'CFA' creates name for himself

Casey Ford Alexander '09 — more commonly known as "CFA" — has appeared on stage and in TV shows since age 10, once performed in Carnegie Hall and has been in the spotlight for most of his life.

But when asked to describe himself, he said he values privacy above all else.

"I am really passionate about acting, but I am also pretty reserved," Alexander said. "Much of what I do is about being visible, but that's not necessarily who I am. I prefer to pursue things in an understated way."

Yet some students feel Alexander is anything but understated.

Roommate Teddy Molson '09 said Alexander is "over the top, but that's what makes him who he is."

Molson added that he refers to him as "CFA" most of the time, per Alexander's request, and that Alexander said he was not allowed to refer to him as "Casey" outside of the room.

Mick Hagen '09, who has been friends with Alexander since the fall and recently photographed him for a Business Today magazine photo shoot, said Alexander's ability to "self-brand" is what makes him a good actor and model.

"He knows how to put himself out there," Hagen said. "Most of the school knows who he is, both critics and fans. But the fact that so many across campus are whispering about this 'CFA' character and his persona tells us a lot. Whether it's vanity, talent or physical image, it has caused a reaction in people, and to me that's a skill."

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Other freshmen do not have such a positive view of their classmate.

"I don't know him well, but he just seems pretty self-centered," David Bejar '09 said. "I mean I don't see what the big deal is about him, but clearly people like to talk about him, and I get the impression he likes to talk about himself."

When asked about his presence on campus, Alexander said he thinks people tend to build up an image of him that is not true to his character.

"I guess people like to attach an image to a person, but frankly, I'm pretty much a geek," Alexander said.

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He said he doesn't feel superior to other students but tries to get as much of a normal college experience as he can while still pursuing acting and modeling jobs.

An actor is born

Alexander said he knew he wanted to act from about age five, at which time he convinced his mother to let him take acting classes.

"I was probably the only kid who would try to create his own play during nap time," Alexander said. "After that, I continued to have my neighbors act out Disney musicals with me."

"He would rehearse the show during his playtime and present the final product when his playmates' parents came to pick their children up," his mother, Patricia Sandiford, said. "No one could leave before the show was done. Accordingly, he preferred to watch Entertainment Tonight and ice skating instead of football on primetime television."

Though Sandiford paid for his acting courses and took him to auditions, Alexander said neither of his parents encouraged him to pursue it longterm. At a young age, he began calling different agents and looking for casting calls. He said his parents did not take him seriously until, at age 13, he landed a part on an Equity production of "Show Boat," which he considers the start of his professional career in musical theater. Using his stipend from the job, he mailed resumes to 23 agents and heard back from one.

"Casey's thoughtfulness and maturity at such a young age have always made him unique," Alexander's current theatrical agent, Dina Bogner, said. "He is consistently well-prepared and yet he is able to maintain a sense of spontaneity in his performances."

From there, Alexander began working with Abrams Artists Agency and took larger jobs including a part-time stint on Nickelodeon's "Nick News" and several advertisement shoots. In 2003, he was a guest actor alongside Kyra Sedgwick in an episode of the soap opera "Queens Supreme," which aired for three episodes on CBS before being picked up internationally.

His most recent television work includes a stint on mtvU's show "The Freshmen" and a hosting, directing and editing gig on the Princeton Student Television Network (PSTN)'s Oscar night premiere. "The Freshmen," shot early last week, features a panel of broadcasting and music video-savvy college students who critique new music videos. Both shows should air in the next couple of weeks on channel six and PSTN, respectively, Alexander said.

He is also currently working on two different projects for PSTN, a drama series called "The Untitled Roommate Project" and "Dining: A Television Series." The former will follow two sets of roommates featuring University actors including Alexander. "Dining" will follow four different actors at restaurants on Nassau St., each with a distinct personal crisis that he or she must express within the show during a dinner conversation.

Last year, Alexander incorporated Soareel Productions, his own multimedia company with subdivisions for talent management and film, television and radio production.

A balancing act

Before matriculating at the University last fall, Alexander delayed enrollment one year to live in California while acting in Andrew Lippa's "A Little Princess," which he said will hopefully be shown on Broadway. After filming ended in November, he acted in two University theses productions: "One Night Stand" and "Swimming Upstream."

This year, he has added three more University plays to his theater portfolio, performing in "Sex on Broadway," "Wonderland Salvage" and "Parade."

Jocelyn Miller '08, who has collaborated with Alexander on photo shoots and attended several of his performances, said she has been impressed with his work both on and off campus.

"He has a great energy that I know has served him in the Princeton community and will continue to serve him as he paves his way in the entertainment industry," Miller said.

This winter, he auditioned for the lead role of "Seaweed" in the movie production of "Hairspray," starring John Travolta and Queen Latifah, and for a supporting role in "PDR," a film starring Terrence Howard and Bernie Mac about inner-city basketball players who join a swim team. He has not yet heard back about either audition.

Alexander said he does not find it hard to balance his career with college life. Though he said he still considers himself heavily involved in acting and modeling, Alexander said school has always come first.

"When I was a kid, my mom had a motto: 'If the grades drop, the acting stops,'" he said. "I still abide by this."

He made his Wednesday class schedule light so that he can be available for future episodes of "The Freshmen," which shoots in New York City. He said he occasionally misses class for an audition but tries to avoid it. If he gets and decides to take the part in "PDR," he will have to leave school in the spring, which he said he does not want to do.

"When I was looking at colleges, I purposefully chose Princeton over an arts institute like Julliard," Alexander said. "Acting is not the be-all-end-all for me."

When asked what he plans to do with the rest of his time in college, Alexander said he hopes to continue acting, singing and modeling.

"I enjoy them all," he said. "Acting allows me to experience life in someone else's shoes, while singing allows me to release emotions without speaking, and most modeling shoots allow you to meet beautiful people, sport great clothing and make excellent money."

Alexander added that he has decided to decrease the amount of modeling he does so that he can worry less about his body image. Between bites of pizza and gummi worms, he said he wants to be a "normal college kid."

Though he plans to model less, he said he still pays attention to his clothing and dresses according to what he has learned best complements his body type.

As for post-college plans, Alexander said he intends to be "an actor, a producer, a director, a writer and a politician."

"I will do all of them," he said. "By having all of those roles, I can have more authority over the final product. I like to be in control of my image."