Jamie Clayton

Jamie Clayton was born on January 15, 1978, in San Diego, California. Her father, Howard Clayton, worked as a criminal defense attorney, and her mother, Shelley, was an event planner. At the age of 19, Clayton relocated to New York City to pursue a career as a makeup artist. Her foundational experience in the beauty industry eventually led her to television, where she co-hosted and served as makeup artist on VH1’s ‘TRANSform Me’ in 2010 alongside Laverne Cox and Nina Poon. This early exposure to television laid the groundwork for her acting career.

Clayton’s career progression in acting began with a recurring role as Kyla in the third season of the HBO series ‘Hung’ in 2011. In 2012, she took on a lead role as Michelle Darnell in the Emmy Award-winning interactive web series ‘Dirty Work.’ She also had a role as Carla Favers in the TV series ‘Are We There Yet?’ and narrated the audiobook for the children’s novel ‘Melissa,’ which focused on a young transgender girl. A significant turning point in her career came with her casting as Nomi Marks in the Netflix original series ‘Sense8,’ which premiered in 2015. In this role, Clayton portrayed a trans woman, political blogger, and hacker, a character that resonated internationally and became a critical darling due to its exploration of diverse themes.

Following her success in ‘Sense8,’ which ran until its 2018 finale, Clayton continued to expand her filmography. She appeared in the 2016 film ‘The Neon Demon’ and the 2017 thriller ‘The Snowman.’ In 2019, she joined the cast of Netflix’s ‘Designated Survivor’ for its third season, playing Sasha Booker. From 2019 to 2023, she had a role as Tess Van De Berg in ‘The L Word: Generation Q’ on Showtime and guest-starred in The CW’s ‘Roswell, New Mexico.’ A notable achievement in her career is her portrayal of Pinhead in the 2022 ‘Hellraiser’ film, marking a major cinematic role. Clayton has also contributed as a creative consultant for the documentary ‘Disclosure’ in 2020.