Meet Alex Landi, A New Addition to Fall TV
“Grey’s Anatomy” has hired a new surgeon for its next season. Taking up the post is Alex Landi, who makes his major entry into television acting with the show’s 15th season.
His character, Nico Kim, was announced earlier this month along with another key detail: Kim is the show’s first gay male surgeon. (Landi himself is the next Asian doctor on the series, after Sandra Oh left the franchise in 2014.)
“We obviously knew there would be buzz, but we didn’t actually realize how much of a global reach ‘Greys Anatomy’ actually has. I was getting messages from Brazil, Italy, France, India, it wasn’t just everyone in America,” Ladni says of reaction to announcement of his character. “I really look up to all the producers and directors for taking this chance [on me], and opening it up to especially an Asian doctor. I think it’s great that they’re combining the Asian ethnicity with the LGBTQ community and combining it into role.”
It also may have the added benefit of attracting viewers back to long running show.
“I think a lot of the fans were kind of waiting for a gay male surgeon like this,” Landi says. “Some of the people were saying that they are going to start watching ‘Grey’s’ again because of the casting. When I read stuff like that it’s definitely really welcoming, and this is why I’m doing this.”
The New York City native, who double majored in Economics and Finance before deciding to pursue acting full time, studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute before enduring the “constant grind” of auditioning.
“There’s always a little bit of luck that goes into these castings,” says Landi, who recently relocated to L.A. for filming. “It’s honestly a dream come true for me. It’s a lot of hard work and perseverance; it’s taken me years to get to this stage. I took the leap, and here I am now.”
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