Arts
Episode 16: Alexandra Billings Alexandra Billings (www.alexandrabillings.com) is an actress, singer, author, teacher and activist. Currently, Ms Billings plays Davina on Amazon's Emmy and Golden Globe Award winning hit TV show "Transparent". In 2005, Ms. Billings played Donna, opposite Katherine Heigel, in the ABC film “Romy and Michelle: A New Beginning.” It was the second time a transgender actress played a transgender character in the history of television. She's had guest starring roles on "How To Get Away With Murder", “Grey's Anatomy,” “Eli Stone," “E.R.,” “Karen Sisco,” “Nurses” opposite Lynn Redgrave, and playing opposite Dot Jones in the Ryan Murphy pilot “Pretty/Handsome,” co-starring Blythe Danner and Robert Wagner. She finished her first feature film role as a non Trans character in "Valley of Bones" in the spring of 2016. She is the recipient of five After Dark Awards and one Joseph Jefferson Award. Ms. Billings' activism stretches across the continent. She has won the TPA Award and the Rainbow Spirit Award, and she was inducted into the Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame in Chicago in 2007. Living with AIDS since 1995. Her life story “From Schoolboy to Showgirl,” produced by Alex Silets for PBS television, was nominated for an Emmy for Best Documentary. In this TAMP episode, Smarthouse Creative's Brad Wilke talks to actress Alexandra Billings about her role on Transparent and her experience communicating with her growing audience. Alexandra discusses how she navigates her personal vs. public persona, how living publicly as a trans actor has informed her career, and what she believes her responsibility is being a part of the Transparent cast. Alexandra’s work is inspired by, “allowing more people to be heard, bringing more people in.” You can check out Alexandra's Facebook page here, bit.ly/AlexandraBillings_Facebook. Visit Alexandra’s current projects "TRANSPARENT" and “VALLEY OF BONES” at these sites; bit.ly/TransparentTVSeries bit.ly/Valley_of_Bones_Movie TAMP music by Dude York.