iris menas (born July 20, 1990) is an American actor. They are best known for appearing as Anybodys in the 2021 film adaptation of West Side Story and their voice roles in the Monster High reboot, Madagascar: A Little Wild, Ridley Jones, and the Fairly OddParents reboot.
Early life During their youth, menas attended the Kansas Dance Academy in Wichita, Kansas, for twelve years. They graduated from Wichita East High School in 2008. In 2012, menas graduated from University of Oklahoma, earning a BFA from the Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts. While attending school, menas was part of a production of a musical named "A Chorus Line," in May 2010, where they played Diana Morales, with dance professor Lynn Cramer calling the performance "outstanding...insightful and genuine."
Career In 2022, menas voiced Frankie Stein in the rebooted Monster High television show. Later, menas voiced Odee Elliot in Madagascar: A Little Wild, and Fred in Ridley Jones. Fred is the "first nonbinary series regular on a preschool television program," with menas saying it is "a really interesting tool to use an animal because we have nothing to project on an animal in terms of gender," adding that there is "something so beautiful about boiling something down for a child to understand."
In 2021, menas became known for appearing in West Side Story. PinkNews called it "powerful win" for trans representation, with menas hoping that the film would have a positive impact on audiences, adding that everyone needs to be a "little more open and a little more compassionate toward one another." The film was banned in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, while Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Oman requested cuts to scenes with menas' performance, which 20th Century Studios and Disney declined to do, with the film not airing in those countries either.
In September 2021, menas noted that performances they had done for Jagged Little Pill, on Broadway, had resulted in PTSD and called proposed plans for better portrayal of trans and nonbinary characters "NOT enough," adding in a social media post, fellow actors, and themself, were "asking for basic care and we are [being] gaslit."
In the 2024 Fairly OddParents reboot The Fairly OddParents: A New Wish, menas voiced Winn Harper. In November 2024, menas won a Velma Award for Best New Nonbinary Cast Member for the portrayal.
In 2025, menas voiced Nova in an episode of WondLa. The following year, menas voiced Harmony in an episode of Cartoon Cartoons.
Personal life menas is transmasculine and non-binary and lives in Brooklyn, New York, as of March 2022.
Selected filmography + List of iris menas film and television credits Year Title Role Notes 2020, 2022 Madagascar: A Little Wild Odee Eliot (voice) 2 episodes 2021 West Side Story "Anybodys" 2021–2023 Ridley Jones Fred (voice) 35 episodes 2022 Way Down Alex 2 episodes 2022–2024 Monster High Frankie Stein, Carrots, Mystery Meat, Dragon Girl, BG Students, Lion Monster Knocker, Kaylee, Goobert, Partying Book #1, Turntable Voice, Dragon Girl #6, Whiskerene, Gooberry Monster (voices) 50 episodes 2022–2023 Monster High Mysteries Frankie Stein (voice) 8 episodes 2023 Monster Ball Homecoming 6 episodes 2024 The Fairly OddParents: A New Wish Winn, Oates, Director, Katie, Lapis Lazuli, Giant Bird, Fairy (voices) 20 episodes 2025 WondLa Nova (voice) Episode: "Chapter 8: Home" 2026 Cartoon Cartoons Harmony (voice) Episode: "Harmony in Despair"
Notes
References
External links
Iris Menas at Rotten Tomatoes