Actress & Philanthropist – Lexie Stevenson

Cox: Lexie Stevenson please tell me about who you are before we get into your amazing career and the work you are doing.

Stevenson: I come from a pretty grounded upbringing in Maine. I grew up with the values of family, community, and all that good stuff. 

Cox: So where did this love and passion for acting come from?

Stevenson: Well actually singing was what I wanted to do first, but being where I’m from there weren’t really any studios for me to go record anything (laughs). I joined a musical theater group to showcase my singing skills. This is when I found my love for acting because with musical theater I’m doing both singing and acting. 

Stevenson(contin): This was the route I took, and I did a lot of background work in New York, Georgia and Florida. 

Cox: So what brought Lexie west to Los Angeles? 

Stevenson: I actually got accepted to SUNY Purchase College in New York, but my two uncles who lived in LA, told me I needed to visit to see what opportunities there could be for me in LA after college. One of my uncles was connected with a lot of agents and managers and set up a few meetings. These meetings lead to me being signed. When I got back to Maine, my dad and I packed up my Ford Explorer to move me to Los Angeles. 

Lexie took that chance to follow her dreams and deferred her enrollment for a year. Once that year was up it was time for her to make another big decision. She took her chance with college. Right when she informed everyone she was leaving Los Angeles she was informed she was going in for testing to be on The Young and The Restless. 

Cox: Okay so now it’s moving fast for you. How was that part of your journey staying in Los Angeles for the audition? 

Stevenson: They told me the test was in two weeks. After I tested I got a call later that day saying I have a fitting tomorrow. I went for my fitting on Tuesday and I started filming for the role on a Thursday. 

Cox: Your parents played a big role in your life and supported your career ambitions.

Stevenson: Yes my parents did, especially my mom. Mind you, my mom is a doctor and a lawyer so college was always a goal of hers for me. She would ask me what am I going to do after high school and I would reply go to college. She would follow up with “what about after college” and I would reply I’m going to graduate school. 

Stevenson (contin): Then there was a moment where I just told her yeah I’m not going to college (laughs). She said okay and continues to be supportive. She has her days where she asks “are you sure you don’t want to go to college”. I always reply “yes I’m sure”. I mean I may go back one day to get my degree, but for now I’m okay. 

I spoke with Lexie about how she could go down this path with the support of her family but many others pursuing this career do not share that luxury. She said the only way she could describe it was like hunger. There was this hungry feeling and the only way she could feed it was by pursuing acting. She said while recently taking a new acting class the teacher asked her if this is the only profession she is pursuing. Lexie replied “yes” with all the confidence in the world because for her it’s acting or nothing else. 

Cox: Now moving on to your philanthropy. You are the youngest woman EVER to be The Head of the Advisory Board for the Endometriosis Foundation of America. Tell me why you chose this organization and why you took a board position. 

Stevenson: It started with a post I made on my blog while I was working on The Young and The Restless. I went into a chop shop to get a salad and a woman stopped me. She said aren’t you Lexie Stevenson?” I said yes, and she said because of your blog post I thought I might have Endometriosis so I went to get checked and (deleted a part of the sentence) was diagnosed. 

Stevenson (contin): For me that was exciting because I was happy that my blog post helped her to get diagnosed early as opposed to going 4-6 years without being diagnosed. This is when I realized this is really important and I can do more. 

Cox: Can you describe what it feels like for our readers? 

Stevenson: I tell women if they experience cramping to an extreme degree on and off their period, those are pretty big signs that the cramping may be caused by Endometriosis.  To ensure that you are diagnosed properly you should seek out practitioners who have training and experience in Endometriosis so that you understand exactly what’s going on and learn about what pain management options there are for you.

Stevenson (contin): But what I tell everyone is that you know your body better than any doctor. I don’t just urge women but men as well. If you feel like there is something wrong, say it. I actually went to the doctor recently, and told the nurse how I was feeling. She dismissed what I was saying so I told her I don’t care if it doesn’t makes sense to you because it does to me. I know my body so you all need to go figure out what’s going on. 

What is remarkable about Lexie is that even at a young age she is working towards empowering people to not just settle for the first thing a doctor or nurse says. This is why she is the youngest on the board for her organization. She took a moment in her life and used it as a vehicle for change for others. With all that she has going on she still finds the time and space to speak with others and let them know they are heard, never ignored, and they are supported.