ACTOR MICHELLE ALEXANDER”S CHARMED LIFE TAKES HER FROM SCI-FI TO COMEDY TO HORROR

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​Ambitious, driven Canadian actor Michelle Alexander leads a life that most folks only dream of. The classically-trained Alexander’s characteristic mix of dedication, talent, technical know-how and peerless instinct always combine to imbue any role with its own fully realized, individualized persona.

Alexander found herself involved in theater while still a child. “I grew up on Vancouver Island, BC in a very small town called Mill Bay,” Alexander said. “My memory of why I got into acting is a little foggy, but the town was so small I have a feeling that my choices were either theatre, swimming or field hockey. I failed swimming lessons and I bruise easily, so I was in my first play when I was 10. I played Becky Thatcher in a touring youth theatre production of Tom Sawyer. All I remember about that show is getting to kiss the boy that played Tom and discovering the electric, all-encompassing feeling of performing. I was hooked.”

“It’s been never-ending ever since,” she said. “I studied at the University of Windsor in the Conservatory Acting program and booked my first professional acting job in Toronto before I graduated. Though I originally started in theatre I quickly transitioned to film & TV. That’s where I feel most in my element. and have made a career acting in film, network television and commercials.”

​Alexander’s chameleonic gift has enabled her to successfully portray blood thirsty killers (as Darknet’s recurring serial killer Alison), light-hearted, very funny comic roles (Tess in the popular web series Overachieving Underdogs) along with a wide variety of characters on TV series like The Strain, Beauty and the Beast and Outlaw Bikers.

One of Alexander’s latest achievements, which took the actor into previously uncharted dramatic territory, was her recent appearance on BBC America’s well received science fiction thriller series Orphan Black. Distinguished by a sophisticated running subtext which uses the subject of cloning to examine matters of personal identity, morals and ethics, Orphan Black was an ideal vehicle for Alexander.
 
“It was a new genre for me to act in but one I’ve been itching to be a part of,” Alexander said. “As an actor it allows you to bring to life situations and characters that you would never encounter in the every-day. And it also gives you room to explore potentially controversial subject-matter because it lives in a reality other than our own.  You can parallel a real life issue in the storyline but not ruffle any feathers because it exists only in an imagined reality. That’s a powerful tool.”
 
“I was ecstatic to be able to be a part of this highly intelligent show. A lot of my peers, Ari Millen, Josh Vokey, Kathryn Alexandre, are regulars on Orphan Black so I was excited to finally get in the ring with them,” she said.
 
Alexander, with her impeccable professional reputation as the consummate performer, one who is always among the first to arrive on set and looks out for not only the good of her cast mates but also the production crew, fit right in with the tight knit ensemble.
 
“The Orphan Black team were like a well-oiled machine,” Alexander said. “The cast and crew were on their A-game at all times--each person is extremely skilled at what they do, brought immense positivity to set and really put their all into creating the absolute best product they can. They also all have a killer sense of humor and genuinely support each other: it’s the kind of TV family everyone dreams of being a part of.”  
 
“I play Jill, an employee of the Lifespring Fertility Clinic, who is ‘in on’ the mysterious Brightborn treatments that covertly happen there,” Alexander said. “The Brightborn treatments are a huge part of the Orphan Black storyline in season four, as well as the overall arc of the entire series. Jill was a lot of fun to play because she’s smooth-as-silk professionally, but can be ruthless when necessary.”
 
Orphan Black was just another brief stop on the fast-moving Alexander track to international success, and the actor relished every moment. “One of the biggest joys of this shoot was being able to improvise,” Alexander said. “Each take we did felt completely new and exciting. The director, Peter Stebbings and fellow actors, Jordan Gavaris and Kristian Bruun were extremely open to ad-libs. That shows a real sense of trust between actors and director, when they let you ‘do your thing.’”