Ian Alexander is Ready for Their Villain Era

Mixed Asian Media - March 6, 2023

By Angela Wong Carbone

Ian Alexander (they/he) is best known for their pioneering roles in hit series The OA and Star Trek: Discovery. In their newest film, Daughter, Alexander explores much darker territory. They play Brother, a young boy whose yearning for the perfect family prompts his father to abduct a Vietnamese woman to become Brother’s surrogate sister. The film is steeped in themes of identity and provokes deeper questions about oppressive forces: are we capable of rising above the circumstances we’ve been given and, if so, how do we forge a new reality? Alexander speaks with Mixed Asian Media about their biracial upbringing, how collaboration and authenticity make for the best performance, and what powerhouse roles they’re manifesting next.

Daughter is such a compelling film. Upon watching it, I couldn’t help but think about how interesting of a role this must’ve been for someone of mixed race, especially in cultures like that of Vietnam where so much occupation and colonialization has taken place. How did you first hear about the film and what attracted you to the project?

I was actually able to collaborate with Corey on the creation of my character in Daughter. Corey Deshon is our writer and director, and I met him through Vivien [Ngô, who plays Daughter], so we had a relationship prior to Daughter being created. I think he was inspired by my life story, my childhood and the relationship that Vivien and I had. So the three of us were able to collaborate on the story together. It was really cool to be a part of that process! It’s really rare that that happens, where I’m inspiring and influencing the writing of the story directly. I want more of that!

Yeah, I think that’s amazing and it must’ve been so rewarding to participate in a film like that! As a unique situation where you’re so directly contributing to the film, what did you find the most challenging about this film?

This character was probably one of the most challenging that I played because there’s so much happening with him under the surface, bubbling up waiting to burst. I was pulling a lot of inspiration from my childhood as well. He grows up in a very restricted and limiting environment, it’s very controlled, and I can relate to that because I grew up really religious.

I read that you grew up Mormon, is that correct?

Yes, I am ex-Mormon or “mormo,” as our community calls it! So yeah, I had a kind of similar experience to Brother, as I was allowed to leave my house and interact with the outside world so it wasn’t as extreme. But I can relate to the feeling of being repressed and feeling like I had to limit my transness and queerness, which isn’t something explicitly discussed with Brother, but it’s implied that there’s some queerness within that character. It was so cool to be part of a story that has a biracial household of a white father and a Vietnamese mother because it reflects my household, that I had a biracial cultural experience growing up. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before in a film or show. I want to see more biracial and multicultural experiences represented onscreen because there are so many of us out here and we don’t get our stories told!

Truly! And I think it added a really interesting dynamic to the film, especially this idea of code switching, which operates as both a suppressant and a tool for safety in the film. As a mixed person and a queer person I feel like you must have experienced code switching in your own life. I know I certainly have in my experiences. Did that come into play with Brother? Was that something initially worked into the narrative or perhaps were they conversations later down the line?

Yeah! Our actor Elyse [Dinh] who plays Mother in the film discussed how all of the food that mother prepares is very standard American food, you know, like meat and potatoes or roast. There was not a single Vietnamese dish served on the table, and that was very intentional. Earlier, you mentioned colonialism and how that impacted Vietnam. I know in my mother’s and my family’s experience, when they came to the States, they had to assimilate into white culture for survival and safety. I think there’s a really strong theme of that in the film, especially in those moments where Daughter and Mother are aside speaking in Vietnamese and Father says, “I don’t like that! I Don’t like it when you speak in Vietnamese,” because he wants control over them. It does feel like they’re being whitewashed. It’s a sort of extreme version of what really happens to a lot of Asian Americans after they immigrate here to the States.

