Alexis Arquette
Encyclopedia
Alexis Arquette is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 trans woman
Trans woman
A trans woman is a male-to-female transsexual or transgender person and the term trans woman is preferred by some individuals over various medical terms. Other non-medical terms include t-girl, tg-girl and ts-girl...

, actress, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....

, and cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...

 performer.

Early life

Arquette was born in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

 to Brenda "Mardi" Olivia (née Nowak), an actor, poet, theater operator, activist, acting teacher and therapist, and Lewis Arquette
Lewis Arquette
Lewis Michael Arquette was an American film actor, writer and producer. Arquette was known for playing "J.D. Pickett" on the TV series, The Waltons, where he worked from 1978–1981.-Life and career:...

, an actor and director. Her paternal grandfather was comedian Cliff Arquette
Cliff Arquette
Clifford Charles Arquette was an actor and comedian, famous for his role as Charley Weaver.-Early life and career:...

. Her mother was Jewish, the daughter of a Holocaust refugee from Poland, and her father was a convert to Islam and a descendant of explorer Meriwether Lewis
Meriwether Lewis
Meriwether Lewis was an American explorer, soldier, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition also known as the Corps of Discovery, with William Clark...

. Arquette's siblings are actors Rosanna
Rosanna Arquette
Rosanna Lauren Arquette is an American actress, film director, and producer.-Early life:Arquette was born in New York City, the daughter of Brenda Olivia "Mardi" , an actress, poet, theater operator, activist, acting teacher, and therapist, and Lewis Arquette, an actor and director. Her paternal...

, Patricia
Patricia Arquette
Patricia T. Arquette is an American actress and director. She played the lead character in the supernatural drama series Medium for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series....

, Richmond
Richmond Arquette
- Background :Arquette was born in New York City, the son of Brenda "Mardi" Olivia , an actress, poet, theater operator, activist, acting teacher and therapist, and Lewis Arquette, an actor. Arquette's paternal grandfather was comedian Cliff Arquette...

 and David
David Arquette
David Arquette is an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, fashion designer, and occasional professional wrestler. A member of the Arquette acting family, he first became known during the mid 1990s after starring in several Hollywood films, such as the Scream series, Wild Bill and...

.

In 1982, at the age of twelve, Arquette's first job was as "this little kid who's on a ride with all these women and whatnot" in the music video "She's a Beauty
She's a Beauty
"She's a Beauty" is a song by American rock band The Tubes. Released in 1983 on The Tubes' album Outside Inside from Capitol Records, the song became the band's biggest hit. It went to number 10 on the Billboard U.S. Hot 100 list, and number 1 on the Billboard U.S...

" by The Tubes
The Tubes
The Tubes are a San Francisco-based rock band, whose 1975 debut album included the hit single, "White Punks on Dope". During its first fifteen years or so, the band's live performances combined quasi-pornography with wild satires of media, consumerism, and politics...

. Four years later, Arquette debuted on the big screen with an uncredited bit part as Alexis, the white-faced friend and bandmate of the sexually ambivalent, angst-filled teenager Max Whiteman (Evan Richards) in the comedy film Down and Out in Beverly Hills
Down and Out in Beverly Hills
Down and Out in Beverly Hills is a 1986 American comedy film based on the French play Boudu sauvé des eaux, which had previously been adapted on film in 1932 by Jean Renoir. Down and Out in Beverly Hills was directed by Paul Mazursky, and starred Nick Nolte, Bette Midler and Richard Dreyfuss...

.

Career

At twenty-two, Arquette landed her first significant acting role, playing a transvestite Georgette in Last Exit to Brooklyn. Sixteen years later, she went through her own transition from male to female, an experience that was documented in the film, Alexis Arquette: She's My Brother, which debuted at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival
Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival is a film festival founded in 2002 by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff in a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the consequent loss of vitality in the TriBeCa neighborhood in Lower Manhattan.The mission of the festival...

.
Lesser known than her siblings, the majority of her film work has been limited to low-budget or independent film
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...

s. She also appeared in I Think I Do
I Think I Do
I Think I Do is a 1997 American gay-themed romantic comedy film written and directed by Brian Sloan and starring Alexis Arquette.-Plot:The film follows the relationship between Bob and Brendan , roommates at George Washington University in Washington, DC, five years after Bob made his romantic...

