Jessica Alexander

Jessica Caroline Alexander (born 19 June 1999) is an English actress. She began her career in short films and the Disney series Penny on M.A.R.S. (2018–2020). Alexander garnered recognition for her role in the BBC iPlayer series Get Even (2020), and made her feature film debut in Glasshouse and A Banquet (both 2021). She gained further prominence in Disney's live-action musical fantasy The Little Mermaid (2023) as Vanessa, Ursula's disguise. Early life Jessica Caroline Alexander was born on 19 June 1999 in Westminster, London, England. She began acting at a church hall near home at age five and subsequently decided to pursue an acting career. Career Alexander began auditioning for films at 14 years old. She made her debut in the Yorgos Lanthimos-directed short film Necktie (2013). In 2016, she appeared in another short film, titled Truck. She made her television debut in the 2018 Italian Disney Channel teen dramedy Penny on M.A.R.S. as Lucy Carpenter, the antagonist of the first two series. That same year, she was scouted by Select Model Management. She later signed with Next, where she was a model in product and clothing advertisements. Alexander starred in the BBC iPlayer teen thriller series Get Even (2020), which had an international release on Netflix. Alexander played Olivia Hayes, a popular teenager who pretends to be wealthy and straight. She drew parallels between the character and herself at age 16, in that they were both incredibly determined despite not fully understanding themselves yet. In 2021, Alexander starred as Bee in the South African dystopian thriller Glasshouse, directed by Kelsey Egan, whom Alexander had met through a previous project. Egan initially wanted a South African actress to play the role, but found none who suited the character. In October 2020, she sent the script to Alexander, who enjoyed it and auditioned a few months later. The film was generally well received, with particular praise for its cast. Alexander's second release of the year, the British horror film A Banquet, received more lukewarm reviews from critics. Alexander's performance was lauded, however; The Times Kevin Maher dubbed her a "rising star", while The New York Times Lena Wilson favourably commented that her and co-star Ruby Stokes's performances were "wrenching". In July 2022, she appeared in the Kate Cox-directed thriller film Into the Deep alongside Matthew Daddario and Ella-Rae Smith.