Impeccable stage, television, and film actress as well as talented musician and recording artist, Ajiona Alexus is best known as one of the breakout stars of Netflix’s critically acclaimed drama series “13 Reasons Why.” In the Selena Gomez-produced hit series, Alexus plays ‘Sheri Holland,’ the sweet and remorseful cheerleader whose dark secret is revealed as the subject of Tape 5, Side B on ‘Hannah’s’ (Katherine Langford) tapes (season two premieres in May 2018).
On the film front, Alexus can currently be seen in theatres nationwide co-starring in the Lionsgate psychological thriller ACRIMONY as a young version of Taraji P. Henson’s character, ‘Melinda’. The film follows a faithful wife (‘Melinda’) tired of standing by her devious husband, who becomes enraged when she realizes she has been betrayed. ACRIMONY also marks the second time that Alexus has played a young version of Taraji P. Henson, having previously played young ‘Cookie’ in FOX’s Golden Globe Award-winning series “Empire.” Up next, Alexus is set to co-star in Blumhouse’s horror film FAMILY BLOOD which will be release on Netflix on Friday, May 4th. Additionally, Alexus will co-star opposite Gabrielle Union and Jason George (“Grey’s Anatomy”) in the highly-anticipated Universal Pictures Will Packer-produced thriller BREAKING IN, slated for a wide theatrical release on Friday, May 11th. In the film Alexus plays ‘Jasmine Russell,’ Gabrielle Union’s smart but stubborn oldest child who finds herself the target of a home invasion.
Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, Alexus grew up playing basketball and soccer and at the age of 6 she began acting and performing on stage. While attending the prestigious Alabama School of Fine Arts (ASFA), she received high praise for portraying a woman with autism who is dying of cancer in the one-woman show Spoonface Steinberg by playwright Lee Hall. As a teenager she often traveled to Atlanta for auditions and at the age of 16 was booked as series regular in “The Rickey Smiley Show” that aired on TV One for three seasons. Alexus then moved to Los Angeles, where shebegan booking roles on everything from “Grey’s Anatomy” to “Code Black” before landing the recurring role of young ‘Cookie’ on FOX’s mega-hit drama “Empire.”
