Entertainment

Transgender Activist and Actress Alexis Arquette Dies at 47

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Transgender actress, performer, and activist Alexis Arquette passed away on Sunday around midnight at the age of 47. Alexis was the sibling of actors David, Rosanna, Patricia, and Richmond Arquette. The cause of death is not known, but she was reportedly surrounded by family members singing David Bowie’s “Starman” as she passed. According to Alexis’ wishes they all cheered as she “passed to another dimension.”

Her sister Patricia tweeted a link to Bowie’s song early Sunday, with the words “Breaking through the veil singing StarMan.”

Alexis was born as Robert Arquette in Los Angeles in 1969. She came from a family full of actors–the siblings’ father and grandfather were also in the business. She was best known for her roles in “Last Exit To Brooklyn,” “Pulp Fiction,” and as a Boy George impersonator in “The Wedding Singer,” with Adam Sandler. The real Boy George expressed his condolences on Twitter.

Alexis knew early on that she was trans. In a 2008 interview with The Times, her sister Patricia said that Alexis started dressing in girls’ clothes at the age of four and later realized that she wasn’t a gay man, she was simply a woman in the wrong body.

Alexis Arquette was also a prominent transgender activist and appeared in VH1’s reality show “The Surreal Life,” which depicted celebrities living together in a Hollywood house trying to decide what their next step in their careers would be. While on the show, she highlighted transgender issues for a broader audience, and continued to do so in the documentary “Alexis Arquette: She’s My Brother” in 2007. The film focused on her transition through her and her family’s eyes. According to the LA Times, she said:

Coming out as transgender in America from a celebrity family is a lot easier than it can be for private individuals anywhere else in the world. In fact, if you come out as transgender in certain parts of the world, you may be murdered in the street.

The Human Rights Campaign acknowledged Alexis’ work for transgender rights and equality on Twitter.

Alexis’ siblings posted the sad news about their sister’s death on social media, David Arquette calling her his “hero for eternity.”

David’s ex-wife Courteney Cox also expressed her grief.

The family also said in a statement:

Alexis was a brilliant artist and painter, a singer, an entertainer and an actor. We learned what real bravery is through watching her journey of living as a trans woman. We came to discover the one truth – that love is everything. We are comforted by the fact that Alexis came into our family and was our brother and then our sister, and that she gave us so much love. We will love you always, Alexis. We know we were the lucky ones.

The Arquette family asked for privacy and requested that people wishing to express their sympathies donate money to organizations that support the LGBT community.

Emma Von Zeipel
Emma Von Zeipel
Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.

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