,
Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror
Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror
Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror is a 1998 motion picture and the fifth installment of the Children of the Corn series. It is also the third Children of the Corn movie released by Dimension Films and Miramax Films...

, Sometimes They Come Back... Again
Sometimes They Come Back... Again
Sometimes They Come Back... Again is the 1996 sequel to the 1991 horror film Sometimes They Come Back. It was directed by Adam Grossman. It stars Michael Gross, Alexis Arquette, and Hilary Swank.- Plot :...

, and Killer Drag Queens on Dope
Killer Drag Queens on Dope
Killer Drag Queens on Dope is a 2003 American independent film directed by Lazar Saric starring Eva Destruction.-Cast:* Eva Destruction as Ginger* Omar Alexis as Coco* Clark Weaver as Roy* Macky Beltzkovsky as Anthony* Mario Diaz as Bobby...

, among 40 other independent pictures.

Arquette has appeared in supporting roles in Pulp Fiction
Pulp fiction
Pulp fiction may refer to:* pulp magazines, short stories presented in a magazine format, printed on cheaply made wood-pulp paper* Pulp Fiction, a 1994 film directed by Quentin Tarantino...

as well as mainstream films, including Threesome
Threesome (film)
Threesome is a 1994 film, written and directed by Andrew Fleming. The film is an autobiographical comedy mixed in with some social commentary, and is based on the college memories of Fleming. It was given an R rating by the Motion Picture Association of America...

, Bride of Chucky
Bride of Chucky
Bride of Chucky is a 1998 American comedy horror film directed by Chinese director Ronny Yu. It is the fourth entry in the Child's Play series. The film stars Jennifer Tilly and Brad Dourif...

and an appearance as a Boy George
Boy George
Boy George is a British singer-songwriter who was part of the English New Romantic movement which emerged in the early 1980s. He helped give androgyny an international stage with the success of Culture Club during the 1980s. His music is often classified as blue-eyed soul, which is influenced by...

 fanatic in The Wedding Singer
The Wedding Singer
The Wedding Singer is a 1998 romantic comedy film written by Tim Herlihy and directed by Frank Coraci. It stars Adam Sandler as a wedding singer in the 1980s and Drew Barrymore as a waitress with whom he falls in love....

,
singing "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?
Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?
"Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" is a song recorded by Culture Club and was released as a single from the album Kissing to Be Clever.-History:...

" over and over. In 2001, Arquette played the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....

 emperor Caligula
Caligula
Caligula , also known as Gaius, was Roman Emperor from 37 AD to 41 AD. Caligula was a member of the house of rulers conventionally known as the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Caligula's father Germanicus, the nephew and adopted son of Emperor Tiberius, was a very successful general and one of Rome's most...

 in two episodes of the cult
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...

 television show Xena: Warrior Princess
Xena: Warrior Princess
Xena: Warrior Princess is an American–New Zealand supernatural fantasy adventure series that aired in syndication from September 4, 1995 until June 18, 2001....

. Also in 2001, Arquette guest starred in the Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...

episode "The One with Chandler's Dad" as a waiter in drag, in the show's seventh season. She had a cameo appearance in Son of the Beach
Son of the Beach
Son of the Beach is an American sitcom that aired from 2000 to 2002 on the FX network. The series was a spoof of Baywatch, with much of the comedy based on sexual jokes, innuendo and the like. The studly David Hasselhoff character is instead an average, pot-bellied, out-of-shape bald man but...

and in September 2005, VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...

 announced her casting in an upcoming season of the reality show The Surreal Life
The Surreal Life
The Surreal Life is a reality television series that sets a select group of past-their-prime celebrities and records them as they live together in Glen Campbell's former mansion in the Hollywood Hills for two weeks...

.

On January 31, 2007, Arquette was a featured celebrity client and guest judge on the premiere episode of Bravo's television show Top Design
Top Design
Top Design is an American reality television series. Interior designers compete to win cash and receive a spot in New York's Designer showcases....

, where she was described by one of the contestants as "Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...

 in drag". Arquette also made a cameo appearance in Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...

' "She's Madonna
She's Madonna
"She's Madonna" is the third and final international single released from Robbie Williams's seventh studio album Rudebox. A collaboration with the Pet Shop Boys, it is a love song to pop star Madonna and was released on 5 March 2007. A promotional copy was released to European radio in late January...

