I would say that I'm a very gentle soul., I love my fashion sense. You can just do what The OA did and put out an open casting call and people will respond. Check out the all NEW Advocate Channel! It was who I was before and I dont want to deny that part of my history or my identity. The OA's Ian Alexander Explains Why Hollywood Has No Excuse Not to Cast How Netflix and 'The OA' Cast Trans Actor Ian Alexander - Backstage [12][13][14][15] As of late 2020 Alexander adopted the use of they/them,[16] shortly thereafter identifying as non-binary and preferring the use of they/them while accepting the alternative use of he/him. Movies. As for those princesses, perhaps Alexander doesnt remember the end because there never was one. All rights reserved. Im not sure if theres an exact answer in the script because its always very vague. YouTube sets this cookie via embedded youtube-videos and registers anonymous statistical data. Buck, like Alexander, is also a Vietnamese-American transgender youth and was partially based on Alexander's real experiences. This season, Alexander was tasked with portraying Buck Vu (a transgender teen boy) as well as Michelle Vu (a version of Buck in an alternate dimension who Alexander views as a pre-transition character ). He's waited to start testosterone for more than four years, and his first round of treatment is set to begin in a few days at the time of the interview. The domain of this cookie is owned by Nielsen. They were such huge fans that it sort of trickled down to me and influenced my childhood a little bit, said Alexander. "I remember particularly being obsessed with FtM transition videos - I didn't connect with it personally yet, but I still remember tucking my long hair into a hat and taking a few "boy . "But it was calling specifically for a 14-15 year old Asian-American trans male actor, with no experience necessary. ", For del Barrio, the decision by Star Trek: Discovery's gay co-showrunner, Michelle Paradise, and the writers to make their characters' identity a part of Star Trek canon and not just a throwaway plotline of the week is something that makes them "really happy," they say. IA: As a biracial person, racial identity lines are blurred in a similar way to how gender identity lines are blurred for me. Its important to note that gender identity and sexual orientation are two different thing. The Salt Lake City native, who originally auditioned for the part of Adira, is now 20. I think she just hadnt tried referring to me that way before because she was scared to. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. We feel good about the way we're doing it. [12] They were cast from an open casting call online that spread through Tumblr. 'Star Trek: Discovery' Introduces First Non-Binary - Deadline [8] Heres what hes learned about the limits of traditional masculinity, and the benefits of pushing beyond them. I originally had come out as trans male, identified fully as a trans boy, when I was 14 years old, they said. Actor Ian Alexander played Buck Vu on The OA on Netflix Netflix Sci-fi fans saw Ian Alexander grow up before their [] Last Friday, the 15-year-old. That actor was Lachlan Watson. Set by Bluekai, this cookie stores anonymized data about the users' web usage in an aggregate form to build a profile for targeted advertising. This cookie is used for identifying the user. The GUC cookie is set by Yahoo for Yahoo conversion tracking. This cookie is set by the Reddit. They were like, OK, so we are not saying yes to you for Adira, but don't worry. Both actors spent their holidays lying low, with del Barrio visiting friends in London and treating themselves to a cameo from their costar Rapp. "That's kind of happening, slowly, more and more, like conversations about nametags, about where we can put pronouns on call sheets and stuff like that. Season two of The OA is streaming on Netflix now. He lived in places like Hawaii and Japan. My definition of my gender is just as valid as anyone elses, and throughout my transition I learned to accept myself for who I am. [27], In June 2019, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, sparking the start of the modern LGBTQ rights movement, Queerty named them one of their Pride50: "trailblazing individuals who actively ensure society remains moving towards equality, acceptance and dignity for all queer people". Maybe, like his own career, it was all one big, marvelous beginning. Really, it's not that big a deal, and if it's too hard for you to deal with, you don't have to deal with it. This is for everyone. All rights reserved. Continue reading for 10 things you didnt know about Ian Alexander. [25] In October 2017, Naughty Dog announced Alexander had joined the cast for The Last of Us Part II, the sequel to their popular video game. Although they grew up in Topanga, Calif., about 25 miles from Hollywood, they film their episodes 2,500 miles from home in Toronto. This cookie, set by BidSwitch, stores a unique ID to determine what adverts the users have seen while visiting an advertiser's website. Alexander points out that "every trans person has a past self and it kind of feels like that past self dies when you transition". Facebook sets this cookie to show relevant advertisements to users by tracking user behaviour across the web, on sites that have Facebook pixel or Facebook social plugin. There is a fluidity to my masculinity that can be hard for other people to understand. I think, even if it's just to dress up and, you know, take photos because I want to look cute, that's great, too.. The tuuid cookie, set by BidSwitch, stores an unique ID to determine what adverts the users have seen if they have visited any of the advertiser's websites. