Ali Stroker

Ali Stroker, born June 16, 1987^[1], is an actress, singer and author. She was a finalist on The Glee Project and would later, guest star on Glee for an episode. Her performance in Oklahoma! won her a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical in 2019.

Personal Life

Stroker is the middle child, she has an older brother and a younger sister.^[2] She is paralyzed from the chest down due to a car accident, and has used a wheelchair since she was two-years-old.

Stroker graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, concentration in drama, and became the first actress in a wheelchair to do so.^[3] She strives to inspire other people with disabilities who want to pursue a career in performance to follow their dreams. She's a strong swimmer, and learns to surf with the group Life Rolls On.

Stroker identifies as bisexual^[4] and dated fellow The Glee Project contestant Dani Shay.^[5]

She is in a relationship with David Perlow^[6] and the couple married in July 2021. The couple's son was born in November 2022.

Career

She originally auditioned for The Glee Project at the New York City open casting call. Stroker had an appearance on Glee as Betty, Emma's niece, in "I Do" Shay also made an uncredited appearance in the episode, however, you have to look close to find her.^[7]

She had a two episode reccuring appearance on Hulu's Only Murders in the Building in 2021. Stroker will be a recurring character in the fourth and final season of Netflix's Ozark. She was also casted in Netflix's limited series, Echoes, as Claudia.

She has written two books: The Chance to Fly (with Stacy Davidowitz, released in 2021) and Ali and the Sea Stars (releasing in 2022).

On September 8, 2024, she sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" during the 2024 Summer Paralympics closing ceremony in Paris.

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2012	The Glee Project	Herself	(12 episodes)
2013	Glee	Betty Pillsbury	("I Do")
2014	Faking It	Wendy	2014 - 2015 (3 episodes)
2015	Everyday Miracles	Jeanie
2017	Ten Days in the Valley	Tamara	(3 episodes)
2018	Instinct	Ella	("Secrets and Lies")
	Drunk History	Judy Heumann	("Civil Rights")
	Lethal Weapon	Nina	("Funny Money")
2019	City Boyz	Margot	(4 episodes)
2019	Charmed	First Auditionee	("Witch Perfec")
2020	The Bold Type	Olivia	("Leveling Up")
2020	BoJack Horseman		voice ("Angela")
2021	Only Murders in the Building	Paulette	(2 epsiodes)
	Blue Bloods	Detective Allison Mulaney	("Redemption")
	And Just Like That...	Chloe	("Some of My Best Friends")