Alexandra Grey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alexandra Grey
Grey at the BIFF film festival in 2023
Born	January 4, 1991 (1991-01-04) (age 34) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
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 Jordan Grey (born January 4, 1991) is an American actress and singer. She is known for her roles in popular television shows. These include Melody Barnes in the music drama Empire and Elizah Parks in the comedy series Transparent.

Grey has also appeared in many other shows. She had guest roles on Chicago Med, Code Black, and How to Get Away with Murder. She also acted in the historical drama The Alienist.

Early Life and Education

Alexandra Grey was born in Chicago and grew up in the foster care system. Grey is a trans woman. This means she was assigned male at birth but always knew her true identity was female. She said in an interview, "I knew as early as 4 that I wanted to be a girl."

It was difficult for her to talk about her feelings with her foster parents. After finishing community college, she told them she was transgender. They did not understand, and she had to leave home.

Grey moved to Los Angeles to start a new life. She lived in a shelter for a while until she saved enough money for her own apartment. She studied theater at California State University Northridge.

Acting Career

Grey moved to Los Angeles hoping to become a singer or an actress. Her hard work paid off, and she began to land important roles on television.

First Major Roles

In 2016, Grey was cast in the third season of the show Transparent. She played Elizah Parks, a young person in foster care who needed help. The show won a GLAAD Media Award for Best Comedy Series.

That same year, she appeared in the medical drama Code Black. She also played the real-life activist Marsha P. Johnson in an episode of the Comedy Central series ... History. This role earned her a lot of praise.

In 2017, she was part of the ABC mini-series When We Rise. The show told the story of the fight for LGBT rights. Grey played Seville Anderson, an important activist.

Growing Success on TV

Grey continued to appear in popular shows. She had a role in Chicago Med as the older sister of a main character. She also guest-starred in the legal drama Doubt.

In 2019, Grey joined the final season of the hit show Empire. She played Melody Barnes, a talented pop singer. Grey recorded five songs for the show's soundtrack. She also appeared in an episode of How to Get Away with Murder with the famous actress Viola Davis.

In 2020, she acted in the drama series The Alienist. She also played the historical figure Lucy Hicks Anderson in the HBO Max series Equal. From 2020 to 2021, she had a recurring role as Parker Phillips, an engineer, on the CBS show MacGyver.

Movie Roles and Activism

Besides television, Grey has also starred in movies. In 2019, her short film Miller & Son won major awards, including a student BAFTA. In 2020, she had the lead role in the drama Gossamer Folds. She played a trans woman who becomes friends with a young boy.

In 2017, Grey joined other transgender actors in a project with GLAAD. They created a video message for Hollywood, asking for more and better roles for transgender people.

Singing and Stage Career

Grey is also a talented singer. She has performed at many music festivals and has opened for famous artists like Kesha and Jordin Sparks.

In 2022, Grey made her New York City stage debut. She starred as Queen in a musical called The Life. The show was directed by Billy Porter. Her performance was historic, as she was the first transgender actress to have a lead role in a production at the famous New York City Center.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

See also

In Spanish: Alexandra Grey para niños