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Mason Alexander Park

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Mason Alexander Park
Park at the 2023 WonderCon
Born (1995-07-12) July 12, 1995 (age 29)
EducationPoint Park University (BA)
OccupationActor
Years active2010−present
Websitemasonalexanderpark.com

Mason Alexander Park (born July 12, 1995) is an American actor. They[a] 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.

Early life

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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

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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

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Park is non-binary and goes by they/them and she/her pronouns. On July 26, 2024, Park shared on X that they are part of the transgender community.[15]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2015 Not in My Backyard Student
2019 Before You Know It Fellow
2023 National Anthem Carrie

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2010 Pizza & Karaoke Television film
2011 iCarly Toby Peterson Episode: "iLove You"
2012 Broadway or Bust Self
2013 Bucket & Skinner's Epic Adventures Toby 2 episodes
2020 Acting for a Cause Various
2021 Cowboy Bebop Gren 5 episodes
2022 The Legend of Vox Machina Tavern Keeper Voice role[16]
2022 The Sandman Desire Main role
2022–2024 Quantum Leap Ian Wright Main role
2023 iCarly Toby Peterson Episode: "iReunited and It Felt OK"

Web

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Year Title Role Notes
2017 Transplants Mas

Stage

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Year Title Role Notes
2015 Mary Poppins Miss Andrew Benedum Center, Pittsburgh CLO
2015 Altar Boyz Mark Greer Cabaret Theater, CLO
2015 Spring Awakening Moritz Greer Cabaret Theater
2016 South Pacific Professor Benedum Center, CLO
2017 Hedwig and the Angry Inch Hedwig US tour
2018 The Rocky Horror Show Dr Frank N Furter Bucks County Playhouse, New Hope
2019 Cabaret Emcee Olney Theatre Center
2020 I Am My Own Wife Charlotte von Mahlsdorf Long Wharf Theatre, New Haven
2021 Hedwig and the Angry Inch Hedwig Olney Theatre Center
2021 The Pansy Craze Solo Show The Green Room 42, Chelsea Table + Stage, New York
2023 Cabaret Emcee Playhouse Theatre, London - Nominated for Best Takeover Performance at 2024 WhatsOnStage Awards
2024 American Idiot St. Jimmy Deaf West Theatre, Los Angeles
2024 The Tempest Ariel Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London

Audio

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Year Title Role Notes
2019 Loveville High Jendrix [17]

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2020 Helen Hayes Awards Outstanding Lead Performer in a Musical Cabaret Won [18]
2024 WhatsOnStage Awards Best Takeover Performance Cabaret Nominated [19]

Footnotes

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  1. ^ Park uses both they/them and she/her pronouns and switches between them; this article uses they/them pronouns for consistency.

References

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  1. ^ Bjella, Braden (June 18, 2021). "interview – mason alexander park". Schön!. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  2. ^ "2012 Nominees | the National High School Musical Theatre Awards".
  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. ^ "'Tweet". x.com. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  16. ^ 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.
  17. ^ 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.
  18. ^ "The complete 2020 Helen Hayes Awards and more". DC Metro Theater Arts. September 25, 2020. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  19. ^ Millward, Tom (December 7, 2023). "Nominations in full: the 24th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
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