" video. On February 26, 2007, Arquette was promoting the DVD Release of Killer Drag Queens on Dope on The Adam Carolla Show. Danny Bonaduce
Danny Bonaduce
Dante Daniel "Danny" Bonaduce is an American radio/television personality, comedian, professional wrestler, and former child actor...

, a co-host, asked Arquette if she still had a penis. The question, and her refusal to answer, sparked an argument among Carolla
Adam Carolla
Adam Carolla is an American radio personality, television host, comedian, and actor. He currently hosts The Adam Carolla Show, a talk show distributed as a podcast on the ACE Broadcasting Network...

, Bonaduce, and Arquette, ending in Arquette storming out of the studio.

Filmography

Films
Year Film Role Notes
1986 Down and Out in Beverly Hills
Down and Out in Beverly Hills
Down and Out in Beverly Hills is a 1986 American comedy film based on the French play Boudu sauvé des eaux, which had previously been adapted on film in 1932 by Jean Renoir. Down and Out in Beverly Hills was directed by Paul Mazursky, and starred Nick Nolte, Bette Midler and Richard Dreyfuss...

Alexis Uncredited Role
1989 Last Exit to Brooklyn (film)
Last Exit to Brooklyn (film)
Last Exit to Brooklyn is a 1989 English-language German drama film, directed by Uli Edel, and based on the eponymous novel by Hubert Selby Jr.- Plot :...

Georgette
Death of a Schoolboy Milan
1990 High Score Yago/Freddie
1992 Jumpin' at the Boneyard Dan
Miracle Beach
Miracle Beach
Miracle Beach is a 1992 fantasy/comedy film starring Dean Cameron, Ami Dolenz, and Pat Morita.-Synopsis:Scotty McKay is just an every day beach-bum who used to have it all, when he finds a genie called Jeannie who just happens to be attractive. Her mission is to assist Scott...

Lars
Terminal Bliss Craig Murphy
Of Mice and Men
Of Mice and Men (1992 film)
Of Mice and Men is a 1992 American film starring John Malkovich and Gary Sinise, directed and produced by Gary Sinise. It is the third movie adaptation of John Steinbeck's 1937 novel of the same name, and was preceded by the 1939 film version and the 1981 television movie.- Plot :George Milton is...

Whitt
1993 Ghost Brigade
Ghost Brigade
Ghost Brigade is a 1993 supernatural horror film set during American Civil War and directed by George Hickenlooper. Starring Corbin Bernsen, Adrian Pasdar, and Martin Sheen, the film was also released under the alternate titles The Killing Box and Grey Knight.-Synopsis:When slave traders bring back...

Cpl. Dawson Alternative titles: Grey Knight
The Killing Box
Grief Bill
Jack Be Nimble
Jack Be Nimble (film)
Jack Be Nimble is a 1993 New Zealand produced horror movie, starring Alexis Arquette.-Plot summary:Jack decides to put an end to the abuse he has received from his adoptive parents, enabling him to run away and find his long lost sibling Dora...

Jack
1994 Frank & Jesse Charlie Ford
Threesome
Threesome (film)
Threesome is a 1994 film, written and directed by Andrew Fleming. The film is an autobiographical comedy mixed in with some social commentary, and is based on the college memories of Fleming. It was given an R rating by the Motion Picture Association of America...

Dick
Pulp Fiction
Pulp Fiction (film)
Pulp Fiction is a 1994 American crime film directed by Quentin Tarantino, who co-wrote its screenplay with Roger Avary. The film is known for its rich, eclectic dialogue, ironic mix of humor and violence, nonlinear storyline, and host of cinematic allusions and pop culture references...

Man #4
Don't Do It David
1995 Paradise Framed
Days of the Pentecost Mechanic
Frisk
Frisk (film)
Frisk is a 1995 drama film, directed by Todd Verow, based on the 1991 novel by author Dennis Cooper. It is a first-person narrative about a serial killer. Dennis describes a series of ritual murders in letters to his sometime lover and best friend, Julian , and Julian's younger brother Kevin . It...

Punk (Victim #3)
White Man's Burden
White Man's Burden (film)
White Man's Burden is a 1995 dramatic film about racism in an alternative America where black and white Americans have reversed cultural roles....

