Alex Newell

Alex Eugene Newell (born August 20, 1992) is an American actor and singer. They are known for their role as Unique Adams on the Fox musical series Glee and Mo on Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist. Newell also starred as Asaka in the Broadway revival of Once on This Island at the Circle in the Square Theater in 2018. For their role in Shucked, they won the 2023 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, becoming the first openly nonbinary person to win a Tony Award in an acting category. As a singer, Newell has released tracks with Clean Bandit, Blonde, and The Knocks. Early life Newell was born on August 20, 1992, in Lynn, Massachusetts. Their father, a deacon, died of cancer when they were six years old, at which point their mother raised them as a single parent. After four complete years of education in the first class of Kipp Lynn Academy, Newell moved on to and graduated from Bishop Fenwick High School in 2012, where they were involved in their school's choir, improv club, and costume club; they were also a member of their church choir. They never had any formal voice lessons before landing their part on Glee. They have cited Donna Summer, Sylvester, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, and Beyoncé as their influences.