Bella Gil: From Princess Belle to Vertical Drama Actress

All actors have to start somewhere because even the smallest roles can help you on the way to the top. Bella Gil knows this as she's now a vertical drama star and so much more.

In the world of entertainment, artists with abilities in several different disciplines are always in demand. Bella Gil has already been part of musical theater, has over five micro-dramas to her name, and recently began scriptwriting and directing. Let's discover more about her!

Bella Gil: Her Background

Born and raised in Washington, D.C., this actress knew from a young age that performing would be part of her life. This is because her father, an Ecuadorian immigrant, played at renowned jazz clubs around the area.

"My dad also is a big fan of old MGM movie musicals, and the first movie I ever saw was the movie 'Singing in the Rain,' and that's my favorite movie to this day," she told Jen Cooper from Vertical Drama Love during an interview on May 5, 2025. "And I knew from that moment that I wanted to be an entertainer."

Jen Cooper and Bella Gil during an interview on May 5, 2025 | Source: Youtube/Vertical Drama Love

In fact, her father's side of the family was all somehow involved in the performing arts. Her grandparents played piano and guitar, and her uncle was an actor.

The goal to follow this family tradition solidified once they moved to Los Angeles when she was 15. In high school, she got the coveted role of Maria in "West Side Story" at the Moonlight Amphitheater.

"I had the time of my life, it was so fun. And then I went on to play Maria two more times after that. So that's kind of like my role," Gil shared. She went on to perform in other productions as well, was even a guest at Vibrato Jazz Grill, and got to tour with "El Otro Oz."

Gil is also interested in everything related to Old Hollywood. This is why she recently wrote, directed, and starred in the short film "The Girl Next Door," which focuses on Judy Garland and how she began working with MGM.

Bella Gil: Her Vertical Dramas

Around 2024, the musical theater actress decided that she wanted to have more experience in film, as she had only worked in a few school projects.

Therefore, she started paying attention to the vertical short-form breakdowns that had always popped up for auditions. That July, she received an email from a director who asked her to try out for a particular project.

"He kind of explained to me in the email what it was. I was like, wow, I wish I had kind of discovered these sooner because actually it looks quite fun," she recounted. "I auditioned, and then I ended up getting the role, and it was a vertical called 'Double Agent in Passion.'"

Although she didn't know much about vertical dramas, she had seen some of them focused on CEO love stories. But this miniseries has her playing a cop, a role that she never expected because she had always considered herself an ingénue or a Disney princess.

In fact, Gil played the character of Belle for two years, both at Disneyland and in a production of "Beauty and the Beast" at El Capitan Theater.

You can also catch Gil in supporting roles in "Shotgun Wedding with My Boss," "Alpha's Fated Surrogate," "The Break-Up Bet with My Billionaire Ex," "Love in the Shadows," "MatriMoney," "My Secret Billionaire Boy Toy," and "Surrender to My Ex's Dad."

And just like some of her peers in this industry, Gil hopes to work on a musical vertical drama someday. "I'm thinking like along the lines of like Disney Channel original musicals. I feel like that would kind of fit the vertical world really well, like a 'High School Musical' type musical," she told Cooper.

Are you ready to step into Bella Gil's world? Start with her first drama and keep going!