When the “Deep Cuts” Odessa A’zion casting controversy was the biggest topic of conversation in pop culture, a non-zero amount of voices suggested that actress Alexa Demie should take over the role of Mexican and Jewish character Zoe Gutierrez.
“Latine roles should go to Latine actors. It’s that simple. And Jewish Mexican roles should go to Jewish Mexican actors,” writer Ces Heredia wrote at the time. “Alexa Demie, Ariana Greenblatt, and Sara Paxton are right there, as well as many unknown actresses in search of their big break, I’m sure.” (To be clear, Ariana Greenblatt is Latina and Jewish, but not Mexican and Jewish. Her mother’s family is from Puerto Rico.) Influencer Fernanda Cortes also suggested Alexa Demie as someone who could play the role, calling her a Mexican-Jewish actress.
@fernandacortesx Deep Cuts could’ve cast an amazing Latina actress! What do you guys think? #latina #alexademie #odessaazion #a24
But where did this claim come from? And is it true? With the new season of “Euphoria” now airing, it’s as good a time as any to commence an investigation!
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If you’ve been following along with our previous investigations of this nature, you know that we’re looking to check at least one of two boxes. Does Alexa Demie identify as culturally or religiously Jewish? And/or, does Alexa Demie have Jewish ancestry? If the answer to either of those questions is a resounding yes, she’s a member of the tribe!
Let’s begin with the second question. Does Alexa Demie identify as culturally or religiously Jewish? In an episode of the A24 podcast, Alexa was in conversation with Jewish comedian Nathan Fielder. When he asked her if she’s religious, this was her response: “My grandma, my aunts, they were always really religious, but my mom, she’s just more spiritual. My stepdad’s dad was Christian, and so they would force us to go to church and I hated it. I’m not religious like that, I’m just spiritual. I just believe in a God, which is in all of us, and angels and fairies and aliens.”
“And I love Jesus, but not as a Christian or a Catholic person,” she added. Alexa then proceeded to ask Nathan about his beliefs and he explained the way he interacts with Jewish holidays, rituals and philosophy. Based on that interaction, it seems fairly reasonable to assume that Alexa does not identify as religiously or culturally Jewish.
OK, but what about her family? In a 2021 interview with Vogue Mexico, Alexa shared that she has Mexican heritage through her mother Rose, whose family immigrated to the United States from Michoacán, Mexico when Rose was an infant.
“I’ve always felt extremely connected to my Latin roots. I feel deeply rooted,” Alexa explained. In a 2022 interview with Vogue, Alexa shared of her childhood that her mom, aunts and grandmother — who raised her — enriched her imagination with Hispanic and Mexican folktales. All of this information does not necessarily preclude her mother’s family from being Jewish. But if they were, wouldn’t it have come up in these conversations?
Let’s move on to her father’s side of the family. It’s a bit unclear what relationship, if any, Alexa had with her father, as available information seems to indicate that he was not a major part of her life growing up. In fact, in 2019, Alexa legally changed her name from Alexa Demie Wilson Vanerstrom to just Alexa Demie. This seems to confirm that her father was Scott Wilson Vanerstrom, the son of Carole Freedman (née Unrot), the first wife of Beach Boy Dennis Wilson. (Dennis Wilson apparently adopted Scott.) Per Ethniceleb.com (so, as always, take with a grain of salt), Carole’s parents were of Russian Jewish and Polish Jewish descent. Alexa’s IMDb page confirms this, stating that her father had Ashkenazi, German and French-Canadian heritage.
Verdict: Yes, Alexa Demie has Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry through her father’s family. However, it’s unclear how she identifies.
