Ian Alexander On ‘Star Trek’ and Trans Representation

In September, it was announced that Ian Alexander would join the cast of Star Trek: Discovery as Gray Tal.

Fans of science fiction have watched Alexander grow up before their eyes playing Buck in Netflix’s The OA. Now, they will see the 19-year-old actor play the first transgender character in the Star Trek canon. Even more, this role is played authentically by someone from the LGBTQ community. Alexander came out as transgender in 2014, uses he/him and they/them pronouns, and is nonbinary and pansexual. They are the first out, trans, Asian-American actor to appear on television.

Outside of acting, Alexander is known as a trailblazer actively ensuring that society remains moving towards equality, acceptance, and dignity for all queer people.

OFM spoke more with Alexander about joining the cast of Star Trek: Discovery, why Gray’s character is so significant, and the importance of authentic, trans representation in film and media.

Hi, Ian! Thank you for taking some time to chat with me. You are currently in the middle of shooting the fourth season of Star Trek: Discovery. Any details you can share on what audiences can expect?
Nothing that I can share publicly, but I am very excited for the future of Gray’s character!

Why did you want to be involved with Star Trek, and have you always been a fan of the franchise?
I have not always been a fan, although my parents are, like, total Trekkies. That kind of residual love of Star Trek kind of influenced my childhood a bit. When I was presented with the opportunity to be a part of Star Trek: Discovery, I had not actually watched the show until I became a part of it.

When I was cast, originally, I had gone out for the part of Adira. They said, we actually don’t feel like you are right for the role of Adira, but we do really, really like you and think that you would be more suited for a different character. So, they had this character and changed the name to Gray, and then Gray was born. When I found out, I was like, oh my God, that is so cool. Sitting on that secret was hard for a while, but I got to dive deep into fan Wikis and stuff like that.Gray is the first transgender character in the Star Trek canon. Why do you think this is so significant?
That is extremely significant because I know that the Trill had kind of been indirectly talking about gender variance and gender nonconformity in a way that uses cis actors and was not explicitly supposed to be representing a trans storyline. When the announcement came out that Gray is the first transgender character, fans were like, what about Jadzia?

I understand, but this is, like, the first canonically. He is trans and played by a trans actor. This is really important because that just normalizes the existence of trans people. We have always existed and were erased from history for a long period of time. Finally, I now feel like trans representation is catching up to where it should be in the media. I am excited to see it keep growing and to see trans people included in all stories across all genres.

It is very exciting that Star Trek: Discovery and other sci-fi genre shows are starting to portray LGBTQ characters more. Do you think sci-fi was hesitant when it came to LGBTQ representation?
I would say no. There has been, in my opinion, a lot of LGBTQ characters. Whether or not it was explicit that they were LGBTQ, I feel like there are a lot of themes of love expanding beyond boundaries, race, gender, and stuff like that. I am happy with the direction that I have seen sci-fi go in, which is more and more inclusive. I would love to see it continue to grow diversity wise.

Related Article: Wilson Cruz Continues the ‘Star Trek’ Legacy of Queer, Diverse Representation

Star Trek: Discovery’s LGBTQ characters are also played authentically by members of the community. Do you think LGBTQ roles should only be played by LGBTQ people? This has been a major debate among some in the entertainment industry, and I am also asking this because almost every other major role you have played have either been trans, nonbinary, or somewhere on the LGBTQ spectrum.
I would say that I bring to the table something completely unique and different than every other trans person, but trans people specifically when telling trans stories bring a different level of understanding. Like, I have lived through this experience before. So, I would say it is definitely important to have trans actors play trans characters.

However, I don’t think we should only be limited to playing trans characters if we want to go beyond that. If we want to play a character where their gender is not mentioned at all, I would love to see that. As for the reverse, I think it is really important for cis actors to decline roles that are gender nonconforming or transgender because, at this point in time, there have been such few opportunities for trans actors, and it is important that we uplift those people while we can. Bring them to sort of the same level of awareness and accessibility as other mainstream characters in the media.

Hollywood has been known to drag its feet when it comes to casting trans actors. Do you believe it is getting better?
I think so. I have noticed a huge shift lately. It seems like there is a big push for diversity and inclusion, but a lot of it is kind of missing the mark for me. There are shows where you can tell that there was not any consultation with trans people before they came out with a story. That is what I really love about Star Trek. There are so many people behind the scenes that are working on the storyline and working with me as the actor to make sure that it is a very safe, inclusive storyline, and also a safe work environment to be in. I think both of those are important and necessary for a successful production.

What more needs to be done for nonbinary and pansexual representation?
I would love to see more characters that are just across all different types. A variety of people. I want to see people who are Black and trans. I want to see people who are disabled and trans. I want to see people who are in front of the camera, behind the camera, in the writers’ room, on set placing things. I am excited for the future of trans representation in the industry as a whole.Buck in The OA was your first major acting role. How did it feel to portray such an emotionally complex character right from the start?
I remember when I got cast as Buck, I had only seen a little bit of what the story was going to be from the sides. I knew it was going to be a drama and kind of mysterious, but I actually didn’t know about the other worldly kind of other dimension elements of The OA until I read the script for the first time. I was like, this is so intense. It is so deep, and there are so many different layers to it.

I just got sucked into the world because the storytelling is so incredible and fantastic. I love Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij so much. With Buck, I knew that this was a role that felt at home to me. I felt like this character was kind of a braver version of myself, and I felt deeply connected to Buck. I am very grateful that it came at the perfect time in my life. I am grateful for meeting everyone on The OA and for that setting a trajectory for the rest of my life to be able to bring authentic trans representation to Hollywood.

You have stated that The OA helped your family accept your gender identity. Can you talk more about that?
Yeah! The OA really showed my family that I can be successful and trans. I think that is something they are seeing more and more now with Star Trek. I have helped a lot of people in my family and people outside of my family as well just sort of realize that trans people are human beings and that they are cool, talented, and rad. Literally, we are all human beings at the end of the day. It makes me very happy, honored, and privileged that I could be that moment of education for someone.

Before we wrap up, are there any other upcoming projects you would like to mention or plug?
Upcoming in 2021, my first feature film that I am a part of as a lead role, which is very exciting because I have never played a lead role in a feature film before. It is called Daughter, and we shot this on, like, a shoestring budget during fire season in California. Shooting actually temporarily shut down for a couple days because of the fires. So, we pushed through it and made the most incredible film that I cannot wait to share with everyone. It is so creepy and delightful. I love it.

To stay up-to-date with Alexander, follow them on Twitter and Instagram. Star Trek: Discovery is streaming on CBS All Access.

Photos Courtesy of CBS