Lexie Stevenson is inspirational and fearless. After her near-death experience suffering from endometriosis at the age of 17, she comes back stronger fighting fearlessly and positively for her passion. Stevenson made her big break as Mattie Ashby on the CBS Daytime Award-Winning drama The Young and the Restless. On top of being a wonderful actress, she also holds multiple titles (model, philanthropist, theatrical performer, competitive athlete) with a hidden talent in singing. Jejune is excited to share our exclusive interview with her on her incredible journey as an actress and advisory board for the Endometriosis Foundation of America.

Where are you based?
I am based in Los Angeles, California, but I'm originally from Maine.

When did you know you wanted to be an actress? How did you get started in your career?
When I was younger, I was singing all the time. At school, at home, on the bus, you name it. So my parents decided to enroll me in vocal lessons at a studio in Maine called New England Youth Theater. When I got more involved at the studio, I found out that they also offer musical theater, so I decided to give that a try, and of course, that includes acting. After a few plays, I realized I really enjoyed acting as well as singing. From then on, I always kinda knew that acting was what I wanted to do.

Throughout high school, you juggled acting, swimming and soccer, and schoolwork and graduated with honors. This is so inspiring and shows that it is possible to follow your dreams at a young age and still excel in your responsibilities. How did you do it? What advice do you have for young girls wanting to start pursuing their dreams while in school?
Thank you! I would say my biggest piece of advice (especially if you are coming from a small town) is to understand that if you have big dreams, you will run into a lot of people with small minds, but you cannot listen to those people. The only thing stopping you is you.

After high school, you were accepted into Purchase College-SUNY but chose to defer to pursue your acting career. Can you tell us about this decision meant to you at the time? How do you feel about it now?
I've never been someone who enjoyed school, so the thought of not having to go back immediately was really exciting, and it was even more exciting to know I was moving to LA. Now looking back on it, I'm happy I made that decision because although I am going back to college to get a degree, it's on my terms, making it a lot more enjoyable.

One of your most major roles is starring as Mattie Ashby on the CBS drama The Young and the Restless. Can you tell us about what attracted you to this role and what your experience has been like playing Mattie?
Mattie being biracial is what attracted me to the role. Mattie has a white dad and a black mom, which is true for me in real life. I think many mixed people would say that they had some sort of identity crisis in their younger years just because you don't fit into any specific category 100%, and sometimes that can be confusing. Growing up, I didn't see many people who looked like me on TV. The first one to come close was Zendaya which is why she's a huge inspiration to me now. Playing Mattie is really cool because she's relatable to a lot of young girls for a lot of different reasons.

With Los Angeles being hit hard by the pandemic recently, how has your typical day filming or modeling changed? If you have still been able to film and model, what types of precautions do you and your team have to take during this time?
Things are starting to go back to normal now, which is great. I'd say the biggest change is that now all auditions are done through self-tapes. No one is really doing in-person anymore, which makes sense because it allows casting directors to see a lot more people and more quickly. Filming has changed a little as well. The crew is always wearing a mask, and recent updated covid tests are usually asked for if you are going onto a new set you haven't been on before.

You serve on the advisory board for the Endometriosis Foundation of America. Can you tell us about the foundation and its mission?
Of course! The Endometriosis Foundation of America is a foundation that is committed to furthering endometriosis research and endometriosis awareness. I serve on the Advisory Board, so part of what I help out with is spreading awareness through fundraising and any other avenue that allows me to have a voice on the topic.

Endometriosis can cause excruciating pain and even death in women. Sadly, on average, it takes 6-10 years from the onset of symptoms for women to be diagnosed with the disorder. What advice would you give young women who are experiencing symptoms of endometriosis or are newly diagnosed?
My biggest piece of advice is to always have an emergency endometriosis attack kit ready. Basically, this can be a little bag that you bring with you everywhere you can, and it contains all the things that will make you feel better. For example, in my endometriosis attack kit, I have a plug-in heat pad, disposable heat pads, tea bags, and my pain medication. My second piece of advice is to see what foods might set off a flare-up. For me, it's gluten; I know for other people it's dairy, red meat, or even fish. I figured out that it was gluten by switching each thing out of my diet for a week, and when I got to gluten, I didn't have as many flare-ups. Ever since then a gluten-free diet has worked really well for me.

What is your motto in life?
The only thing stopping you is you - Mama Stevenson

To keep up with Lexie Stevenson, make sure to follow her on the following platforms:
Instagram - @lexiestevenson
TikTok - @lexiestevenson

Lexie Stevenson Fights Fearlessly for Passion