Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman

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Actor & Activist

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Diversity⸒ Equity & Inclusion (DEI)
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Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman: Biography at a Glance

  • Actor and activist Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman is a vocal advocate for diversity and inclusion, particularly for people of color and the LGBTQ community.
  • Jeffrey came to prominence for his portrayal of the ambitious producer "Jay" in Lifetime's dark comedy-drama UnREAL and is known for his roles as iconically queer men in film and TV series. 
  • A Peabody Award winner and Emmy nominee, UnREAL, was called a "twisty and dark" look at what really happens in the world of reality show production by Entertainment Weekly.
  • Most recently, Jeffery was a celebrity judge on the hit series RuPaul's Drag Race, a role he reprised in the All-Star edition. In 2019, he was hand-picked by RuPaul to be a judge for the Canadian version of RuPaul's Drag Race.

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Biography

Actor and activist Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman is a vocal advocate for diversity and inclusion, particularly for people of color and the LGBTQ community. Jeffrey came to prominence for his portrayal of the ambitious producer "Jay" in Lifetime's dark comedy-drama UnREAL and is known for his roles as iconically queer men in film and TV series. A Peabody Award winner and Emmy nominee, UnREAL, was called a "twisty and dark" look at what really happens in the world of reality show production by Entertainment Weekly. Most recently, Jeffery was a celebrity judge on the hit series RuPaul's Drag Race, a role he reprised in the All-Star edition. In 2019, he was hand-picked by RuPaul to be a judge for the Canadian version of RuPaul's Drag Race.

 

A queer, biracial man, adopted at 12 days old and raised by a white family in rural Canada, Bowyer-Chapman has already lived a full life of remarkable self-discovery and awareness. In his speeches and onstage events, he shares his unique perspective on living a meaningful, authentic experience and explores the often-overlooked power of vulnerability.  

 

In his podcast, "JBC Presents: Conversations with Others," Jeffrey provides a safe space for open, honest conversations with anyone who "falls outside of the status quo." His guests have included Susan Sarandon, Aubrey Plaza, and Jussie Smollet. 

 

Beginning his career as a fashion model at age 16, Bowyer-Chapman traveled the world working for top brands and designers. He landed his first acting job at 21 years old, appearing in Shock to The System, which premiered at the 2006 Outfest Film Festival. He went on to star in season eight of American Horror Story and the 2016 comedy film Dirty Grandpa, alongside Robert DeNiro and Zac Efron. Bowyer-Chapman will next star in the indie film Spiral, about a same-sex couple raising a 16-year-old girl in a small town where nothing is as it seems. 

 

His additional credits include HBO's Dear Mr. Gacy, SyFy's Stargate Universe, and Nickelodeon's animated series Iron Man: Armored Adventures, in which he voices the role of Black Panther. 

 

He was named one of "Five of the Best" in Out magazine's feature article "Canada's Coolest," and one of Canada's top rising stars by the Hollywood Reporter in 2016. 

 

Bowyer-Chapman is passionately involved with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) for which he has served as a guest speaker and won the HRC Visibility Award in 2019. In 2016, he created the Bramon Garcia Braun (BGB) scholarship in his name, awarded to LGTBQ actors of color whose work promotes inclusion in the entertainment industry. 

Topics

The Power of Vulnerability: Turning Your Biggest Weakness — Into Your Best Strengtharrow-down

When people discuss vulnerability, they are often referring to one’s weaknesses. But as Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman has learned from his life as a gay man and a biracial man adopted by white parents and raised in rural Canada, his strengths have all come from his sense of “otherness.” By navigating a world that didn’t necessarily accept or understand him, Jeffrey learned how to accept what was beyond his control, and turn his differences and vulnerabilities into both his identity and his source of strength.

 

In this talk, Jeffrey takes audiences on a journey inward to discover the power of their own vulnerability. By tapping into the core of who we truly are — we can better connect with and understand those who we encounter, whether that be in business, family, or in our daily lives.

Rules for Success in a Career That You Lovearrow-down

Since becoming a model at age 16, Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman has refused to compromise his values to further his career. As a queer, biracial man growing up in the “Texas of the North,” Bowyer-Chapman had more hurdles than most to overcome. But he knew what he wanted, and he worked until he got to where he wanted to go (Hollywood).  

 

Drawing from a career made on his own terms, Jeffrey discusses his rules for success and the guiding principles that sets him apart. For example, his refusal to play typically straight men and exclusively waiting for roles of “iconically” gay characters could have shut him out of the industry indefinitely. But with the power of his imagination, setting intentions, and following his “gut” instincts, Bowyer-Chapman has continued to make impactful, meaningful work that has never compromised his integrity.

Conversations with Others: An Evening with Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapmanarrow-down

Growing up in Alberta, Canada, “the Texas of the North,” Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman was the first form of othernessor intersectionality for most of his family and many of his friends. He was always attracted to the arts, loving to sing and dance, and he knew deep down that he would one day be an actor.

 

At 16 years old, he signed to his first modeling agency and entered a new world that was much more welcoming but still under-representative of minorities. Through his acting, his scholarship, and his podcast, Bowyer-Chapman has shown a deep commitment to telling stories about people of color and the LGBTQ community “in ways that have not necessarily been told in mainstream media.” 

 

In this onstage event, Jeffrey talks about his life as an “other.” He reflects on the difficult road of searching within to find who he truly is — and his unexpected discovery of the strength and beauty of his differences. With stories and anecdotes from his podcast “Conversations with Others,” Bowyer-Chapman celebrates the odd ones out, the queer kin, the bi-racial, gender-fluid, outspoken and courageous who fall outside of the status-quo. He creates a safe space to hold honest, open, candid conversations where no subject is off limits or taboo, and he can freely delve into the minds of ‘others.’

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