Jesse James Keitel's bio: Gender at birth, Harvey Keitel, boyfriend
Jesse James Keitel is a gifted actress, writer, and artist best known for portraying non-binary and queer characters. The actress identified as a non-binary person before coming out as a trans woman. Did you know she was a drag queen before she ventured into acting? Read Jesse James Keitel's bio for more information about her life and career.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- American actress Jesse James Keitel gained prominence following her impressive appearance in the crime drama thriller series Big Sky.
- Jesse is a transgender woman. She openly came out in 2022.
- The actress was born and raised in Manorville, New York.
Profile summary
| Full name | Jesse James Keitel |
| Gender | Female (trans) |
| Date of birth | 22 May 1993 |
| Age | 32 years (as of 2025) |
| Place of birth | Manorville, Suffolk County, New York, United States |
| Current residence | New York, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Zodiac sign | Gemini |
| Sexuality | Queer |
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) |
| Weight | 121 lb (55 kg) |
| Hair colour | Black |
| Eye colour | Dark brown |
| Marital status | Single |
| Alma mater | Pace University |
| Profession | Actress, writer, and artist |
| @jessejameskeitel |
Jesse James Keitel's bio
Jesse James Keitel is an American actress, writer, and artist. She is best known for her roles on Miller & Son, Big Sky, and Queer as Folk.
How old is Jesse James Keitel?
Jesse James Keitel's age is 32 years as of 2025. The American actress was born on 22 May 1993, and her Zodiac sign is Gemini.
Source: Original
Jesse James Keitel's early life
Jesse was born male and is now an openly transgender woman. The actress has yet to discuss what her childhood was like. There is little to know about Jesse James Keitel's parents because she has yet to disclose who they are and what they do.
Is Jesse James Keitel the daughter of Harvey Keitel?
No, Harvey Keitel is not Jesse James Keitel's father. There are reports that Harvey is her distant relative.
Jesse James' grandfather, Jerome Keitel, was Harvey's cousin. Harvey is an American actor known for his portrayal of morally ambiguous and "tough guy" characters.
Harvey first rose to prominence during the New Hollywood movement. He has held a long-running association with director Martin Scorsese, starring in six of his films since 1973. He has also acted in numerous films and television shows.
Source: Getty Images
Educational background
The American actress, writer, and artist went to school in New York. For her higher studies, she went to Pace University, a private institution. Jesse pursued a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts with a major in acting and graduated in 2015.
Career
After completing her studies at Pace University, Jesse James Keitel became a drag performer in New York City. Peroxide was her stage name.
Later on, Jesse James Keitel ventured into acting. She is best known for her role in ABC's crime series Big Sky and the Student Academy Award-winning film Miller & Son.
Jesse was honoured in Out Magazine's Out100 in 2018 for portraying the role of a queer character in the Netflix film Alex Strangelove. She has also won the BAFTA Student Film Award, Gold Medal, and Student Academy Awards.
Below are some of the movies and television series the American actress has been featured in:
| Title | Year | Role |
| L'alphabête Noire | 2024 | - |
| Hot White Heist 2 | 2024 | Morgan |
| Star Trek: Strange New Worlds | 2022 | Dr. Aspen |
| Queer as Folk | 2022 | Ruthie O'Neil |
| Big Sky | 2020-2022 | Jerrie Kennedy |
| Forever Alone | 2020 | Adrian |
| Map of Brooklyn | 2020 | Becca |
| Fluidity | 2019 | Kevin |
| Miller & Son | 2019 | Ryan Miller |
| Like Glass | 2019 | Zion |
| Younger | 2018 | Tam |
| Alex Strangelove | 2018 | Sidney |
| House of Dreams | 2017 | Ambiguous Gunner |
| What Would You Do? | 2016 | Closeted Gay Teen |
| 56 Days | - | Alison Meadows |
| Mic & Me | 2017 | - |
| Jessica and David | 2016 | Waiter |
| Anything Else. | 2015 | Josh |
| Celebrity Ghost Stories | 2013 | Diana's Brother David |
Who is Tam in Younger?
In Younger, Tam is a guest character played by Jesse James Keitel.
Who is Jesse James Keitel in Strange New Worlds?
In Star Trek, Jesse James Keitel portrays the character of Dr. Aspen. Dr. Aspen is a non-binary character.
Why did Jerrie leave Big Sky?
In Big Sky, Jesse portrayed the character of Jerrie Kennedy. In the episode Mother Nurture of the popular television series, fans saw Jerrie decide to leave Helena to spend more time with her parents.
The actress went to say goodbye to her mother, who had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. The episode saw her reunite with her father in emotional scenes. Note that it is not Jesse James Keitel who left the show, but her character, Jerrie.
Following rumours of her exit from the show, the actress confirmed that she was not going anywhere. Jesse said:
Jerrie's still got a lot of work left to do at Dewell and Hoyt... I don't think she's going anywhere anytime soon… except to go see her parents.
Source: Getty Images
Is Jesse James Keitel married?
The Big Sky actress is not married. There are unconfirmed reports that AJ Lebens is Jesse James Keitel's partner.
The American actress has yet to speak about her relationship with AJ Lebens despite rumours circulating for years that the two are engaged.
Coming out as a trans woman
In 2020, the actress said she identified as non-binary. At the time, she used the pronouns they/them. In 2022, she came out as a trans woman who now uses the pronouns she/her.
In 2022, she took to IG to express her pride in changing how trans people were treated in TV/film. Jesse said:
Trans people have a complicated history with tv/ film — but at a time when trans women are constantly vilified, mocked & legislated against IRL, I take pride in flipping the script. Cis actors get to play every shade of good & evil — let us do the same! (ESPECIALLY when they get to be insightful) 😈🏳️⚧️☠️🏴☠️
Source: Getty Images
Jesse James Keitel's height and weight
The American actress is 5 ft 7 in or 170 cm tall. She weighs about 121 lb or 55 kg, and has back hair and dark brown eyes.
Trivia
- Jesse James Keitel is an animal lover.
- She is a fashion lover.
- Jesse enjoys going out for meals with her loved ones.
- She has a small tattoo on her left middle finger.
- Jesse enrolled in a course at HERE Arts Centre in 2024.
Jesse James Keitel's bio explores the life of an American actress who has changed the acting space for trans people. Her talent and brilliance make her a role model to many young actors and actresses.
Tuko.co.ke recently published actress Natalie Morales' biography. Natalie Morales is an American actress best known for being the charismatic personality behind the role of Michelle Gutierrez in the well-received Netflix original comedy series, Dead to Me.
She also doubles up as a director and co-writer in several films. In 2021, Morales directed the teen comedy Plan B.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
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