Del Barrio has studied and engaged in the performing arts since childhood, graduating from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in 2019. They said they chose the name "Blu" as blue has always been their favorite color and first came out to some of their friends in London, who they described as very supportive. I knew I wasn't cisgender, but I wasn't really out to anyone. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. He's leaving the U.S.S. Her birth sign is Virgo. Adira was last seen planning to accompany Gray to the Trill home world. Note: If you havent yet viewed Forget Me Not, the latest episode of Star Trek: Discovery, be warned: there are some spoilers ahead! Blu del Barrio, a non-binary actor who uses they/them pronouns, meanwhile will fill the recurring guest star role of Adira, a highly intelligent character with a confidence and self-assurance well . The original series portrayed white and Black men and women working alongside Asians, a Russian, Briton, Irishman, Scotsman and of course, a Vulcan. The season, beginning Oct. 15, will include Blu del Barrio, who identifies as "non-binary," as the character Adira. [5][6][15] They were cast in their first major role in September 2020;[11] it was announced that they would join the cast of Star Trek: Discovery as Adira Tal for the third season. Star Trek has led the way on diversity and inclusivity for 54 years, albeit it was blatantly sexist for most of its first 30 years. Fortunately, del Barrio's fears were immediately quelled, even to the point that the costumers made them a binder to wear under their uniform. And, I had a lot of really good people around me: Anthony [Rapp] and Wilson [Cruz] and [GLAADs] Nick [Adams] and Ian [Alexander, a trans actor who makes his debut playing a trans character next week]. And just last year, Discovery made history yet again by adding the Star Trek franchise's first-ever gender-diverse trans characters to the series: nonbinary character Adira (played by newcomer Blu . He's going to be Adiras partner in crime, said Alexander, who said he immediately and gladly accepted the role that was crafted just for him. Actor Ian Alexander at an event for The Trevor Project in Los Angeles, Calif. in 2019. Cardassians seem to have a binary that's underlined by what work youre assigned to do by the state and blue make-up, which we see several Cardassian women wear, but also Garak in The Way Of The Warrior., Ferengi gender subversion is directly linked to whether one can or cannot go into business. Co-showrunner Paradise has the last word on that: "After getting a new body and settling into it over the course of the season, Gray is finally ready to restart his training so he can fulfill his dream of becoming a Guardian. Segundo Nombre / Middle Name. Star Trek has approached queerness in a variety of ways, generally quite simplistically. They listed Lachlan Watson, Indya Moore, Bex Taylor-Klaus, Theo Germaine, Asia Kate Dillon, and Brigette Lundy-Paine as role models for their careers. Finally reunited, Burnham and the U.S.S. Learn more about Blu in this @glaad Q&A: https://t.co/gd54tVl8p0 pic.twitter.com/WroJ32n7Cp, Star Trek on CBS All Access (@startrekcbs) September 2, 2020. The age of Blu Del is nearly 24 years old. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Discovery respectively, engineer Paul Stamets and Dr. Culber. Today, Star Trek: Discovery announced that season three will introduce the first non-binary and transgender characters in the history of the Star Trek franchise. They are outspoken in support of transgender visibility and . They spoke with GLAAD about this breakthrough new Star Trek role. Support queer media and subscribe -- or download the issue through Amazon, Kindle, Nook, or Apple News. Blu del Barrio Personal Information Birth Date September 15, 1997 Birth Place Topanga, California, USA Age 25 years old Gender Non-binary Occupation Actor Production Information Voice of Teenage Raine Whispers Blu del Barrio (born September 15, 1997) is an American actor, best known for their role as Adira Tal in Star Trek: Discovery . As has been reported by TrekMovie, this fourth episode involves a trip to the Trill homeworld, not seen in any Star Trek series since 1994s Deep Space Nine episode, Equilibrium. When season 4 resumes in February, del Barrio says, Adira is "terrified" at the prospect that Gray could die again: "And if he goes this time, he's gone." I love that I am really letting go of my last little bits of self-judgment., Im fully wearing and doing whatever I want, whatever makes me happy. They are the first openly non-binary actor, playing the first non-binary role in Star Trek. They are called English, be that as it may, since they have Argentinian roots, their nationality is taken as Argentinian-English. ", And for Alexander, it's not just their conversations with the media but the ones closeted fans and their families are having, all because of what they see on the screen. Although the 55-year-old science-fiction franchise has never before featured recurring characters who are trans, del Barrio believes Discovery is taking that concept to a queerer version of the final frontier. Star Trek: Discovery's Anthony Rapp reveals details of the cast's Dungeons & Dragons campaign", "Follow the Star Trek: Discovery crew's Dungeons & Dragons campaign with #DiscoDoesDnD", "Inside the Groundbreaking 'Star Trek: Discovery' Episode With Trans and Non-Binary Characters", "Star Trek's New Non-Binary Star Blu del Barrio Talks Their Debut", "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Jesse James Keitel Explains Why Playing Angel Was 'Refreshing', "Virtual Conservatoire delivers simultaneous performances of Otis and Eunice across two cities", "TIFF Industry Selects Section Includes Steve Buscemi's, "Disney introduces first non-binary character in TV series The Owl House", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blu_del_Barrio&oldid=1131023021, This page was last edited on 2 January 2023, at 04:48. Actor Blu del Barrio plays Adira on Star Trek: Discovery, I think that is so impactful and meaningful, said Alexander, because trans people exist everywhere. Important enough that the creator of the trans Pride flag, Monica Helms, personally shipped two pink, white, and blue banners to del Barrio and Alexander to acknowledge their impact. Casting Alexander and del Barrio is another triumph for LGBTQ representation in the 54-year-old franchise. At this point, fans may be asking, Isnt Adira non-binary? Thats what all the pre-launch publicity and early reports said, including Forbes.com, In an interview with GLAADs Nick Adams published in September, del Barrio explained the character is suffering from memory loss. Gender identity is increasingly becoming more nebulous and intersectional. They know this is important representation for both fans and Hollywood. 27 September 2020. date of birth. What are they like off the set? Blu has Argentinean heritage and uses Singular they them pronouns. "I'm a huge fan of all of theirs. Limited rights for [+] specific editorial clients in Germany.) I'm Julian! The american actor was born in Southern California to parents who are Argentinians. Ian Alexander will portray the transgender character Gray. [5][6], They have referred to themself as an introverted nerd who likes being alone, loves watching movies, video games, photography and playing Dungeons & Dragons (DnD) with friends. The cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation. I like being alone. Blu del Barrio (left) and Ian Alexander CBS. Barrio started acting in their career at the age of seven, They started doing short films. In light of that headcanon it's interesting to analyze Bashirs gender identity as part of his status as an augment and as a character heavily coded as neurodiverse. They will be playing Adira, Star Trek's first non-binary character, and Gray, Star Trek's first transgender character in #StarTrekDiscovery Season 3. 1 reference . "People who aren't trans can relate to, you know, coming into your identity and finding chosen family. Non-binary is a spectrum of gender identities that are not exclusively masculine or feminineidentities that are outside the gender binary. So he doesn't feel wrong. The show's season 1, which was the first original live-action series in the Star Trek universe in almost 15 years when it launched in 2017, was well-received and followed it up with a season 2 that was hailed for its attempts to connect it more closely to . Del Barrio felt a resonance with the highly intelligent, introverted character with, what they consider to be, puppy-like emotions. lve been bouncing around because it's such a huge universe, they said. Blu was in their final year of studies when they auditioned for the role of Adira on Star Trek: Discovery (2017). Who is Blu del Barrio and Ian Alexander? They remember nothing from their past, and very little about themself. 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