Bella Merlin

When a director who recently worked with Bella Merlin was asked to describe her, they responded, "If you can imagine Juno Temple's favorite, cheekiest aunt, you're close."

An award-winning actor of stage and screen, Bella Merlin is a powerhouse performer who was born in the UK, developed her acting craft within the hallowed halls of the Guildford School of Acting and the State Institute of Cinematography in Moscow, and went on to teach at institutions including the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London. She has enjoyed a long and dynamic acting career, starring in the compelling feature films Mente Revolver directed by Alejandro Corona Ramirez and The Objective from director Collin Davey, as well as BBC shows including the Brian Cox EPd Acting with Prunella Scales, as well as Doctors, Casualty, and The Empress for C4, directed by Jane Thornburn. Bella regularly graces the stage of Shakespeare & Company in the US and continues working in film, television, and theatre projects internationally. With a PhD from the University of Birmingham, UK, Bella also teaches acting and directing at the University of California, Riverside, and in theaters, studios, and institutions across the globe, and has written seven books on acting including the best-selling "The Complete Stanislavsky Toolkit." Bella is married to - and produces, writes, directs and acts alongside - the lauded actor, Miles Anderson, (Joel Coen's The Tragedy of Macbeth, LaLa Land, Hunters).