Cayla Brady's Rise in Vertical Dramas: From Child Actor to Award-Winning Lead

A last-minute audition while traveling in Europe helped launch Cayla Brady's rise in vertical dramas. Today, the actress behind "To My Romeo, With Love" is one of the genre's most familiar faces.

Cayla Brady's career in vertical dramas has moved quickly. Less than a year after entering the space, she had already appeared in numerous productions, and in 2025, she earned Best Lead Actress in a Drama at the Vertical Drama Love Fan Awards for her portrayal of Penny Jones in "To My Romeo, With Love."

While many viewers know her from vertical dramas such as "The Quarterback Next Door," "Don't Miss Me When I'm Gone," and "To My Romeo, With Love," Brady's acting journey began long before short-form dramas became popular.

Starting Young

Brady began acting at around seven or eight years old after appearing in a school production of "The Three Little Pigs." Looking back, she said she remembers feeling excited to play the Brick Pig, describing it as one of the first times she felt people believed in her and she believed in herself.

She continued performing through school and local theater before landing work on "Dolphin Tale." Originally auditioning as an extra, she was selected as a photo double and later returned for "Dolphin Tale 2."

Her acting work eventually expanded to commercials for Disney, Universal Studios, and other brands before she moved to Los Angeles to pursue the industry more seriously.

A Different Path Before Returning to Acting

Although acting remained important to her, Brady's path was not entirely straightforward.

She studied writing and earned a degree focused on composition and rhetoric, and at one point even considered attending law school. She later worked in marketing at Paramount and Nickelodeon for more than three years and also appeared as a host on "Nick News."

During that period, acting was no longer her primary focus. In multiple interviews, Brady has spoken about stepping away from the profession and questioning whether she would continue pursuing it.

Still, she found herself returning to it.

"Acting is just... such a tiring thing to pursue," she said. "And I always get brought back in some way."

The Role That Changed Everything

The turning point came in 2024 when Brady received an audition for "The Quarterback Next Door" while traveling through Europe with her mother. She filmed the audition from her hotel room in Paris before heading out for the day, eventually landed the role, and later said the opportunity was the moment "everything changed."

Cayla Brady behind the scenes of "The Quarterback Next Door" | Source: instagram/caylatbrady

The series became her first vertical drama and remains one of the projects she speaks about most often.

"It was my first vertical ever," Brady said. "I hadn't acted in probably three years, four years before that."

She has repeatedly described the production as a career-changing experience, crediting the cast, crew, writers, and creative team for its success.

"The Quarterback Next Door" also helped launch her career in the vertical drama space, opening the door to a steady stream of projects.

Building a Vertical Drama Career

Following the success of "The Quarterback Next Door," Brady became a familiar face across the genre.

Her growing list of credits includes "Don't Miss Me When I'm Gone," "Doctor, My Baby Is Yours!," "A Virgin Surrogate for the Billionaire," "Avenging Heiress Plunged Into Darkness," "Daisy Tucker and Mr. NYC," "To My Romeo, With Love," "The Mafia Princess and the New Girl," and "Mic Drop Diva."

Several roles challenged her in different ways.

The poster for "Avenging Heiress Plunged into Darkness" | Source: IMDb

In "Avenging Heiress Plunged Into Darkness," she played Mia, a character she described as one of the strongest she has portrayed. The role involved stunt sequences, harness work, and a storyline that combined family conflict, mystery, and romance.

Meanwhile, Brady cited Daisy in "Daisy Tucker and Mr. NYC" as one of the characters who pushed her creatively because of the character's background, personality, and journey from farm life to New York City. Preparing for the role even inspired her to pick up her guitar again.

The poster for "Daisy Tucker and Mr. NYC" | Source: IMDb

Looking Beyond Acting

As her acting career has grown, Brady has also become increasingly interested in writing.

She has spoken about developing story ideas of her own and frequently discussing concepts with fellow actors, directors, and friends in the industry. Many of those ideas center on female friendships, female-led stories, and women working together.

She has also expressed interest in seeing more variety within vertical dramas, including comedy, horror, and psychological thrillers.

"I really, really would love to like try that out," Brady said of playing a villain.

An Award-Winning Performance

In 2025, Brady took on the role of Penny Jones in "To My Romeo, With Love," a story about a teenager who hides her leukemia diagnosis so she can fulfill her dream of playing Juliet opposite her best friend in a school play.

The performance earned her Best Lead Actress in a Drama at the 2025 Vertical Drama Love Fan Awards, marking another milestone in a career that has continued to accelerate since her return to acting.

As Brady has noted in several interviews, acting remains the work she wants to be doing.

"There's nothing else I'd want to do," she said.