Alexis Arquette (b. July 28, 1969 birth name "Robert Arquette" ) is an American, male-to-female, transgender actress, musician, cartoonist, and cabaret drag performer. Arquette was born in Los Angeles, California to a family of actors including siblings Patricia, David, Richmond, and Rosanna Arquette, her father Lewis Arquette and her grandfather Cliff Arquette. She is the sister-in-law of actress Courteney Cox from the TV series Friends, where she also played a guest role in the episode titled The One with Chandler's Dad in the 7th Season.
Arquette, in the earlier years of her career, primarily performed as a female impersonator, frequently under the name "Eva Destruction". Later in her career, she made public that she had begun the process leading to sex reassignment surgery. To this end, Arquette has publicly declared that she considers her gender to be female.
Her first job in 1982 at age 12, was in the music video She's a Beauty for the San-Francisco-based rock band The Tubes, cast as a young boy. "this little kid who's on a ride with all these women and whatnot."
Lesser known than Patricia, David, and Rosanna, the majority of her film work has been limited to low-budget or independent films. These have included her critically acclaimed debut performance as male-to-female transsexual Georgette in Last Exit to Brooklyn. She also appeared in I Think I Do, Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror, and Killer Drag Queens on Dope, among 40 other independent pictures.
Arquette has appeared in supporting roles in mainstream films, including Pulp Fiction, Threesome, Bride of Chucky and a memorable appearance as a Boy George fanatic in The Wedding Singer, singing "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?" over and over. In 2001, Arquette played the Roman emperor Caligula in two episodes of the cult television show Xena: Warrior Princess. Also in 2001, Arquette guest starred in the Friends episode The One with Chandler's Dad as a waiter in drag, in the show's 7th season.
In September 2005, VH1 announced her casting in an upcoming season of the reality show The Surreal Life. In January 2007 it was announced she would become the latest contestant in the UK television show, Celebrity Big Brother, although she never actually appeared.[citation needed]
On January 31, 2007, Arquette was a featured celebrity client and guest judge on the premiere episode of Bravo Channel's television show Top Design where she was humorously described by one of the contestants as "Iggy Pop in drag."
Arquette also made a cameo appearance in Robbie Williams's "She's Madonna" video.
On February 26, 2007, Arquette was a guest on The Adam Carolla Show. Danny Bonaduce, a co-host, asked Alexis if she had a penis. The question, and Alexis' refusal to answer sparked an argument between Carolla, Bonaduce, and Arquette, ending in Arquette storming out of the studio and violently pushing sound equipment at them as she was leaving.
The film Alexis Arquette: She's My Brother premieres at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival.
