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Alexandra Grey
Alexandra Grey 2023.jpg
Grey at BIFF 2023
Born January 4, 1991 (1991-01-04) (age 34)
Education Crete-Monee High School
Alma mater California State University, Northridge
Occupation Actress, singer
Years active 2011–present
Known for
  • Empire as Melody Barnes
  • Transparent as Elizah Parks

Alexandra Jordn Grey (born January 4, 1991) is an American actress and singer. She is well-known for her roles in popular TV shows. These include Melody Barnes in Empire, Elizah Parks in Transparent, and Parker Phillips in MacGyver.

Alexandra has also appeared in other shows like Chicago Med, Code Black, and How to Get Away with Murder. She is also the lead singer of her band, JORDN.

Early Life and Education

Alexandra Grey was born in Chicago. She grew up in the foster care system. From a young age, she knew she wanted to live as a girl. This was a difficult topic for her to discuss with her foster parents.

After finishing community college, Alexandra moved to Los Angeles. She lived in a shelter for young people until she could afford her own place. She then studied theater at California State University, Northridge.

Career in Acting and Music

Alexandra moved to Los Angeles hoping to start a career in singing or acting. In 2016, she got a role as Elizah Parks in the third season of the show Transparent. This show later won an award for Best Comedy Series.

She also guest-starred on the TV medical drama Code Black. Her performance in this episode was considered for an Emmy award. In 2016, she was cast in the mini-series When We Rise. In this series, she played Seville Anderson, a real-life activist.

Alexandra also appeared in Chicago Med as Denise. She played a guest role in the legal drama Doubt in 2017. Her character, Delilah Johnson, was based on a true story.

As a singer, Alexandra has performed for famous artists. She opened for Swedish singer Zara Larsson in 2016. She also opened for Kesha and Jordin Sparks at music festivals.

In 2017, Alexandra and other transgender actors worked together. They created a video message to Hollywood. They asked for more and better roles for transgender people in movies and TV. Later that year, she starred in the short film Miller & Son. This film won a BAFTA Student Film Award.

In 2018, it was announced that Alexandra would star in the drama Gossamer Folds. In this film, she plays Gossamer Bryant. The story is about a friendship between a Black transgender woman and a 10-year-old boy. The film was nominated for an award in 2022.

In 2019, Alexandra returned to Transparent for its fifth season. The show won another award in 2020. She also joined the cast of Empire for its final season. She played Melody Barnes, a pop singer. She recorded five songs for the show's soundtrack. In October, she guest-starred on How to Get Away with Murder.

In 2020, she appeared in the drama series The Alienist. Alexandra also performed a famous speech from Shakespeare's Hamlet. She did this for a special event in New York City.

Currently, Alexandra Grey is playing Lucy Hicks Anderson in the HBO Max miniseries Equal. In 2021, she joined the cast of MacGyver. She played Parker Phillips, an electrical engineer. She is also set to star in the romantic thriller Replica. In this film, she will play Tonya, a transgender woman.

In March 2022, Alexandra made her New York City stage debut. She starred in a musical called The Life. This was a special moment because she was the first transgender performer to lead a production at the New York City Center's Encores! series.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2012 K-11 Xandra Kayden
I Do College Student
2013 Baggage Claim Kiele
2015 The Fix Alexis
2019 Miller & Son Lucy Won - Student Academy Awards Best Narrative (Domestic)
Won - BAFTA Student Film Awards Best Live Action Short Film
2020 Gossamer Folds Gossamer Bryant Lead role
Won - Out on Film Jury Award (Best Actress)
Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen Herself Documentary film

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2012 DTLA Eva Episode: "Pilot"
2015 Glee Erica Episode: "Transitioning"
Chasing Life Kenya Martin Episode: "As Long as We Both Shall Live"
2016 Code Black Beth Episode: "Life and Limb"
... History Marsha P. Johnson Episode: "Bar Fights"
2016, 2019 Transparent Elizah Parks 2 episodes
Chicago Med Denise Lockwood 2 episodes
2017 When We Rise Seville Episode: "Parts VI and VII"
Doubt Delilah Johnson Episode: "Faith"
2019 How to Get Away with Murder Brandi Green Episode: Do You Think I'm A Bad Man?
2019–2020 Empire Melody Barnes Recurring Role (6 episodes)
2020 The Alienist Alice Episode: "Angel of Darkness: Last Ticket to Brooklyn"
Equal Lucy Hicks Anderson Main Role
2020–2021 MacGyver Parker Philips Recurring Role (4 episodes)
2023 The Resident Thea Dwyer Episode: "All the Wiser"

Theatre

Year Title Role Venue Notes
2022 The Life Queen New York City Center Encores!

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Alexandra Grey para niños

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