21 Facts About "Euphoria" Star Alexa Demie That Prove She's As Cool As She Seems

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1.Euphoria star Alexa Demie is a Los Angeles native who was born in East Hollywood, grew up in the Atwater Village neighborhood of the city, and went to high school in Los Feliz.

Alexa in a strapless sequined gown at the Euphoria Season 2 premiere
Jeff Kravitz / Getty Images for HBO

2.Though she appeared in shows like Ray Donovan and Love, her big-screen break came when she starred in Jonah Hill's 2018 film Mid90s as Estee.

Estee smoking weed and asking a kid "How long have you been friends with Ray and those guys?"
A24

3.If it seems like Alexa is mysterious on social media, it's because she is. She told People En Español that she's a very private person who likes her space and more-so uses her Instagram as a digital mood board to "create characters." She said, "I think you can even see in my Instagram. You don't really get to know too much of my personality."

4.She wasn't like her Euphoria character Maddy in high school. She says she was "quite a loner," didn't go to parties, wasn't a cheerleader, and kept to herself.

Alexa and Sydney Sweeny dancing
Emma Mcintyre / WireImage / Getty Images

5.Speaking of high school, as a teen she started her own sunglasses line, called Mainframe. According to Dazed, she would purchase a box of wholesale sunglasses and then decorated them with jewels. This initially began as just a hobby for her.

Alexa Demie sitting with sunglasses on in her living room while doing an interview
Raffy Ermac / OUT Magazine / Via youtube.com

Alexa had a friend who worked at a shop on Melrose Avenue in LA, who then connected her with the shop's owner. She told comedian Nathan Fielder on The A24 Podcast, "She showed him the sunglasses, he showed his partner in Japan, and he ended up, like, making an order."

Demie attending the Elton John AIDS Foundation Viewing Party
Sharon Latham - Pa Images / EMPICS/PA Images via Getty Images

After that, her sunglasses were then sold by the partner's boutique in Japan, where they later became a hit in Asia, as well as worn by A-list stars. "This huge artist over there, G-Dragon, he wore them. They made a doll of him wearing them. Then, I don't know, J.Lo and Nicki Minaj, and all these people wore them. So I was traveling a lot to Japan and Taiwan and all of these places to show the glasses at trade shows and stuff like that."

Jennifer Lopez wearing sunglasses with jewels on them while on stage at SNL

She stopped designing them when she realized she was getting taken advantage of business-wise and not being paid for her work.

Alexa Demie attends the Build Series
Daniel Zuchnik / Getty Images

6.At one point she assisted Nicki Minaj's stylist and helped design looks for some of Nicki's earlier videos.

7.As a kid, Alexa used to sketch designs and thought she'd grow up to be a designer. She even got into Otis College of Art and Design and went to orientation, but dropped out soon after when she realized school just wasn't for her.

Alexa Demie attends HFPA And THR Golden Globe Ambassador Party
Leon Bennett / WireImage

As it turns out, design is still in her DNA. She recently collaborated with Balenciaga on three custom looks for the night of the Season 2 premiere of Euphoria.

Alexa in a red leather coat, a yellow bodysuit, and the strapless sequin gown
Vogue / Jeff Kravitz / Getty Images / Via youtube.com

8.Alexa describes her personal style as "more tomboy" and that playing Maddy pulls her out of her comfort zone.

Alexa Demie and Taylor Russell attend the Telluride Film Festival 2019
Paul Best / Getty Images

She told InStyle, "It was fun with her because I got to really explore a more feminine side and wear a lot of skirts and little matching sets and stuff, which is not really how I dress in my real life."

Maddy in a ripped crop top that's held together by pins and a beret
Eddy Chen / HBO

9.Clothing design isn't her only focus. She also designed a whole school for children that nurtures and honors their creativity, and she hopes to get it built one day in the future. She told Cultured Magazine, "I don’t want to just stunt on Instagram, I want to be a part of something that makes moves."

Alexa in a blonde wig in front of a spot light for her music video
Alexa Demie / Via youtube.com

10.Her mother, Rose Mendez, is a makeup artist, writer, and producer and one Alexa's biggest influences.

Alexa is in the process of producing a feature film about her mom's life, who immigrated from Mexico to LA as a baby. The film will follow Rose's life in the '80s Hollywood club scene, with Alexa playing her mother.

As you know, Alexa's Euphoria character Maddy is in an abusive relationship with Nate, so Alexa told the NY Times that she “[uses] [her] mom for a lot of things,” and "recalled growing up in a home with nonstop screaming and fighting." She said, “I think I feel her pain really strongly. I tell my mind I’m releasing the pain, to heal it.”

11.Due to her tumultuous relationship with her stepdad, Alexa left home as a teen and had to look for jobs to support herself. She told People En Español, "When I left home, I was sleeping on friends' couches and living in an acting studio at one point."

