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For the editor of the UKs Dictionary of National Biography and father of Virginia Woolf, see Sir Leslie Stephen.

Leslie A. Stevens III (February 3, 1924 – April 24, 1998) was the creator of the cult TV series The Outer Limits (1963–1965) and director of the cult horror film Incubus (1965), starring William Shatner.

Leslie Stevens was born in Washington, D.C.. His interest in science was sparked when he studied for Annapolis at the behest of his father, an admiral in the United States Navy. But the Broadway theater intrigued him more than a military career, and he headed for New York as a fledging writer. It was a wise decision. He wrote the Broadway comedy "The Marriage-Go-Round", which he later adapted to the screen, and produced, as a starring vehicle for Susan Hayward. He wrote the screenplay for the film The Left Handed Gun (1958) directed by Arthur Penn and starring Paul Newman.

Other films which Stevens produced, and directed and wrote included Hero's Island (1962) starring James Mason, and Private Property (1960) starring Warren Oates. In television, he created the series The Outer Limits, which he also wrote, directed and supervised as executive producer. He was writer, director and executive producer of the pilot film and major episodes of It Takes a Thief and McCloud, wrote and produced installments for the series The Invisible Man and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, and produced the 1st season Tony Franciosa episodes of The Name Of The Game. He was also co-producer of the original science fiction film Battlestar Galactica (1978), and the short-lived NBC science fiction series Search (1972–1973) (about futuristic, high-tech secret agents). Stevens died of a blood clot in 1998 in Los Angeles, California at the age of 74.

Leslie Stevens was married to:

• Kate Manx (Kathrynne B. Myrolie), actress[1] (11 May 1958 – 1964) (divorced)
• Allyson Ames, actress[2] ( ? – 1966), appeared in many of his film and television productions
• Shakti Chen, actress [3] (? – 24 April 1998) (widowed)

• Leslie Stevens at the Internet Movie Database