Vanessa Nottingham: Building a Career in Front of and Behind the Camera

From childhood acting classes to producing her own films, Vanessa Nottingham has built a career around telling stories from every angle. Along the way, she has become one of the familiar faces in vertical dramas while continuing to grow as an actress, filmmaker, and creative collaborator.

For Vanessa Nottingham, acting was never just about performing. Whether she's in front of the camera, directing behind it, or producing her own projects, she's always been driven by one goal: telling stories that connect with people.

Today, the Brazilian-American actress has built a career that spans independent films, Dhar Mann productions, and the fast-growing world of vertical dramas. Alongside her acting work, she's also making a name for herself as a producer, director, and co-founder of the independent production company Divergent House.

Finding Confidence Through Acting

Nottingham was born in Miami, Florida, and grew up in a bilingual household with a Brazilian mother and an American father.

Acting wasn't originally meant to become a career. Her parents enrolled her in classes when she was seven years old to help her overcome shyness while strengthening her English in addition to Portuguese.

She first tried ballet as a young child before moving into on-camera acting, eventually appearing in commercials, films, and theater productions throughout South Florida.

The turning point came a few years later.

"I watched Harry Potter and I was like, 'They get paid? Like they get paid to do this? This could be a living. I don't have to be a doctor,'" she recalled in September 2025. "That was the moment where I was like, 'Hey parents, I'm gonna be an actor.'"

That early decision stayed with her. She continued acting throughout her childhood while also developing a love for theater, eventually earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Florida in 2021.

Moving to Los Angeles and Expanding Her Career

After graduating, Nottingham relocated to Los Angeles, making the cross-country drive with her father during a 10-day road trip that she still remembers fondly.

Although acting remained her main focus, she quickly realized she wanted to be involved in every part of filmmaking.

"I also produce and direct, so, like, from all those different departments, too, where you just have to put yourself out there and do everything you can to try to make it to make a living in this industry," she said.

That passion led her to co-found Divergent House, an independent production company dedicated to creating inclusive stories while giving filmmakers from diverse backgrounds opportunities to bring their projects to life.

For Nottingham, producing and directing are natural extensions of acting rather than separate careers.

"I like being able to tell the stories I want to tell or that I find are really great and impactful for the world and interesting and for the industry," she said in August 2025. "Being able to see it come to life by putting the right people in charge and watching their beautiful creative minds flourish and see their dreams come true, and be able to help give them that platform to tell it."

Discovering Vertical Dramas

Before entering the vertical drama world, Nottingham had already built a following through Dhar Mann's YouTube series, where she appeared in numerous episodes after landing her first role through an open casting call.

She later transitioned into vertical dramas after another actor encouraged her to give the growing format a chance.

Initially, she wasn't sure what to expect.

"I was a little scared. I wasn't sure what it was about," she said. After a friend who was already working in vertical dramas assured her the productions were safe, she decided to give the format a chance. "So I started doing them. I'm like, 'Oh my god, this is so fun.'"

Since then, she has appeared in a wide range of vertical productions, including "Campus Rivals," "CEO Queen: A Mother's Revenge," "Yearning for a Mother's Love," "The Mafia Boss's Runaway Bride," "My AI Fireman," "Python Attack! Run!," "Imprisoned Phoenix," and many others.

Vanessa Nottingham behind the scenes of "The Mafia Boss’s Runaway Bride" | Source: instagram/vanessanottingham

She believes the format demands a unique level of preparation because actors often have limited rehearsal time while filming at a fast pace.

"You have to stay really motivated," she explained in August 2025, noting that performers need to arrive on set thoroughly prepared because productions move quickly. (

At the same time, she sees the genre continuing to grow, with stronger scripts, more diverse stories, and increasing opportunities for actors and filmmakers.

Why "Campus Rivals" Stands Out

Among Nottingham's many vertical dramas, "Campus Rivals" remains one of her favorites.

Director Adam Santa Cruz had shared the script with her before production, and after reading it, she immediately connected with the story.

"It feels like an early 2000s movie," she said, describing it as one of the dream roles she had always hoped to play.

She was eventually cast as Claire after a chemistry read and quickly developed close friendships with much of the cast.

Looking back, one of her favorite scenes was the Cabo bar sequence, which she said felt incredibly immersive thanks to the production design and atmosphere on set.

She also appreciated Claire because the character felt layered.

Rather than focusing on whether she's playing a hero or a villain, Nottingham says she's always looking for characters with emotional depth.

"I like to play three-dimensional characters, characters that have more to them," she said.

Building Every Character From the Inside Out

Nottingham approaches every role with a detailed preparation process.

She reads scripts several times, studies everything other characters say about her role, develops a backstory, analyzes speech patterns, and memorizes dialogue without emotional inflection before discovering how the character naturally moves and speaks.

Once filming begins, however, she tries to let all of that preparation fade into the background.

She also believes actors don't need to lose themselves to deliver honest performances.

Instead, she focuses on maintaining a healthy separation between herself and her characters while drawing from real emotions when needed. Meditation and yoga help her prepare for emotionally demanding scenes and transition back to everyday life once filming is over.

Planting the Seeds for What's Next

As Nottingham continues balancing acting with producing and directing, one piece of advice continues to guide her career:

Whether it's meeting collaborators, taking on new projects, or simply continuing to learn, she believes every experience contributes to future opportunities.

"Eventually, you have a beautiful flower, you have a beautiful tree," she said. "That is life. I think that is life. That is this industry."

It's a philosophy that reflects the path she's taken herself—one built not only on acting, but on creating stories from every angle and trusting that each new opportunity will lead to the next.