Leisha Hailey was born on July 11, 1971 in Okinawa, Japan to Robert and Jane Hailey. She grew up in Bellevue, Nebraska and attended Bellevue West High School. She came out as a lesbian before moving to New York City to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, where she graduated in 1991. Hailey dated k.d. lang for some time. As of 2006, she is dating Nina Garduno. They are involved in the arts scene in Marfa, Texas. Hailey is a soccer player, "I was a soccer star. I was a goalscorer, but then I busted my knee out and my whole career ended." But not a Man United fan as it has been reported, "Yeah, I don't know where that rumour started."

Hailey's first major role was in 1997's cult hit All over me, and right around this time she played a struggling musician on an episode of Boy Meets World. Since 2004 she has starred as Alice Pieszecki, a bisexual journalist, on the The L Word. Some of her notable minor roles have been as an extra in an episode of Ellen and, since 2003, various Yoplait commercials that still air as of 2007.

Leisha formed the rock duo The Murmurs with her former classmate at the academy Heather Grody and played gigs in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and East Village. During the 1990s the band moved to Los Angeles, released several albums and toured with Lilith Fair. Their biggest album Blender included a collaboration with Charlotte Caffey and Jane Wiedlin of The Go-Gos; in addition, several of the songs were produced by k.d. lang. By 2001 Hailey and Grody changed the name of their duo to Gush. Hailey founded Marfa Records, the first artist being Amy Cook. Currently, Hailey is working on an album with her new band, Uh Huh Her where she is a singer and guitarist, together with friends Alicia Warrington (drums) and Camila Grey (producer, vocals, synth, bass). Warrington has since left the band, but Grey and Hailey continue to work together and have released an EP on July 24, 2007. They are now working on an album scheduled to come out in March 2008