Panhandler
Wigstock: The Movie
Wigstock: The Movie
Wigstock: The Movie is a 1995 documentary film focusing on Wigstock, the annual drag music festival that had been held New York City's East Village through the 1980s and 1990s. The film presents a number of performances from the 1994 festival, including Crystal Waters, Deee-Lite, Jackie Beat,...

Himself Documentary
1996 Kiss & Tell Amerod Burkowitz
Sometimes They Come Back... Again
Sometimes They Come Back... Again
Sometimes They Come Back... Again is the 1996 sequel to the 1991 horror film Sometimes They Come Back. It was directed by Adam Grossman. It stars Michael Gross, Alexis Arquette, and Hilary Swank.- Plot :...

Tony Reno Direct-to-video release
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...

Things I Never Told You Paul
Never Met Picasso Andrew Magnus
Scream, Teen, Scream Lisa Marie
1997 Inside Out Adam
I Think I Do
I Think I Do
I Think I Do is a 1997 American gay-themed romantic comedy film written and directed by Brian Sloan and starring Alexis Arquette.-Plot:The film follows the relationship between Bob and Brendan , roommates at George Washington University in Washington, DC, five years after Bob made his romantic...

Bob
Goodbye America
Goodbye America
Goodbye America is a 1997 drama film that examines how the closing of the U.S. naval base at Subic Bay, Philippines affected the local Filipino community and the Americans who had served there. Goodbye America is a United States and Philippine co-production, and was directed by Thierry...

Paul Bladon
Close To Deaf Mute
1998 Love Kills James
Fool's Gold Mark
The Wedding Singer
The Wedding Singer
The Wedding Singer is a 1998 romantic comedy film written by Tim Herlihy and directed by Frank Coraci. It stars Adam Sandler as a wedding singer in the 1980s and Drew Barrymore as a waitress with whom he falls in love....

George
Cleopatra's Second Husband Alex
Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror
Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror
Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror is a 1998 motion picture and the fifth installment of the Children of the Corn series. It is also the third Children of the Corn movie released by Dimension Films and Miramax Films...

Greg Direct-to-video release
Bride of Chucky
Bride of Chucky
Bride of Chucky is a 1998 American comedy horror film directed by Chinese director Ronny Yu. It is the fourth entry in the Child's Play series. The film stars Jennifer Tilly and Brad Dourif...

Howard Fitzwater/Damien Baylock
1999 Out in Fifty
Out in Fifty
Out in Fifty is a 1999 independent film directed and written by Bojesse Christopher and Scott Leet, which also stars in this film together with actor Mickey Rourke. Film also stars Peter Greene, Ed Lauter, Balthazar Getty, James Avery and Christina Applegate as Lilah...

Kim
Tomorrow by Midnight Sidney Alternative title: Midnight 5
She's All That
She's All That
She's All That is a 1999 American romantic comedy film directed by Robert Iscove, and is a modern adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion...

Mitch
Clubland Steven
2000 Piccadilly Pickups Henri de la Plus Ooh Arrgh
The Price of Air Willy
Boys Life 3
Boys Life 3
Boys Life 3 is a compilation of five short films that deal with coming-out and the trials and tribulations of being gay in America.-See also:* List of American films of 2000* Boys Life* Boys Life 2* Boys Life 4: Four Play* Boys Life 5...

Adam Segment: Inside Out
2001 The Woman Every Man Wants Onix Alternative title: Perfect Lover
Audit Richard
2002 The Trip
The Trip (2002 film)
The Trip is a 2002 epic gay romance that traces the relationship between two men from their initial meeting in 1973 until 1984.-Plot synopsis:...

Michael
Spun
Spun
Spun is a 2002 American crime dramedy directed by Jonas Åkerlund, and starring Jason Schwartzman, Brittany Murphy, Mickey Rourke, Mena Suvari, John Leguizamo, Patrick Fugit, Eric Roberts, Chloe Hunter, and Debbie Harry. It is Åkerlund's début as a feature-film director, having already become known...

Moustache Cop
Boxer Shorts Richard Direct-to-video release
2003 Killer Drag Queens on Dope
Killer Drag Queens on Dope
Killer Drag Queens on Dope is a 2003 American independent film directed by Lazar Saric starring Eva Destruction.-Cast:* Eva Destruction as Ginger* Omar Alexis as Coco* Clark Weaver as Roy* Macky Beltzkovsky as Anthony* Mario Diaz as Bobby...