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Ian, who is trans himself, has officially become part of the representation that was missing from the entertainment industry when he was growing up. Unruly Media sets this cookie to store information on how the end user uses the website and any advertising that the end user may have seen before visiting the said website. The veterans have been series regulars since the first episode, playing a gay couple aboard the U.S.S. He played Buck Vu who is a transgender youth. [2][1] Alexander voices Tai, one of Lunella's classmates, in Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. Regina King's Son Said Social Media Wasn't 'Healthy' for Him Before Death He is strongly opposed violent crimes committed by the police and has often spoken out against police brutality. The sp_t cookie is set by Spotify to implement audio content from Spotify on the website and also registers information on user interaction related to the audio content. ", B JAMES Top RARE ROMANCE Jewelry TROUSER 9 Pant NO NAME Boot MARCO GARRO Top RARE ROMANCE Jewelry VINTAGE Jacket MARCO GARRO Pant. Tai is revealed to be non-binary in the episode "Check Yourself", as Lunella refers to Tai using they/them pronouns. [31], As of late 2020 Alexander adopted the use of, "Transgender Actor Ian Alexander, The Newest 'Star Trek' Star, Didn't Get The Part He Auditioned For", "Star Trek Discovery | Interview with Gray, Ian Alexander | Transgender Rep & More", "Actor Ian Alexander blazes a cosmic trail as 1st transgender 'Star Trek' character", "Logo Live interview with Star Trek Discovery's Ian Alexander | Logo", "Star Trek's Blu del Barrio & Ian Alexander Transgalactic Heroes", "16-Year-Old Trans Actor Ian Alexander Is Bringing Queer Power to the Big Screen", "The OA's Ian Alexander on His Big Acting Debut and Trans Representation", "Everything In My Life Changed When A Hit TV Show Cast Me As A Transgender Teen", "The OA Part II | Ian Alexander on Becoming Buck Vu", "People Can't Handle This Trans Teen's Response To This Viral Anti-Trans Photo", "Casting Call: Netflix series seeks Asian Transgender Teen", "How Netflix's Newest Teen Actor Landed His Job on Tumblr", "Ian Alexander is Lev. "And it wasn't until I got into high school that I started seeing trans people on YouTube posting about their transition. Ian is originally from Salt Lake City, UT and was raised in a traditional Mormon household. LinkedIn sets the lidc cookie to facilitate data center selection. This cookie is used for identifying the visitor browser on re-visit to the website. He said, I want masculinity to be dissociated from its typical perception via toxic masculinity. ian alexander before transition. "They are still children, but who knows what'll happen once they're legal adults? Showing the limits and divisiveness of the gender binary, the painting is half typical female, half typical male. The cookie, set by PubMatic, registers a unique ID that identifies a returning user's device across websites that use the same ad network. Fans of science fiction have watched Alexander grow up before their eyes playing Buck in Netflix's The OA. . This cookie is set by the provider Akamai Bot Manager. Meet 'The OA' actor who wants to help pave the way for trans representation I'm so glad that me and Blu get to pioneer this trans representation into the Star Trek universe. Im treated like a sensitive, fragile being because my masculinity is divergent from gender norms. Ive just dived down the rabbit hole! One of these people, Buck Vu, is played by 17-year-old Ian Alexander. I was like, Well, that all applies to me, so I think I should just go for it. After sending in a self-tape and impressing show creators Zal Batmanglij and Brit Marling, Alexander was offered the part. In 2017, he wrote and started in a short film called Deja Vu. And then when I was 17, I was like, Well, Id better not necessarily press to find a label; I mean, I'm still 17. This cookie is used to track the behavior of a user within the current session. The interdimensional sci-fi Netflix series The OA from Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij is, like many of their projects, unapologetic when it comes to having a complex narrative that would make . "People who aren't trans can relate to, you know, coming into your identity and finding chosen family. This cookie is set by Beeswax to determine whether the user has accepted the cookie consent box. In 2016, after responding to a Tumblr post seeking a female-to-male transgender teen, he was cast as Buck, a suburban high schooler whose father is grappling with his son's queer identity, in Netflix's sci-fi thriller The OA.The role was one of a kind -so rare, in fact, Alexander was the . Ian, who is trans himself, has officially become part of the representation that was missing from the entertainment industry when he was growing up. I report on the fight for transgender equality and other LGBTQ issues. [22], Alexander's debut acting role was on Netflix's The OA, where they played Buck Vu. IA: I wish I had known that I didnt have to adopt stereotypical traits of masculinity in order to be valid. Thats all Ive ever wanted to do in my life. