The young actress is producing a film, recording music and dabbling in fashion.

Alexa Demie, who plays Maddy Perez in “Euphoria,” in her living room in Los Angeles.Credit…Tracy Nguyen for The New York Times
By Molly Oswaks
Sept. 8, 2019
Name: Alexa Demie

Age: 24

Hometown: Atwater Village, Calif.

Now lives: In a three-bedroom house in the San Fernando Valley section of Los Angeles, with her two dogs and a yard full of citrus and avocado trees.

Claim to fame: Ms. Demie is a singer, fashion designer and rising actress best known for “Euphoria,” on HBO, in which she plays Maddy Perez, a former pageant queen in an abusive relationship with a toxic jock named Nate Jacobs (played by Jacob Elordi).

“I use my mom for a lot of things,” said Ms. Demie, who recalled growing up in a home with nonstop screaming and fighting. “I think I feel her pain really strongly. I tell my mind I’m releasing the pain, to heal it.”

Big break: As an unknown actress in Hollywood, Ms. Demie had small guest spots in TV shows including “The OA” and “Ray Donovan.” Things took off when her producer friend Mikey Alfred put her up for a role in “Mid90s,” a coming-of-age skate film written and directed by Jonah Hill.

Next, she auditioned for the film “Never Goin’ Back” but lost out. A year later, the director of that film, Augustine Frizzell, helped her land the part of Maddy in “Euphoria.”

“I keep booking these dark, dramatic roles,” Ms. Demie said.Credit…Tracy Nguyen for The New York Times
Latest project: Ms. Demie stars in the upcoming film “Waves,” a drama about two couples growing up and falling in love. She also has a smaller role in Gia Coppola’s movie “Mainstream,” starring Andrew Garfield. “I keep booking these dark, dramatic roles,” she said. For laughs, she goes to stand-up shows. “My soul and spirit crave comedy.”

Next thing: Ms. Demie is producing her first feature film, based on the life story of her mother, Rose Mendez, a makeup artist who immigrated to Los Angeles from Mexico as a baby. Ms. Demie will play Ms. Mendez as a teenager growing up in the 1980s Hollywood club scene.

A songwriter since she was in high school, Ms. Demie released her first single, “Girl Like Me,” in 2016 and is working on her first EP before returning to film the second season of “Euphoria.”

Triple threat: In addition to acting and singing, Ms. Demie is also a designer. As a high school senior, she traveled to Japan to produce a sunglasses collection called Mainframe that began as an after-school hobby and was worn by Nicki Minaj and other celebrities.

Years later, while visiting a showroom to pull looks for an unreleased music video she was making, she screamed when presented with her own designs. “The stylist thought I was angry and started to apologize,” Ms. Demie said. “I was like, ‘No, this is just so surreal.’”