When Toronto native Jordan Alexander got the news that she had been cast as Julien Calloway in HBO Max’s Gossip Girl remake, she was in complete shock. The multi-talented performer—who’s also an accomplished singer-songwriter with a full-length album, The Lonely Hearts Club—flexed her acting chops in the Facebook Watch series Sacred Lies: The Singing Bones alongside Juliette Lewis, but her part in Gossip Girl is her first major role. Despite all the hype about the cult-classic remake and its new generation of refreshingly diverse, talented young actors, a lot about the upcoming series has been shrouded in secrecy. So, what can Alexander reveal? “Gossip Girl is a reflection of the times, and we are in very different times,” she says. Thankfully, though, super-fans can rest assured that there’s at least one familiar character: Kristen Bell is reprising her role as the show’s narrator. As for Alexander’s Julien? This queen of the Met steps is going to be the one with the “influence.” XOXO

The new cast of Gossip Girl on the Met steps in New York City

GROWING UP

“I was kinda rough and outdoorsy. I liked to sleep in trees and catch snakes and tadpoles with my sisters. I loved to play outside and climb on everything. I was also extremely particular. For instance, I took photos of my stuffed-animal [arrangement] to make sure I could put them back in the right places. I would also rotate [which one] got to sleep with me to make sure everyone was getting equal love.”

ARTISTIC AMBITIONS

“I’m sure it was my dad’s love of music and performance art [that influenced me]. Both of my parents really love music, art and creativity. They are free spirits. But a really pivotal moment was watching my friend Jose play songs she had written. I couldn’t believe you can just create something so beautiful and it can be yours and you can also share it. I really fell in love with songwriting through her.”

MUSIC MOTIVATION

“[I’m inspired by] things I feel strongly about that I don’t know how to process.”

INSPIRATIONAL WORKS

“I found reading All About Love by bell hooks profoundly eye-opening. I was going through a really hard time and listened to ‘Take Care of Yourself’ by the Childlike Empress on repeat for about five months. I watched Shakedown, a documentary about a Black lesbian strip club in L.A.; [it’s a] 10 out of 10 would recommend.”

HOT GOSSIP

“[When I got the part], I didn’t tell anyone—besides my best friends—for a while because it was a lot to process. But my little sister, Chloe, is an online detective and noticed that the cast and writers of [Gossip Girl] had started following me. She was blowing up my phone, like ‘You got something to tell me, bucko?’”

SPARE TIME

Gossip Girl keeps me very busy, and I love it. I am also constantly writing music. There’s a lot on the horizon, so [I’m] preparing myself for all that will be.”

PERSONAL HERO

“My older sister, Sydnie, is a nurse, and she just finished her master’s degree while working during the pandemic. I look up to her.”

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