Alex Newell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alex Newell
Newell in 2023
Born	Alex Eugene Newell (1992-08-20) August 20, 1992 (age 33) Lynn, Massachusetts, U.S.
Occupation	Actor singer
Years active	2009–present
Musical career
Genres	R&B pop soul house disco
Labels	Big Beat Records
Associated acts	Clean Bandit Blonde the Knocks Digital Farm Animals Nile Rodgers DJ Cassidy Jess Glynne

Alex Eugene Newell (born August 20, 1992) is an American actor and singer. They are famous for playing Unique Adams on the TV show Glee. They also played Mo on Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist. Alex Newell starred as Asaka in the Broadway show Once on This Island in 2018. In 2023, they won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for their role in Shucked. Alex Newell and J. Harrison Ghee were the first openly non-binary actors to win a Tony Award.

As a singer, Alex Newell has released songs with groups like Clean Bandit and The Knocks.

Early Life and School

Alex Newell was born on August 20, 1992, in Lynn, Massachusetts. Their father passed away when Alex was six years old. Their mother then raised them as a single parent.

Alex went to Bishop Fenwick High School and graduated in 2012. While in school, they were part of the choir, improv club, and costume club. They also sang in their church choir and later directed the youth choir. Alex never had formal voice lessons before getting their role on Glee. They have said that singers like Donna Summer and Beyoncé inspired them.

Career Highlights

Starting on Glee

In 2011, Alex Newell sent an audition video for The Glee Project, a TV show where people competed for a role on Glee. Alex's video got over a million views online! They became one of 12 people chosen to compete. Even though they were the runner-up, the producers were so impressed that they invited Alex to be on Glee for two episodes.

Alex first appeared on Glee in the third season. They played Wade "Unique" Adams, a character who was assigned male at birth but expressed their female identity through music. Unique was a groundbreaking character because they were one of the first openly transgender characters on a major TV show. Alex's performance was praised for being "bold" and having "powerful vocals."

Some people had different opinions about the show's characters. Alex shared that their mother told them, "If Bill O'Reilly said something about you, you are doing something right." Alex felt it was important to show people like Wade and Unique being themselves.

Alex was accepted into Berklee College of Music but chose to move to Los Angeles to continue on Glee. Unique became a regular cast member in the fourth season. Alex and the cast were nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award in 2012. For the fifth season, Alex was promoted to a main cast member. In the final season, Alex appeared as a guest star. A memorable moment was Alex singing "I Know Where I've Been" from Hairspray with a choir of 200 performers.

Music Journey

Alex Newell has performed at many music festivals, including Coachella and Governors Ball Music Festival. They also sang at many LGBT events and pride festivals.

In 2013, Alex announced they had signed with Big Beat Records to release their first album. Their first song, a cover of "Nobody to Love", came out in 2014.

In 2015, Alex worked on many cover songs and collaborations. They sang on a re-released version of "Stronger" by Clean Bandit. They also created a disco-house version of "Show Me Love" with DJ Matvey Emerson. Later, they sang on "All Cried Out" with the British duo Blonde. They also worked with the Knocks on the song "Collect My Love," which was described as a "soaring disco standout."

Their original song "This Ain't Over," released in 2016, was very popular. Magazines like Out and Spin praised Alex's powerful voice and the song's dance-pop style. "This Ain't Over" was the first song from their first collection of songs called Power. This EP was released on February 19, 2016.

Alex also toured with fellow Glee star Adam Lambert in 2016. After the tour, they released another song called "Kill the Lights" with DJ Cassidy and Nile Rodgers.

Broadway and TV Roles

In 2017, Alex Newell made their debut on Broadway, playing Asaka in the show Once on This Island.

In 2019, Alex was cast in the TV show Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist on NBC. They played Mo, a genderfluid DJ and Zoey Clarke's neighbor. The show ran for two seasons. In December 2021, a movie called Zoey's Extraordinary Christmas was released, and Alex played Mo again.

In 2023, Alex starred as Lulu in the musical comedy Shucked on Broadway. The show opened on April 4, 2023. In June 2023, Alex won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for this role. They and J. Harrison Ghee were the first openly non-binary actors to win a Tony Award.

In 2024, Alex performed their first solo concert in London, UK.

Other Work and Awards

Alex Newell has also worked on other TV projects, including a comedy pilot called Imaginary Friend. They also contributed music to the HBO TV series Vinyl.

Alex is dedicated to helping other young people in the LGBT community. They often perform at benefit concerts for organizations like The Trevor Project and the Human Rights Campaign.

In 2015, Alex received a special recognition award at the 26th GLAAD Media Awards as part of the cast of Glee.

Personal Life

Alex Newell identifies as non-binary, meaning they don't identify as only male or female. They have stated that they use all pronouns (he/him, she/her, they/them). Alex also identifies as gay, meaning they are attracted to people of the same gender.

Film and TV Appearances

Film Roles

Television Roles

Theater Roles

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Alex Newell para niños