Leslie Jordan Credits Instagram Fame to Simple Quarantine Silliness

Leslie Jordan is fast becoming a social media darling, but it's what he's NOT doing with his sudden IG fame that sets him apart ... especially in Hollywood.

The viral sensation joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" and we asked Leslie how he's been able to skyrocket from about 80,000 Insta followers to a whopping 3.5 million in only a matter of weeks.

Leslie says the recipe for success is pretty simple ... he's not looking to monetize his videos, he's just being himself -- a silly, funny, goofy, happy-go-lucky senior citizen. You can tell he's genuine, just listen to him talk about learning new IG terminology.

If you aren't among the millions of folks to recently discover Leslie's page in quarantine, you're missing out on his hilarious videos ... like his back scratch workout, which he breaks down for us in his own special way.

Prior to sheltering in place, Leslie was best known for his work on "Will and Grace" and "American Horror Story" ... but he tells us why he's not watching scripted shows or movies while he's in quarantine.