Because he identifies as male and also breaks all the rules about how men are supposed to look and behave, Newell stretches the concept of masculinity so far from its starting point that the concept itself breaks apart. 2012 machte er seinen Abschluss an der Bishop Fenwick High School, dort war er im Schulchor, im Improvisationstheaterchlub, Kostümclub, Footballteam und im Kirchenchor.Für Herbst 2012 war er eigentlich auf dem Berklee College angenommen worden, jedoch zog er nach Los Angeles, da ihn das Angebot gemacht wurde, auch in der vierten Staffel von Glee aufzutreten. [5], After four complete years of education in the first class of Kipp Lynn Academy, he moved on to and graduated from Bishop Fenwick High School in 2012,[6] where he was involved in his school's choir, improv club, and costume club; he was also a member of his church choir. “My father died when I was six, so all I had was my mother to look up to,” he told me. Newell used drag as a way to stand out on the show. “There’s this expectation of being a Black man, of being stronger than most; having that rigid, hard back, that almost arrogant feel,” Newell told me, his full lips painted and his black eyelashes batting. She came in for Mo [Zoey’s neighbor, played by gender-fluid actor Alex Newell], and everybody remembered her when we were casting [Zoey’s sister-in-law] Emily," says Ulrich. After controling Broadway in addition to television, Alex Newell is changing his focus back to the dance floor covering. After all, as a fiery kid in church choir, Newell was not about to let some lesser singer steal any church-choir solos from him. In 2015, Netflix's cult sci-fi series Sense8 featured a transgender character, Nomi, as one of the eight leads. It was later revealed that the song had been recorded the previous year when Newell was working with Clean Bandit, Blonde and The Knocks, and inspired the producers to work with him on his debut extended play. [8], Over the years, Newell sang at numerous events, such as the Coachella Festival, but also at many LGBT events and pride festivals. Click to copy. He was cast in the role of Wade "Unique" Adams, a male-to-female transgender teenager. Alex Newell wields such a voice. Whether recording in the studio, performing on Broadway, or appearing on television, he instantly connects. [7] Newell's self-taped audition earned him over one million MySpace views as well as a spot among the 12 participants who competed for a seven-episode arc on Glee. Born: August 20, 1992. As a singer, Newell has released tracks with Clean Bandit, Blonde, and The Knocks. Newell was accepted into the Berklee College of Music for fall 2012, but he decided instead to move to Los Angeles to be on Glee when he was asked to rejoin the cast for the show's fourth season. As Mother's Day approaches, singer, actor and Glee alum Alex Newell is reflecting on the importance of maternal love. “Dear feet. When Newell was cast as Unique on Glee, some people in his religious community wanted to punish him for expressing his support for sexual and gender diversity on TV. SEE Jane Levy Interview: ‘Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist’ Newell had few models for that. The shy, outcast Wade expressed her female identity through music as the bold, brave alter ego, Unique. “Honestly, when you strip all that back, you’re still just a human.”. [24] Over the summer, he worked with the British electro duo Blonde by featuring vocals in their single "All Cried Out". Alex Newell knows it’s supposed to be more difficult than this. The opportunity is especially meaningful to Newell because he has struggled, as with gender, to find where he fits within a Black identity. “I have to stick to this,” Newell said, grabbing his purse before catching a cab to Manhattan, lest he be late for his rehearsal. Newell was accepted into the Berklee College of Music for fall 2012, but he decided instead to move to Los Angeles t… The release reached No. “We’re always [dealing with that]… We were in our own country, our own continent, where we were all the same, and then we were stripped from that, brought over, and then forced to have intercourse, and then have this child that we didn’t know what it was gonna look like. On 20-8-1992 Alex Newell (nickname: Alex) was born in Lynn, Massachusetts, United States. [9] Eventually, he became the series’ first runner-up. As he came of age in a Black church, Newell said he was “the only boy in the soprano section,” and described how the singers were physically arranged in the sanctuary: “Girls, girls, girls, boys—Alex.”