Alex Newell is having a moment.
It’s been a decade since audiences were first introduced to the powerhouse performer as he competed on the first season of Oxygen’s The Glee Project, seeking out a coveted guest-star arc on the Fox hit Glee. He didn’t win, but proved so impressive that he landed the role of Wade “Unique” Adams anyway, eventually becoming a series regular.
Since then, Alex has carved out an impressive career that’s taken him into the recording studio, with an EP and a handful of stand-alone singles to his name, onto Broadway, with a role in the 2017 revival of Once on This Island, and back to TV, where he’s currently co-starring on NBC’s charming musical dramedy Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, now in its second season.
In fact, it’s Alex’s work as Mo, a genderfluid DJ and the titular character’s next-door neighbor, that just earned him a Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series nomination at the 2021 Critics’ Choice Television Awards, taking place on March 7. “Color me dead,” Alex wrote on Instagram after learning of their nomination, “shocked.. and truly honored to even be thought of and nominated!!!!”