Alexis Arquette

Alexis Arquette
Arquette attending VH1's Daisy of Love premiere party at My House, Hollywood, CA in April 2009.
Born	(1969-07-28) July 28, 1969 Los Angeles
Other names	Eva Destruction
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1982–present
Parent(s)	Lewis Arquette (father)
Relatives	Patricia Arquette (sister) Rosanna Arquette (sister) Richmond Arquette (brother) David Arquette (brother) Cliff Arquette (grandfather)

Alexis Arquette (born Robert Arquette; July 28, 1969 – September 11, 2016) was an American actor, cabaret performer, underground cartoonist, and activist. He was well known for his gender 'transitioning' from male to female, and for supporting other people making similar transitions.

Early life

Alexis Arquette was born Robert Arquette in Los Angeles, California and was a trans woman. His mother was Brenda Olivia "Mardi" (née Nowak), an actress, poet, theater operator, activist, acting teacher, and therapist, whose family emigrated from Russia and Poland. His father, Lewis Arquette, was an actor and director, and was a convert from Catholicism to Islam. His paternal grandfather was comedian Cliff Arquette. Arquette was distantly related to American explorer Meriwether Lewis. His siblings were actors Rosanna, Patricia, Richmond, and David.

In 1982, at the age of twelve, Robert Arquette's first acting gig was as "this little kid who's on a ride with all these women and whatnot" in the music video "She's a Beauty" by The Tubes. In 1986, Arquette debuted on the big screen in an uncredited role as Alexis, the androgynous friend and bandmate of sexually ambivalent teenager Max Whiteman (Evan Richards) in the Bette Midler comedy Down and Out in Beverly Hills.

Twenty years later, Arquette transitioned 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.

Career

At nineteen, Alexis Arquette landed his first sizable film role, playing transvestite Georgette in the screen adaptation of controversial novel Last Exit to Brooklyn. The majority of Arquette's film work has been in low-budget or independent films. His starring roles include Jumpin' at the Boneyard (as a crack addict), acting opposite Tim Roth, and New Zealand-shot fantasy Jack Be Nimble, as a man seeking revenge for a hellish childhood, and low budget comedy Killer Drag Queens on Dope, as a murderous drag queen.

Alexis Arquette has appeared in I Think I Do, Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror, and Sometimes They Come Back... Again, among more than 40 other independent movies.

Alexis Arquette has also had supporting roles in Threesome, and horror movie Bride of Chucky. He played a Boy George impersonator in the Adam Sandler-Drew Barrymore films The Wedding Singer and Blended. In 2001, Arquette returned to New Zealand to play Roman emperor Caligula in two episodes of cult television show Xena: Warrior Princess. That same year, Arquette guest starred in the Friends episode "The One with Chandler's Dad" and cameoed in Son of the Beach.

In September 2005, VH1 announced Arquette as one of the celebrity house-guests on the sixth season of reality show The Surreal Life. On January 31, 2007, Alexis Arquette was a featured celebrity client and guest judge on the première episode of Bravo's reality show Top Design. Arquette also made a cameo appearance in Robbie Williams' "She's Madonna" video.

Alexis Arquette died in Los Angeles of a heart attack after battling HIV for 29 years.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1989	Last Exit to Brooklyn	Georgette
1990	Gavre Princip – Himmel unter Steinen	Milan
1990	High Score	Yago / Freddie
1992	Jumpin' at the Boneyard	Dan
1992	Terminal Bliss	Craig Murphy
1992	Buffy the Vampire Slayer	Vampire DJ
1992	Of Mice and Men	Whit
1992	Miracle Beach	Lars
1993	Grey Knight	Cpl. Dawson
1993	Grief	Bill
1993	Jack Be Nimble	Jack
1994	Threesome	Dick
1994	Pulp Fiction	Man #4
1994	Don't Do It	David
1995	Days of the Pentecost	Mechanic
1995	Paradise Framed
1995	Frank & Jesse	Charlie Ford
1995	Frisk	Punk (victim #3)
1995	White Man's Burden	Panhandler
1996	Kiss & Tell	Amerod Burkowitz
1996	Cosas que nunca te dije	Paul
1996	Sometimes They Come Back... Again	Tony Reno	Video
1996	Never Met Picasso	Andrew Magnus
1996	Scream, Teen, Scream	Lisa Marie	Short film
1997	Inside Out	Adam	Short film
1997	Goodbye America	Paul Bladon
1997	I Think I Do	Bob
1997	Close To	Deaf Mute	Short film
1998	Fool's Gold	Mark
1998	The Wedding Singer	George
1998	Cleopatra's Second Husband	Alex
1998	The Thin Pink Line	Mr. Ed
1998	Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror	Greg	Video
1998	Bride of Chucky	Damien
1999	She's All That	Mitch
1999	Clubland	Steven
1999	Out in Fifty	Kim
1999	Love Kills	James
2000	Piccadilly Pickups	Henri de la Plus Ooh Arrgh
2000	The Price of Air	Willy
2000	Boys Life 3	Adam	Segment: "Inside Out"
2001	Perfect Lover	Onix
2001	Audit	Richard	Short film
2001	Tomorrow by Midnight	Sidney
2002	The Trip	Michael
2002	Spun	Moustache Cop
2003	Killer Drag Queens on Dope	Ginger
2003	The Movie Hero	Strange, Yet Attractive Woman
2003	Wasabi Tuna	Champangne Anna
2005	Lords of Dogtown	Tranny
2010	Here & Now	Ramona
2010	Hard Breakers	Ms. Independence
2011	Getting Back to Zero	Judy
2013	Tranzloco	Alexis
2014	Blended	Georgina

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1989	Alien Nation	John Barrymore	Episode: "Contact"
1991	American Playhouse	Werner Hauser	Episode: "The Hollow Boy"
1994	Lies of the Heart: The Story of Laurie Kellogg	Denver McDowell	TV film
1995	Dead Weekend	McHacker	TV film
1995	Roseanne		Episode: "December Bride"
1999	The Strip	Cleo	Episodes: "Games Without Frontiers", "Send Me an Angel", "Even Better Than the Real Thing"
1999–2000	Beggars and Choosers	Larry / Lola	TV series
2000	Felicity	Jim	Episode: "Docuventary II"
2000	Friends	The Customer	Episode: "The One with Rachel's Sister"
2001	Friends	The Waiter in Drag	Episode: "The One with Chandler's Dad"
2001	Xena: Warrior Princess	Caligula	Episodes: "The God You Know", "You Are There"
2001	Son of the Beach	Beverly	Episode: "B.J. Blue Hawaii"
2005	Wanted	Paula	Episode: "Lips Are Lips"
2008	Californication	Lady in Jail	Episode: "The Great Ashby"

External links

• Alexis Arquette at the Internet Movie Database
• Alexis Arquette at AllMovie