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Off the bat, there were no questions asked: they knew my name was Ian and they knew my pronouns were he/him. [30], In September 2020, it was announced Alexander had joined the cast of Star Trek: Discovery; they play the first transgender character played by a transgender actor in the Star Trek canon. "I think that there. Has working on The OA changed the way you think about the afterlife or anything else? Alexander said thats just like in real life. In Netflixs critically acclaimed show The OA, the titular Original Angel recruits a league of high school outcasts for a mysterious project. Blu del Barrio and Ian Alexander are among the cover stars of Out's March/April 2022 issue, a special LGBTQ+ Star Trek edition appearing on newsstands February 22. The lack of representation means we dont exist in the broader cultural imagination, which can exacerbate the shame and isolation common to trans people generally, and trans boys specifically (more than half of trans male teens in a 2018 American Academy of Pediatrics study reported attempting suicide). And I can't wait to see how it progresses, because, you know, if there's a couple of us, then there's gotta be more trans people 900 years in the future of the Star Trek universe. But especially for people who are trans, they are so happy to finally see our stories being reflected in mainstream media. This is a consent cookie set by Dailymotion to store the CCPA consent string (mandatory information about an end-user being or not being a California consumer and exercising or not exercising its statutory right). The casting of out gay actors Anthony Rapp and Wilson Cruz paved the way for del Barrio and Alexander. I have also realized that gender is a spectrum, which means definitions are not always set in stone. They said they chose the name "Blu" as blue has always been their favorite color and first came out to some of their friends in London, who they described as very supportive. Alexander confessed hes definitely more of a newbie, when it comes to Star Trek fandom. "I realized I might be nonbinary the first time I saw a nonbinary actor on television," they told GLAAD in a previous interview. This cookie can only be read from the domain they are set on and will not track any data while browsing through other sites. The information is used to decide when and how often users will see a certain banner. It registers the log-in information. The cookie enables the sharing of content from the website onto the social media platform. Theres this heartfelt moment between A and Rhiannon where they discuss not every persons gender matches their body, and for Vic that is the case, Alexander says. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. How do you think Hollywood could be more proactive about seeking out the appropriate actors for these roles? [28] Similarly, Alexander was one of the cover stars for the 2019 Pride issue of them., "spotlighting three rising queer artists whose work and lives are breaking new ground for LGBTQ+ visibility". Ian Alexander doesnt remember what happened to the princesses at the end. Sat 22 Jan 2022 16.59 EST First published on Sat 22 Jan 2022 11.32 EST Ian Alexander Jr, the only child of the Oscar-winning actor and director Regina King, has died. I dont really care what happens. Forever. 'Star Trek: Discovery' Trans, Non-Binary Characters Talk - Variety Personally, as Ian Alexander, the person, the actor, I would say that I identify fully as non-binary. Published on January 20, 2023 08:42 AM. "I knew I was different at 8 years old," del Barrio told GLAAD in 2020. Thats all you can do with this show! The test_cookie is set by doubleclick.net and is used to determine if the user's browser supports cookies. How does being trans inform how people understand your masculinity? I definitely had a crush on her, Alexander tells INTO. Co-showrunner Paradise has the last word on that: "After getting a new body and settling into it over the course of the season, Gray is finally ready to restart his training so he can fulfill his dream of becoming a Guardian. The cookie is set under the everesttech.net domain to map clicks to other events on the client's website. All trans people have this past self, and I think of Michelle as sort of a resurrection of Bucks past self. ", When asked about the show pushing an "LGBTQ agenda," del Barrio confesses that they typically would prefer to "not interact" with fans making that kind of criticism, namely because of their habit to not sugarcoat their responses. After studying theater and ballet in California, they moved to the U.K. to study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and graduated in 2019. I think it's a really good example of a show that is very, very openly gay and is doing really well because of it, which is great.". His face beams at the mention of beginning T. The ID is used for targeted ads. CBS All Access announced Wednesday that the franchises's first non-binary and transgender actors, Blu del Barrio and Ian Alexander respectively, will join Season 3 of "Star Trek: Discovery . caught up with Alexander about bridging the gap between his two characters, the evolution of transgender representation in Hollywood, and why he cant help but keep developing new conspiracy theories about this show. CMPRO cookie is set by CasaleMedia for anonymous user tracking, and for targeted advertising. In Bucks case, he definitely has a pre-transition past self. The OA's Ian Alexander: 'Boys Can Wear Makeup' - Gay News, LGBT Rights