Natasha Stricklin, an Actress and Cat Mom, Lights Up Screens in Vertical Dramas

Natasha Stricklin is one of the rising stars of this incredible genre of storytelling, but she's ready for tougher roles and more inclusivity.

Natasha Stricklin entered the world of vertical dramas in one of the more risqué projects, but she killed it and has slowly started to make more. Let's find out more about her and her hopes for the future of this format!

Getting to Know Natasha Stricklin

Vertical drama fans will know Stricklin more as Marcella Sinclair from "Secrets of Sin" and its sequel. During an interview with Vertical Drama Love in April 2025, the actress introduced herself as a cat mom first and foremost.

She owns an orange tabby named Alfieri "Alfie" Dingus. Surprisingly, she and her three brothers and one sister didn't grow up with cats due to her allergy.

"But then one day, I was in my front yard and I heard this tiny little meow coming from somewhere," she told Jen Cooper, "and I was like, 'What is that?' And I look over at my mom's car and this little baby orange cat is sitting on the wheel of my mom's car, and from that day I was like, 'That is my cat.'"

When the conversation turned more towards her acting, Stricklin explained that this world has been her dream since she was young. Her mother was also an actress and a model, so she enrolled her in acting classes, just to see if Stricklin would enjoy it.

It worked, and she started pursuing professional options at the age of 16. She did a few commercials and worked on a film. However, Stricklin decided to take a break afterward to focus on her growth. She returned around three years ago and has been doing great since.

The actress began with commercials, a few feature films like "Painted Horses," and several shorts such as "Midnight Militia" and "The Watering Hole." But soon enough, vertical drama opportunities rolled in.

Discovering Natasha Stricklin's Vertical Dramas

During her conversation with Cooper, Stricklin detailed that she had seen the breakdowns for these stories because her mother is a talent agent. At first, the actress realized many stories focused on alphas, CEOs, and babies.

But then, she saw the breakdown for "Secrets of Sin," and immediately decided to go for it. "Got the call back, was in an in-person chemistry read where I met Bryce, my co-star. It was just history ever since. We booked it together, and it is one of the best experiences of my life," Stricklin said.

The role was almost tailor-made for her because of her background in contemporary lyrical ballet. She had also taken pole-dancing classes around a year before auditioning. Still, on set, Stricklin received help with her movements from her intimacy coordinator, Arielle Zadok, who is also a professional pole instructor.

In the Meet the Creatives section of Vertical Drama Love, she shared that Bryce Tipple got on the pole on their last day of shooting and showed everyone his moves.

Aside from the sequel, the actress worked with Tipple again in "She's the (Undercover) Boss," which can also be found as "Exercise Discretion."

In the future, the actress is looking forward to a stage combat scene in possibly a spy vertical or something where the female lead can show her strength. She also wishes that more people understood that these micro-dramas are launching the careers of many actors, as she knows someone who booked a part in "Legally Blonde 2."

And in the future, she hopes that there will be more diversity and inclusivity, ushering in more LGBTQ+ and POC stories for verticals.