. “I question myself [about] that all the time,” he told me. If you missed the boat for season one, you’ll definitely want to take the opportunity to jump on board. Während sein Charakter Wade Adamstransgener ist… “Everything we do, we do with our whole heart, souls and mind,” declares Alex Newell about working on NBC’s musical comedy “Zopey’s Extraordinary Playlist.” “I think it comes from such an authentic place from the actors’ standpoint,” he says. [My show is] a revival of the original— and so it's a mother of the earth [character] and I get the question: 'Well, you don't know what it's like to be a mother, you don't know what sits like to do this,' and I'm like, 'I also don't know what it's like to be a god. ", "Alex Newell of 'Glee' Plays with Androgyny as TV's First Transgender Teen", "The Palm Springs Center Stage Gala Welcomes Alex Newell and Kate Clinton to the Desert", "Andrew Rannells, Kimberley Locke, Alex Newell, Tyne Daly Raise $285k for APLA in the 29th Star Studded S.T.A.G.E Gala", "Bill O'Reilly: 'Glee' Might Encourage Kids To Experiment With 'Alternative Lifestyles, "UPDATED Glee Exclusive: 4 Original Cast Members Not Returning as Series Regulars for Season 5; Plus — Who's Getting Promoted? If you don’t like my representation, that’s on you. Mo (Alex Newell), Zoey’s gender non-conforming neighbor who became her closest confidant, opens the new year in the same role, but with more of a personal storyline. Newell plays the title character's gender nonconforming neighbor and eventual friend Mo. He looked at her and said, ‘No.’ I was like, ‘That's strange, because I'm pretty sure I’ve sung here since I was a toddler, I was here before you were the pastor, and I'll probably be here after you're the pastor of this church.’”. Alex Newell wurde 1992 in Lynn im US-Bundesstaat Massachusetts geboren. He is known for his roles as Unique Adams on the Fox musical series Glee and Mo on Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist.He also starred as Asaka in the Broadway revival of Once on This Island at the Circle in the Square Theater in 2018. “And so it’s like, when I get married and have kids, I know that I'm going to be the mother figure. Like his character, the actor and singer had to reconcile his religious faith and his gender identity growing up, and he’s been vocal about how that dichotomy informed his work as an artist. He is known for his role on Glee as Unique Adams, and he was a runner-up along with Lindsay Pearce on the first season of The Glee Project. “But sometimes I want to rip the hair off and be in a sweatpant!”, Newell identifies as a man, but because of the way he dresses, acts, and sounds, people often make assumptions about his gender—like that he’s actually a trans woman. In 2016, he came out with his debut EP, POWER, on Big Beat Records. Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist stars Jane Levy, Skylar Astin, Alex Newell, John Clarence Stewart, Peter Gallagher, and Mary Steenburgen with Lauren Graham as a special guest star. Citing Donna Summer, Chaka Khan, and Beyoncé among his influences, singer and actor Alex Newell broke through with the recurring role of Wade "Unique" Adams on the Fox musical comedy series Glee. Alex Newell He’d just come from shooting an interview upstairs; in an hour, he’d need to be back in Manhattan to rehearse for his new role in a Broadway musical. Meet these new Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist stars. Newell’s talents are manifold. "Stronger" did not enter the Ultratop 50, but peaked at number 79 on the Flemish Ultratip chart. Alex Eugene Newell (born August 20, 1992) is an American actor and singer. For many, especially Black LGTBQIA+ youth , coming out can be even harder as they reconcile multiple and intersecting identities, on top of the biggest challenge of coming out to their families. The road to stardom is supposed to be paved with disappointments and heartaches before you hit the big time. He currently appears on NBC's musical dramedy Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist in the role of Mo, a genderfluid DJ and the protagonist's next-door neighbor. He’s best known for portraying the first openly transgender high school student on American television: Unique Adams, who appeared on Glee in 2012 after Newell was first runner-up on The Glee Project. “I don’t know what else I can be.”. Is Alex Newell actually transgender? [33], He is committed to helping other LGBT youth and regularly performs at benefit concerts, most notably for The Trevor Project,[5] the Human Rights Campaign,[17] Jack Antonoff's Ally Coalition and other fundraisers. Alex Newell, the gender nonconforming star of ‘Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist,’ discusses his latest role and life since ‘Glee’ Gender: Male. [10] After the tour, he recorded a new single in collaboration with Power producers DJ Cassidy and Nile Rodgers, entitled "Kill the Lights", released on April 8, 2016, through Atlantic Records. Without the gimmicks of manufactured radio pop, Newell manages to serve This Ain’t Over with pure talent." [1] As a singer, Newell has released tracks with Clean Bandit, Blonde, and The Knocks. [36]. After conquering Broadway and television, Alex Newell is turning his attention back to the dance floor. Age: 27. Zoey Clarke (Levy) is a whip-smart computer coder who's making her way in San Francisco. 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