DIVA spoke to the Glee star about their impressive career, non-binary representation, and big dreams
BY YASMIN VINCE, IMAGE PROVIDED
Who was the most important character in Glee? Was it Rachel, the dazzling diva, driving the plot? Or Finn, the quarterback bridging the gap between McKinley’s jocks and theatre kids? For many, it might be Santana Lopez, Kurt Hummell, or one of the other trailblazing queer characters. But for the non-binary and transgender community, it’s surely Unique Adams, one of the first trans characters on prime-time TV, played by the effortlessly talented Alex Newell.
This September, Alex is delighting audiences by bringing a concert to Cadogan Hall. While the setlist isn’t finalized, Newell promises a “smorgasbord” of their work—a complete biography in music.
And what a story it is. Since playing one of the most visible trans characters of 2010s television, Alex has performed at Coachella, released an album that Vulture praised as “diva vocal acrobatics flexed with the swag of a queen,” and became the first non-binary performer to win a Tony for Best Featured Actor. Forget breaking through barriers, Alex has obliterated them.
“There’s no role that I would have never thought I’d play,” they say. Whether it’s on the stage or screen, Alex refuses to see roles as off-limits due to their gender identity. No role is out of reach; viewing them as such would only create unnecessary blocks. They know that taking roles traditionally reserved for cisgender performers invites scrutiny, but that doesn’t faze them. “You can’t live for the world.”
Not paying attention to the world’s scrutiny doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy its praise. Alex loves the awards (“I’m a diva for a reason”). But performing is driven by more than the desire for “shiny things”. For Alex, it’s about supporting your community. While you’ve got to take time for yourself, it’s equally important to be there for those you represent. That’s why Alex is performing at Cadogan Hall: “I’m doing it for them and people that will come after me. It’s not about what we do today, it’s about what’s happening tomorrow.”
It’s no surprise that someone so future-minded has been such a trailblazer. Someone has to carve out a path for others to walk it too. But Alex isn’t focused on the next non-binary person to win a Tony or the third or fourth. “Let’s worry about the 19th and the 20th” they laugh. Opening the door is just the beginning; Alex wants to unscrew the hinges and keep that space open forever.
“Everybody has talent,” and in Alex’s experience, all it takes is a little courage to showcase it. In the early 2010s, Ryan Murphy, “a genius ahead of his time” as Alex puts it, created Glee, an unabashedly queer show. Looking back, Alex, who joined the series while still in high school, is proud to have been part of a show that took risks.
Their favourite memories from Glee were the crazy things they were asked to do, like dressing up as Marilyn Monroe or pretending to give birth to the baby Jesus whilst dressed as one of The Supremes. “It was ridiculous,” but the whole cast made the most of their sixteen-hour days on set. “That’s what made us such a family.”
There were times when the ridiculous things the cast had to do required everything the TV magic box had in stock. In one episode, Alex wore a giant cupcake dress. But they didn’t have tailors to stitch a custom skirt, nor anyone to make the giant wings Chord Overstreet had to wear in the same episode. So, the shop guys made them out of wood. It worked for the show, but not for walking through door frames. Thankfully, difficulty getting in the door wasn’t a metaphor that translated to the rest of the show.
Since Alex was on Glee, several more non-binary actors have become screen sensations. Emma D’Arcy has been firing up a storm as Rhaenyra Targaryen. Bella Ramsey received the Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice Award, and BAFTA nominations last year. Emma Corrin followed their acclaimed portrayal of Princess Diana in The Crown with another stellar performance as Deadpool and Wolverine’s villainous Cassandra. For non-binary actors, “it’s the dawn of a new time”.
Why? Thank capitalism. “It’s almost awful to say but more people are finding it lucrative,” Alex explains. It’s a double-edged sword. While it would be great if producers highlighted non-binary actors out of care rather than profit, at least it’s happening. To Alex, how non-binary stories and queer visibility come about is less important than ensuring they do.
Ultimately, it’s about the small-town kid with limited access to queer communities. “We tell these stories and they get to watch their favourite non-binary or queer character and feel a little safer.”
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