It was so poignant. I’m curious, you’ve played such groundbreaking roles on The OA and Star Trek: Discovery that depend so much on authenticity and saying loudly and proudly, “This is my identity.” On Star Trek: Discovery, you played the first trans character of that series’ universe. What was it like going from projects where you’re embracing so much of what you authentically feel and represent as an individual to this really oppressive situation where you can’t express much at all? There’s no color, you have no freedom of speech. What was the greatest challenge for you? Or perhaps, as an artist, was it a more interesting situation?

One thing I felt like I hadn’t done in my career was play a character like this, that had maybe a little bit of violence within him. A lot of the characters I’ve played have been really wholesome, good hearted people, but it was a really interesting headspace, to transport myself back to my childhood. Like, how did I feel when I was living in this oppressive environment. There was a lot of inner turmoil and violence that was coming up, which is definitely very different from the other characters I’ve played. Similar to Lev, in The Last of Us: Part II in a way, of growing up in this cult environment, being ostracized from the community because of being different (whether it’s being trans or being queer or both), and having to escape and remove yourself from that abusive, restrictive environment. So, it was definitely a challenge that I enjoyed a lot as an artist, being able to bring more of my story, more of my personal childhood into my work. I’ve had some friends ask me, “Do you feel good about bringing your personal experience to your work?” And I do. I love being authentic to who I am, and I think there are a lot of people who appreciate that. Some of the best work that I see is when artists are relating to their work. Yeah, it’s cool to play a character that’s very different than you, but I personally love to bring myself to my work. If I can help change lives just by being me, that’s so fulfilling.

And they’re such generous performances, too. There’s so much that people can feel from your work. What do you feel you’re looking for next in a role, as a trans person, as a mixed person, or an actor in general? What kind of challenges would you like to take on next?

I would love more complex characters that are in this murky gray area of morality. Are they a good person? Are they evil? Maybe they’re a bit of both because humans are just complicated that way, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be black and white. I know historically that trans representation has come such a long way from us being depicted as evil, serial killers or people that were trying to deceive people by dressing in costumes. But this isn’t a costume. This is just who I am. So I would love, now that we’ve moved and progressed in a way where there’s so much good, wholesome trans representation, if now we can explore more complex characters. I would love to play a villain, I would love to play someone who’s really unhinged or possibly evil. I would love to play with a bigger range of morality. I am just so grateful and privileged to have the experiences that I’ve had providing positive and uplifting representation for the trans community, and I think we’re ready to evolve beyond that and expand more.

I’m very excited to see that! It was so cool to hear how you collaborated with Corey on the project. Is there anything else that you want to share about the project that perhaps you’re not asked about?

Something that really stood out to me when we were filming Daughter is that so much of the crew were from the AAPI community, and some of us were mixed as well! So it was such a wonderful cultural experience where I felt supported and surrounded by my community. And I haven’t had that before, I’ve never been on a set where it was primarily other Asians. It felt really great, and I would love to see more of that in the future.

Yeah, me too! It sounds like it was such an amazing experience! I’m so happy for you, and the film gave us so much to think about in terms of identity. Thank you for your time, and thank you for speaking with Mixed Asian Media, it’s such a blessing to have you!

Thank you! Yeah, I saw the name Mixed Asian Media, and I was so glad to know that this exists. Thank you for the work that you do, and I’m really excited to see what other stories you’re covering as well!

Angela Wong Carbone (she/her) is a decorated actor and writer. Her writing has been recognized by AT&T HelloLab, Hillman Grad’s Mentorship program, The Gotham, Slamdance and others. Raised in New York by an immigrant Chinese mother and Italian-American father, Wong Carbone’s personal curiosity toward identity saturates her writing and she has contributed to Eileen Kelly’s Killerandasweetthang and Lulu Gioiello’s Far Near. As an actor, Wong Carbone has starred in NBC's Chicago Med, AppleTV+'s WeCrashed and IFC Films' Resurrection. In 2020, she was selected for the 19th annual ABC Talent Showcase. Wong Carbone holds a degree in Architecture from Cornell University and makes a mean lasagna.