ForAlex Newell, art is imitating life onZoeys Extraordinary Playlist.
But its all by design.
Mo goes from being the sidekick to the star of his own story, and its about time.
Sergei Bachlakov/NBC
I always knew that they wanted to give me something that personal to me, the actor tells EW.
What could they possibly struggle with?
I really wanted to depict that in an honest, truthful form.
Sergei Bachlakov/NBC
With Newells help, Winsberg set about developing the character of Mo.
The role itself is modeled after me, Newell says.
I am so different, so its nice to make it personal.
Sergei Bachlakov/NBC
Its a story I always wanted to tell.
Every actor wants to play themselves in a way, and its really hard to play yourself.
And Im not playing myself, but a version of myself.
Its hard to be that honest and open.
I am a little bit more private and reserved.
I can be non-outgoing at times.
Mo is like the heightened, best version of myself.
There are literally no regrets when playing Mo.
Newell laughs, then adds, I cant live my life like that.
But this weeks big Mo episode is ripped straight from Newells life.
I had given that church everything.
I gave them a part of me throughout my entire life.
I grew up in that church.
It was the only church I had been a member of since I was born.
Struggling with that and my sexuality and my gender representation has always been difficult.
When Im saying these things as Mo, its really me reliving all of those things, he says.
Im ready for people to see the final scene.
I think its so cathartic.
You get so much of a reward at the end of it to see what true acceptance is.
I cant shy away that all of these roles ring true for me.
My pop in of person should be accepted.
Its a hard thing, he adds.
Its not like Im this magical person who has the answers to everything.
Im figuring it out just as fast and slow as everybody else is figuring it out.
Zoeys Extraordinary Playlistairs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
