Mason Alexander Park

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Mason Alexander Park
Mason Alexander Park by Gage Skidmore.jpg
Park at the 2023 WonderCon
Born (1995-07-12) July 12, 1995 (age 28)
Education Point Park University (BFA)
OccupationActor
Years active2010−present
Website masonalexanderpark.com

Mason Alexander Park (born July 12, 1995) is an American actor. They began their career in regional theatre, winning a Helen Hayes Award. On television, they are known for their roles in the Netflix adaptations of the anime Cowboy Bebop (2021) and Neil Gaiman's The Sandman (2022–), and the Quantum Leap (2022–2024) revival on NBC.

Contents

Early life

Park was born in Fairfax, Virginia, and moved around as a child for their father's work before settling down in North Carolina. They are of Spanish and Mexican descent. Park discovered acting through a summer camp in Texas. [1] In need of a new environment after being bullied at school, Park went to Los Angeles with their mother and enrolled at Grand Arts High School.

In 2012, Park was one of two actors from high schools in Los Angeles County to win the Jerry Herman High School Musical Theatre Awards of Los Angeles, for their role as Cornelius in Hello, Dolly. They attended the Jimmy Awards in New York City as a finalist. [2]

Park graduated in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts [3] in Musical Theatre from Point Park University in Pittsburgh. [4]

Career

Park began their career as a teenager, guest starring as Toby Peterson in a 2011 episode of the Nickelodeon series iCarly . They would reprise the role in the iCarly reboot in 2023.

In 2015 and 2016, Park worked with the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera (CLO) on productions such as Mary Poppins and South Pacific at the Benedum Center, and Altar Boyz at the Greer Cabaret Theater. [5] Park alternated the titular role of Hedwig on the 2017 US tour of Hedwig and the Angry Inch . They later returned to the role in 2021 at Olney Theatre Center. [6] They played Dr. Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Show in 2018 at Bucks County Playhouse; [7] Emcee in Cabaret at Olney Theatre Center in 2019, [8] which won Park a Helen Hayes Award; and Charlotte in I Am My Own Wife at Long Wharf Theatre in 2020. [9]

Park returned to television when they were cast as Gren in the Netflix live action version of the anime Cowboy Bebop , which was released in 2021. [10] That same year, they put on a solo show in New York titled The Pansy Craze. [11] As of 2022, Park plays the androgynous entity Desire in The Sandman , a Netflix adaptation of Neil Gaiman's comics, [12] as well as Ian Wright in the Quantum Leap revival on NBC. [13]

Park made their West End debut when they once again played the Emcee in Cabaret at the Playhouse Theatre in 2023. [14]

Personal life

Park is non-binary and goes by they/them pronouns. [15] They are in a relationship with actress Alice Kremelberg. [16]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2015Not in My BackyardStudent
2019 Before You Know It Fellow

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2010Pizza & KaraokeTelevision film
2011 iCarly Toby PetersonEpisode: "iLove You"
2012Broadway or BustSelf
2013 Bucket & Skinner's Epic Adventures Toby2 episodes
2020 Acting for a Cause Various
2021 Cowboy Bebop Gren5 episodes
2022 The Legend of Vox Machina Tavern KeeperVoice role [17]
2022 The Sandman Desire Main role
2022–2024 Quantum Leap Ian WrightMain role
2023 iCarly (2021) Toby PetersonEpisode: "iReunited and It Felt OK"

Web

YearTitleRoleNotes
2017TransplantsMas

Stage

YearTitleRoleNotes
2015 Mary Poppins Miss Andrew Benedum Center, Pittsburgh CLO
2015 Altar Boyz MarkGreer Cabaret Theater, CLO
2015 Spring Awakening MoritzGreer Cabaret Theater
2016 South Pacific ProfessorBenedum Center, CLO
2017; 2021 Hedwig and the Angry Inch HedwigAlternate; US tour
Main; Olney Theatre Center
2018 The Rocky Horror Show Dr Frank N Furter Bucks County Playhouse, New Hope
2019 Cabaret EmceeOlney Theatre Center
2020 I Am My Own Wife Charlotte von Mahlsdorf Long Wharf Theatre, New Haven
2021The Pansy CrazeSolo ShowThe Green Room 42, Chelsea Table + Stage, New York
2023 Cabaret Emcee Playhouse Theatre, London - Nominated for Best Takeover Performance at 2024 WhatsOnStage Awards

Audio

YearTitleRoleNotes
2019Loveville HighJendrix [18]

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryWorkResultRef.
2020 Helen Hayes Awards Outstanding Lead Performer in a MusicalCabaretWon [19]
2024 WhatsOnStage Awards Best Takeover PerformanceCabaretNominated [20]

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References

  1. Bjella, Braden (June 18, 2021). "interview – mason alexander park". Schön!. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  2. https://www.jimmyawards.com/winners-and-nominees/2012-jimmy-awards/nominees/
  3. "resume – mason alexander park" . Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  4. Eberson, Sharon (August 31, 2016). "Paths for Mason Alexander Park". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  5. "Mason Alexander Park". Chelsea Table + Stage. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  6. Wild, Stephi (September 22, 2021). "Mason Alexander Park Will Star In HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH at Olney Theatre". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  7. Vine, Hannah (October 18, 2018). "The Rocky Horror Show Returns to Bucks County Playhouse". Playbill. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  8. "Mason Alexander Park: Becoming the Emcee". Olney Theater Centre. September 17, 2019. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  9. Minor, E. Kyle (February 7, 2020). "Long Wharf's 'I Am My Own Wife' revamped in new version through March 1". New Haven Register. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  10. Lattanzio, Ryan (November 19, 2020). "Netflix's 'Cowboy Bebop' Live-Action Series Reimagining Gren as Non-Binary Character". IndieWire. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  11. Mosher, Stephen (June 29, 2021). "BWW Review: Mason Alexander Park Incites A PANSY CRAZE at The Green Room 42". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  12. Del Rosario, Alexandra (May 26, 2021). "'The Sandman': Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Mason Alexander Park & Donna Preston Among 12 Added To Netflix Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 26, 2021. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  13. Bloom, Allison (November 7, 2022). "WATCH: "Quantum Leap" star Mason Alexander Park on Show's "Exciting Twists and Turns," Queer Representation, "Sandman," and More". GLAAD. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  14. Fox, Dale (July 1, 2023). "Cabaret's Mason Alexander Park: 'It's sad how people can dehumanise someone they don't know'". Attitude. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  15. November 15, Nick Romano; EST, 2021 at 11:00 AM. "'Cowboy Bebop' actor explains how Gren is reimagined as nonbinary". EW.com. Retrieved April 20, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  16. Rule, Doug (December 16, 2021). "Rising Star: Mason Alexander Park on the power of 'Hedwig' and authentic representation". Metro Weekly. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  17. Moreau, Jordan (January 20, 2022). "Critical Role's 'Legend of Vox Machina' Adds Stephanie Beatriz, David Tennant, Tony Hale and More as Guest Stars". Variety. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  18. Hetrick, Adam (October 21, 2019). "Watch Mason Alexander Park and Isaac Powell Perform 'Sparkle Like Bowie' From Loveville High Podcast". Playbill. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  19. "The complete 2020 Helen Hayes Awards and more". DC Metro Theater Arts. September 25, 2020. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  20. Millward, Tom (December 7, 2023). "Nominations in full: the 24th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved December 13, 2023.