Slusher was born on the Navajo Indian reservation in 1963 and spent most of his childhood moving around the US and the world. His acting career got its start in Danville, IL where he played several children's roles at the Red Mask Theater (the same theater where Dick Van Dyke began his career). In 2016, after a 40 year hiatus from acting, he returned to perform small background roles in television and movies.