Lessey was born in Amherst, Massachusetts,[1] and as a boy he acted in theatrical productions there.

[2] He portrayed Romeo in the initial film version of Romeo and Juliet, directed the first serial, What Happened to Mary,[1] and played the first dual role in film as twins in The Corsican Brothers.

[3] On stage, Lessey appeared in the original Broadway production of Porgy and Bess (1935) in one of the few white roles, that of the lawyer Mr.

[4] In the 1930s, Lessey worked as a model for men's clothes.

[5] On June 3, 1947, Lessey died on vacation in Westbrook, Connecticut, aged 67.