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.

One night in 1995, Sunset Curve was due 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 mom). 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.

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 anxious and nervous person. He is very kind-hearted and is the most levelheaded of the group. 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 he develops relationships 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.

Friendships

 * Reggie Peters (best friend, bandmate)
 * Luke Patterson (best friend, bandmate, ex-boyfriend)
 * Julie Molina (friend, bandmate)
 * Willie (friend, crush, boyfriend?)

Enemies

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

Trivia

 * Alex plays the drums in Julie and the Phantoms
 * 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).
 * Alex meets Willie when the skateboarder crashes into him while Alex is taking a walk to clear his head. When Willie takes off his cracked helmet, Alex is smitten.
 * He enjoys dancing.
 * He started playing drums to help with his anxiety.
 * Lots of his iconic lines were improvised by actor Owen Patrick Joyner such as: (Reggie: “Girls. Am I right?”) (Luke: “Yeah”) Alex: “No”


 * 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)

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" (Wake Up)

"I think she‘a warming up to us." (Wake Up)

"Come on, Reginald." (Bright)

"I wish I couldn’t see you." (Flying Solo)

(Reggie: "Tell those cheerleaders I’m single!") Alex: "Oh, and that he’s dead!" (Flying Solo)

"Don’t tell me how to ghost!" (Flying Solo)

“You know what else is so ‘90s? Being rude, all right? Get woke. These are sensitive times. Learnt that from my ghost friend.” (Reggie: “Woke. That's a cool word. What does it mean?”) ”No clue.” (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)

"Put me back in, coach." (Finally Free)

"It’s not me, it’s my feet." (Finally Free)

"Making me blush." (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)

(Reggie: "Girls. Am I right?") (Luke: "Yeah.") Alex: "No." (Edge of Great)

"I knew she was gonna come in here, but nobody ever listens to me." (Stand Tall)

”I don’t think you can call what we have ‘a life’.”

"I’m swimming!"