American Journalist, Financial News Reporter at Insider, Inc

Reed Alexander | Biography

Author of 'KewlBites: 100 Nutritious, Delicious, and Family-Friendly Recipes'

• By Yunil Tamrakar
• Update : March 20, 2022

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Reed Alexander is an actor best known for his roles in the television shows like Sam & Cat (2013), iCarly (2007), and  Will & Grace (1998).

Who is Reed Alexander?

Reed Alexander is an American journalist, author, and actor. He was born in Boca Raton, Florida, on 23 December 1994. 

He began acting at the age of 10 and went on to initiate a food blog in 2009. Then in 2013, he began studying Media Studies and Broadcast Journalism at the prestigious New York University, graduating in 2017. After which, he became a professional journalist and also went on to study Masters of Science in Journalism at Columbia University, graduating in 2020. 

Other than that, Alexander dedicated his food website to healthy eating for kids, and in 2013 he authored a cookbook called 'KewlBites: 100 Nutritious, Delicious, and Family-Friendly Recipes'.

Besides being an actor and journalist, he has become a spokesperson for good eating practices. He has also promoted Michelle Obama's Let's Move! Campaign. 

Alexander is also a spokesperson for the American Heart Association and the Clinton Foundation's anti-obesity program, Alliance for a Healthier Generation. He has also been credited with getting healthy eating messages to young audiences.

From Child Actor to journalism 

Alexander got interested in acting from the age of 3. His first acting role was in the 2002 movie A Death in the Family, where he had a guest role. 

Followed by that, he acted in numerous movies and series, including a recurring role of Jordan Truman on Will & grace from 2005 to 2006. He was nominated for a 'Young Artist Award' for 'Best Performance in a Television Series' (Comedy) - Guest Starring Actor for his role in Will & Grace.   

Then as C. Kingsley Weatherhead on Out of Jimmy's Head in 2007, as lead actor Pennington Jr. in the direct-to-video telefilm 2009 movie Ace Ventura: Pet Detective Jr., and as Trueman on series Kickin' It in 2011. 

Subsequently, in 2007 he began appearing as Nevel Papperman on the infamous Nickelodeon's Series iCarly. Although his appearances were limited to only a handful of episodes, he was most recognized as Nevel of the series until 2012. Furthermore, he also reprised the same character in Nickelodeon's television series Sam & Cat in the episode '#SuperPsycho.'

Subsequently, by the age of 13, Alexander had already developed his interest in journalism as he became obsessed with international news. And his frequent visits to television shows added to his passion development. 

Then in 2013, Alexander joined New York University, and in the same year, he began working as a columnist and writer at the HuffPost. He worked there till 2015 while alongside also contributing to the BBC New York and London from 2014 to 2016.  

Furthermore, he briefly worked for CNN as digital newsgathering in 2016 and also stood as the Student Senator and President of the McGhee Student Association of NYU from 2016 to 2017. While from 2017 to 2018, he was a reporter for the Dow Jones New York. 

Recent Indulgence: Both Journalism and Acting

As of 2022, Alexander is employed by Insider, Inc. as a financial news reporter, where he covers investment banks and Wall Street culture. 

While in 2021, Alexander also reprised his role of Nevel on the reboot of iCarly on the episode 'iRobot Wedding.' In an interview with Lithium Magazine, he shared his elated feelings about being invited to the revived season. 

He said, "It was really a mix of, I think, tremendous enthusiasm and a healthy degree of anxiety. I feel so fortunate and blessed…to be called back to be part of the show in its second chapter, its second life." 

Furthermore, in the 2021 interview, he also disclosed that initially, after joining journalism, he told his close friends and family that he was not planning on returning to acting. "I took a step back from the acting world about eight years ago, and I had been very vocal with people that I really did not think that it was something I was going to do again," he revealed. 

Nevertheless, he could not deny the opportunity after being invited to the show. "But when this opportunity presented itself, it was a very quick decision to say yes. These people that I'd worked with since the age of twelve had seen me through so many chapters," he further added. "And we've stayed in touch, we've stayed friends, so what was I going to do? Be the only person who didn't want to do this? This was such an exciting chance to be back on set and get the gang back together and try something that I had thought maybe the door was closed to."

His Link Between Previous and Present Career

Alexander began working at the Insider as a fellow after completing his Master's from Columbia in 2020. And by 2021, he was already covering reports on investment banks and the financial market. 

Following this, in the 2021 Insider interview, he reasoned that there were acts he learned from acting that helped him gain confidence in journalism reporting. 

He explained, "Acting is such a human endeavor — understanding people's motivations and what makes them think the way they do. Plus, as an industry, entertainment is a very social space. Those are skills that really benefit you as a journalist."

While he also pointed out the skills, he related as an actor and a journalist. "Some of the basic training that comes with acting — like knowing how to memorize lines, communicate with an audience, hold your own in front of a camera, and project confidence — is extremely helpful in a journalistic context, too," he concluded. 

Balancing All Aspects 

At 28, Alexander successfully landed a career as an actor, healthy food advocate-author, and journalist. However, in the Lithium interview, he mentioned that he tries to view his indulgences in separate affiliations. 

He confirmed that he is primarily driven towards investigative reporting as he developed the interests at the age of 13. Followed by which he is proud of his moments as an actor and his character's influence on many people. 

However, irrespective of his priorities, he could not accept his careers as living separate lives. "I don't think they're separate lives. What I've gained from acting, as a reporter, has been so profound—how to feel confident in front of a camera and project confidence in an interview," he reasoned.   

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Furthermore, Alexander also added that after becoming occupied by his reporting career, he has not been mindful about his cooking. He mentioned that instead of cooking like he was passionate about, he has now settled for easy healthy eating habits.

He explained, "There was a time in my life when I was obsessed with cooking and would make really ambitious recipes with globally inspired menus. But now I've become a very simple cook. One recipe I've really been enjoying is, you take a piece of salmon and marinate it with maple, soy, lemongrass, ginger, and scallions. I usually roast that with some fingerling potatoes and herbes de provence. I also do a lot of overnight oats. You can see the pattern here—it's ease!"

Is Reed Alexander Gay?

Although unconfirmed how and when there were multiple rumors of Alexander being gay. Reportedly, iCarly fans speculated that his sexuality could fit into the stereotypical characteristics of a gay man. However, Alexander has not commented on the alleged speculations.

Nevertheless, he has uploaded multiple pictures with Stephanie Stadler. He also wished her on Valentine on his Instagram account, which he later deleted. Subsequently, he has not confirmed his relationship status with Stadler and vice versa.