Maddy sitting on the couch and staring into the camera
Eddy Chen / HBO

While speaking on her rocky past she told Cultured Magazine, "Everything from my music to acting, writing and how I carry myself in the world is all because of that."

12.Alexa almost quit acting before Euphoria because she hated the auditioning process and because it became increasingly difficult to land any roles.

Maddy looking into a mirror in the school bathroom
Eddy Chen / HBO

She told The A24 Podcast, "It was really hard, especially because I feel like a lot of the lead roles I would go out for would go to a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl. Even for Maddy, I think some people saw her as that. They didn't really see her as me, so I had to go in and prove myself too."

Alexa wearing a long blonde wig in her music video
Alexa Demie / Via youtube.com

13.She now avoids the stereotypical "spicy Latina" roles and says she had a long talk with her team about that and is very picky and selective with what she takes on.

Sydney Sweeney, Alexa Demie, Hunter Schafer, Taylor Russell, and Maude Apatow attend the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party
Emma Mcintyre / WireImage / Getty Images

14.On top of being an actor, producer, and designer, she's also a singer-songwriter. She released her first single "Girl Like Me" and followed that up with "Leopard Limo (Archive LL11)" in 2021. She's currently working on her first EP.

Alexa singing while in a dress and up-do in her music video for Leopard Limo
Alexa Demie / Via youtube.com

You can watch the video for "Leopard Limo" below:

15.On top of making her own music videos, Alexa has also appeared in music videos for artists such as Azealia Banks in "ATM jam (Kaytranada edition)"...

Alexa following Azealia Banks in a large house
Interscope / Via youtube.com

....The Neighbourhood in "Stargazing"...

Alexa looking out of a small hole in a door
Columbia Records / Via youtube.com

...and JMSN in "Love 2 U." But Alexa didn't just appear in JMSN's music video; she directed the whole damn thing herself. 👏🏽

Alexa dancing around in life-size glowing martini glass
Atlantic Records / Via youtube.com

Check out her stunning creation below:

16.Prior to landing Euphoria, Alexa auditioned for a role in the 2018 film Never Goin’ Back, which was directed by Augustine Frizzell. She didn't get the role, but Augustine liked Alexa and told her they'd work together in the future. Augustine was later hired to direct the pilot of Euphoria, and was in the audition room when Alexa auditioned for the part of Maddy.

Augustine Frizzell attends HBO's "Euphoria" premiere
Jeff Kravitz / FilmMagic for HBO / Getty Images

Alexa actually ran into the actor who DID get the role in Never Goin’ Back during her Euphoria audition, except this time it was obviously Alexa who landed the part.

  HBO
HBO

17.That iconic black dress she wore in the Season 2 premiere episode of Euphoria was fully her idea. She told W Magazine that she wasn't connecting to anything the stylist presented to her at the time, so she looked to her friend, designer Aidan Euan, and picked out the black dress herself. Kim Kardashian had pulled it first but hadn't worn it, so it eventually made its way to Alexa.

Alexa posing in a tight black dress that has cutouts on the side
Eddy Chen / HBO

Aidan, who owns the clothing brand Akna, also designed the matching outfits Maddy and Cassie wore in Season 2, Episode 3.

Maddy and Cassie in matching cropped tops and high-waisted pants
HBO

18.Creating the makeup for Maddy on Euphoria was also a collaborative experience. She made three extensive mood boards for her look on the show, and the makeup artists were always receptive to the ideas Alexa brought to the table. She would also often do her own wing since it's her "signature thing."

19.She sees Mexican actor María Félix as one of her first inspirations and would love to play her in a future biopic. She told Cultured Magazine, "She [María] was so beautiful and strong. She could play the stunning princess, and then she would be riding a horse in a cowboy hat and button-down, playing tough. Her strength was so inspiring."

Maria Felix in 1950
George Karger / Getty Images, Jeff Kravitz / Getty Images for HBO

20.Alexa told the NY Times that while she keeps booking dark and dramatic roles, she goes to stand-up shows for laughs because “[her] soul and spirit crave comedy.”

Alexa sitting nexting to Barbie on Little Late with Lilly Singh and laughing
NBC / Via youtube.com

Speaking on the same topic, she told People en Español, "If anyone could give me a comedy movie, I would love to do a comedy."

Alexa Demie and Taylor Russell dancing at the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party
Emma Mcintyre / WireImage / Getty Images

21.And finally, when asked on The A24 Podcast where she sees herself in 50 years, she said she hopes to play a role like Gena Rowlands in the 1974 film A Woman Under the Influence.

Gena Rowlands smoking a cigarette in the film
Faces Distribution / Courtesy Everett Collection

"I like really chaotic," said Alexa. I'd really love to play just the most chaotic version of myself. It could be subtle, but crazy."

HBO