Alex Mercer

Alex Mercer is one of the main protagonists in the Netflix series Julie and the Phantoms. He is portrayed by Owen Patrick Joyner.

Biography
Alex was 17 years old in 1995 when he died of food poisoning. Not much is known about Alex’s past. Alex’s parents became distant when he came out as gay (according to Luke in Bright). They remained unreconciled at the time of his death. Sometime in the 1990s, Alex formed the band Sunset Curve with best friends Luke, Reggie, and Bobby.

On the night of July 22nd in 1995, Sunset Curve was scheduled to play at The Orpheum, an A-list Hollywood performance venue known for kickstarting numerous musical careers (according to Luke in Wake Up). After a soundcheck, Luke, Reggie and Alex leave the venue to get “street dogs” before the show while Bobby stays behind to talk to the pretty bartender, Rose (allegedly Julie Molina‘s mother). The three, however, never return. After taking a bite of his hotdog, Alex comments that “that’s a new flavor”, to which Reggie replies, “street dogs haven’t killed us yet” (Wake Up). Within the hour, the three teenagers are dead, and Sunset Curve never played The Orpheum.

Throughout Julie and the Phantoms
To Be Added

Personality
Alex is sarcastic with his friends and likes making little snarky comments towards them in a way to show affection. He is also a very nervous person and is shown to struggle with anxiety. He is very kind-hearted and is the most levelheaded of the group and is usually the voice of reason. He is also the most in-tune with his emotions. Alex can be seen slowly unwinding throughout season one as he and the boys learn more about their existence as ghosts and as his relationships develop with Julie and Willie. He has an underlying passion for dance, exhibited when he dances on stage with minor-antagonist Carrie and her musical group “Dirty Candy” in Finally Free.

Physical Appearance
Alex is 5 feet 11 inches tall. He has green eyes and blonde hair, cut short on the sides and back, but longer in front with a fringe over his right eye. He can usually be seen wearing a pink top or jumper with a denim jacket and black pants. He also always wears a gold chain and carries a black fanny pack over his left shoulder. His signature colour is pink.

Friendships

 * Reggie Peters (best friend, bandmate)
 * Luke Patterson (best friend, bandmate)
 * Julie Molina (best friend, bandmate)
 * Willie (friend, crush)

Enemies

 * Caleb Covington
 * Trevor Wilson (former best friend, ex-bandmate)

Appearances

 * Season One


 * Wake Up
 * Bright
 * Flying Solo
 * I Got the Music
 * The Other Side of Hollywood
 * Finally Free
 * Edge of Great
 * Unsaid Emily
 * Stand Tall

Trivia

 * Alex is the drummer and backup vocalist in Julie and the Phantoms, and formerly in Sunset Curve.
 * He is the first openly LGBTQ+ character to be featured in a Kenny Ortega production (Ryan Evans was confirmed gay in 2020, but it was never stated throughout the HSM series).
 * He enjoys dancing.
 * He started playing drums to help with his anxiety.
 * Alex carries a black fanny pack almost everywhere. Fans’ speculation as to what is inside has ranged from the practical inhaler and an epipen (due to Joyner’s own nut allergy), to the less likely ‘a braincell’.

Quotes

 * "I have been crying for 25 years?! How is that possible!?" (Wake Up)
 * "I think she‘s warming up to us." (Wake Up)
 * "Yee-Haw” (Bright)
 * "I wish I couldn’t see you." (Flying Solo)
 * "Don’t tell me how to ghost!" (Flying Solo)
 * "Dinged your board- dude, you ran me over!" (Flying Solo)
 * "I've always been a little anxious, and then I died. Which did not calm me down. (Flying Solo)“You know what else is so ‘90s? Being rude. Get woke. These are sensitive times.” (Flying Solo)
 * "He looks like a substitute teacher." (I Got The Music)
 * "Willie and I? I mean I wouldn’t call what we have magic but..." (The Other Side of Hollywood)
 * "If you see Willie, can you tell him that I was looking for him?" (The Other Side of Hollywood)
 * "It’s not me, it’s my feet." (Finally Free)
 * "Do you have any idea what you’ve done?" (Edge of Great)
 * "You should never say ‘ooze’ again but, yeah, I agree." (Edge of Great)
 * "I see chemistry." (Edge of Great)
 * "I would have still followed you." (Unsaid Emily)
 * "I knew she was gonna come in here, but nobody ever listens to me." (Stand Tall)