q (2010), The Polar Express (2004)See all 5 shared titles with Robert Zemeckis

Actors
- Blake BoydShared titles: From Zero to I Love You (2019), Bound by Flesh (2012)See all 2 shared titles with Blake Boyd

Composers and editors
- Evan FinnShared titles: Mabel, Mabel, Tiger Trainer (2018), Bound by Flesh (2012), Behind the Burly Q (2010)See all 3 shared titles with Evan Finn
- Alan SilvestriShared titles: Welcome to Marwen (2018), The Polar Express (2004)See all 2 shared titles with Alan Silvestri

- Jeremiah O'DriscollShared titles: Welcome to Marwen (2018), The Polar Express (2004)See all 2 shared titles with Jeremiah O'Driscoll

- Oliver SchneeShared titles: Mabel, Mabel, Tiger Trainer (2018), Bound by Flesh (2012)See all 2 shared titles with Oliver Schnee

Producers
- Donnalee AustenShared titles: Mabel, Mabel, Tiger Trainer (2018), Bound by Flesh (2012), Behind the Burly Q (2010)See all 3 shared titles with Donnalee Austen
- Jacqueline LevineShared titles: Mabel, Mabel, Tiger Trainer (2018), Welcome to Marwen (2018), Bound by Flesh (2012)See all 3 shared titles with Jacqueline Levine
- Sheri HellardShared titles: Mabel, Mabel, Tiger Trainer (2018), Bound by Flesh (2012), Behind the Burly Q (2010)See all 3 shared titles with Sheri Hellard

- Jack RapkeShared titles: Welcome to Marwen (2018), The Polar Express (2004)See all 2 shared titles with Jack Rapke

