Blu del Barrio

Blu del Barrio (born September 15, 1997) is an American actor, best known for playing Adira Tal in Star Trek: Discovery. They are the first openly non-binary actor, playing the first non-binary role in Star Trek. Del Barrio has studied and engaged in the performing arts since childhood, graduating from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) in 2019. They are outspoken in support of transgender visibility and inclusivity with accurate depiction in popular media. Personal life Born September 15, 1997; del Barrio is a native of Southern California, growing up in Topanga. They came out as non-binary in 2019 and uses they/them/theirs pronouns. Through their whole life, they had difficulty with their gender, realizing they might be non-binary after seeing Lachlan Watson on television. Being cast as a non-binary character in Star Trek: Discovery helped them come out publicly as non-binary. They chose the first name Blu in 2019, in honor of their favorite color from childhood. They have referred to themself as an introverted nerd who likes being alone, loves watching movies, video games, photography and playing Dungeons & Dragons (DnD) with friends. Cast members of Star Trek: Discovery, including del Barrio and the regular Noah Averbach-Katz (the dungeon master), Anthony Rapp and Ian Alexander, and guests including Mary Wiseman, Emily Coutts and Rapp's fiancé Ken Ithiphol started playing DnD together during the filming of the fourth season of Discovery and, by request, stream their sessions as Disco Does DnD via Twitch. Upon joining the cast of Star Trek: Discovery with fellow actor Alexander, del Barrio felt a little overwhelmed, in part due to feeling impostor syndrome, believing someone with more experience should have the role, and has expressed thankfulness for Alexander's presence and support. Del Barrio is passionate and forthright in support of visibility for trans people, telling Nick Adams, director of transgender representation at GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) in 2020, that "it's not only important that we're talking about our experiences, it's necessary. People need to know who we are", and continued, saying that what they "want people to understand is that we do 'fit,' but not into the strict gender binary our society has created." They believe "non-binary people deserve to live in a world where they fit."