Ginger Credited as Eva Destruction
The Movie Hero
The Movie Hero
The Movie Hero is a 2003 American romantic comedy, starring Jeremy Sisto, Dina Meyer, and Peter Stormare. It was written and directed by Brad T. Gottfred. The film was not rated.-Concept:...

Strange, Yet Attractive Woman Alternative title: Frame of Mind
Wasabi Tuna
Wasabi Tuna
Wasabi Tuna is a 2003 independent Cafe Entertainment Studios action comedy motion picture starring Jason London, Barney Cheng, Tim Meadows, Antonio Sabàto, Jr., Alanna Ubach, Guillermo Díaz, Alexis Arquette, and Arturo Gil...

Champagne Anna
2005 Lords of Dogtown
Lords of Dogtown
Lords of Dogtown is a 2005 biographical film directed by Catherine Hardwicke, written by Stacy Peralta. The film is based on the story of "The Z-Boys", an influential group of skateboarders who revolutionized the sport...

Tranny Alternative titles: American Knights
Dogtown Boys

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1989 Alien Nation
Alien Nation (TV series)
Alien Nation is a science fiction television series, loosely based on the movie of the same name. Gary Graham starred as Detective Matthew Sikes, a Los Angeles police officer reluctantly working with "Newcomer" alien George Francisco , played by Eric Pierpoint...

John Barrymore 1 episode
1991 The Hollow Boy Werner Hauser Television movie
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...

1994 Lies of the Heart: The Story of Laurie Kellogg
Lies of the Heart: The Story of Laurie Kellogg
Lies of the Heart: The Story of Laurie Kellogg is a 1994 television film directed by Michael Toshiyuki Uno. The film is based on actual events and was received with mixed reviews. Variety was positive, claiming that the movie was told with 'great emotional depth'.- Plot :When she was 16 years old,...

Denver McDowell Television movie
1995 Dead Weekend McHacker Television movie
Roseanne
Roseanne (TV series)
Roseanne is an American sitcom broadcast on ABC from October 18, 1988 to May 20, 1997. Starring Roseanne Barr, the show revolved around the Conners, an Illinois working class family...

Episode: "December Bride
December Bride (Roseanne)
"December Bride" is an episode of the situation comedy television series Roseanne. The episode revolves around the wedding of recurring character Leon Carp and his boyfriend Scott. "December Bride" was the eleventh episode of the show's eighth season. It was written by William Lucas Walker and...

"
1999 The Strip Cleo 3 episodes
Beggars and Choosers
Beggars and Choosers (TV series)
Beggars and Choosers is a comedy-drama series broadcast by Showtime. Developed by Peter Lefcourt and Brandon Tartikoff, the series was a comedic, behind-the-scenes look at network television...

Larry Unknown episodes
2000 Felicity Jim 1 episode
2000–2001 Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...

The Customer
The waiter in drag
Episodes: "The One with Rachel's Sister"
"The One with Chandler's Dad"
2001 Xena: Warrior Princess
Xena: Warrior Princess
Xena: Warrior Princess is an American–New Zealand supernatural fantasy adventure series that aired in syndication from September 4, 1995 until June 18, 2001....

Caligula Episodes: "The God You Know"
"You Are There"
Son of the Beach
Son of the Beach
Son of the Beach is an American sitcom that aired from 2000 to 2002 on the FX network. The series was a spoof of Baywatch, with much of the comedy based on sexual jokes, innuendo and the like. The studly David Hasselhoff character is instead an average, pot-bellied, out-of-shape bald man but...

Beverly 1 episode
2005 Wanted
Wanted (TV series)
Wanted is a 2005 American primetime police drama television series broadcast on the TNT network. The series was created by Louis St. Clair and Jorge Zamacona, and executive produced by Aaron Spelling, E...

Paula 1 episode
2008 Californication
Californication (TV series)
Californication is an American comedy-drama that premiered on Showtime on August 13, 2007. The show was created by Tom Kapinos. The protagonist, Hank Moody , is a troubled novelist whose move to California, coupled with his writer's block, complicates his relationships with his longtime girlfriend...

Lady In Jail Episode: "The Great Ashby"

External links

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