Vella Lovell, a graduate of New York University and the Julliard School, began her acting career in 2014. She is best known for playing Heather Davis in The CW comedy-drama series “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.” She was the voice of Mermista in “She-Ra and the Princes of Power,” Khadija in “The Big Sick,” and currently stars as Mikaela in” Mr. Mayor” on NBC. Mr. Mayor, a sitcom created by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, follows Neil Bremer (Ted Danson), a retired businessman who runs for mayor of Los Angeles to earn his daughter's respect. Vella’s character Mikaela is Neil’s chief of staff and wannabe influencer. Up next, Vella will lend her voice to “Gay Pride & Prejudice,” which is a modern podcast adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” from Spotify and Gimlet. The podcast, which premieres May 25th, is produced by Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Justin Mikita.

Dress by Jovana Benoit
Shoes by Pollice Lee

What is a typical day like on the set of Mr. Mayor?
A typical day on set starts at around 5am. Usually Holly and I there first. Its always fun to be a girl on set, JUST KIDDING, and we’re in the makeup and hair trailer for about an hour and half. It’s always so lovely to see everyone—the cast and the crew— in the morning and hear about peoples’ evenings, weekends, mornings. During Season 1 for Covid protocols, we all had to be sequestered in individual makeup trailers and, although I understood and respected the safety measures, it was easy to feel disconnected from people on a human level. For Season 2, we’re all vaccinated, and it’s felt so much more like a family. After hair and makeup, we go in for a private rehearsal and figure out the blocking for whatever scene we’re doing, and then once we figure out the silliest and most fun way to shoot the scene, we show the crew and we’re off to the races. Our DP, David Miller, is excellent at his job and is fast and furious, so our days are relatively short in terms of film sets. The fast pace keeps the crew and the cast motivated, happy, and energized. That’s just one of the reasons why this job is a dream come true.

What is it like working with such a well-known actors like Ted Danson and Holly Hunter?
It has been the greatest gift to get to work with Ted and Holly. In terms of being able to watch them work and act with them, I am blown away daily by their different processes and approaches to their craft. Ted is so confident and easy in his acting. He can throw away a line in the most graceful way that just tickles your funny bone. Holly is very voracious and ferocious in her approach. She attacks the role and is so unpredictable and committed. It has been the greatest honor to be able to learn from them and act with them in scenes. But most of all, they are really incredible people. They are both such kind, caring, funny and grounded leaders. They are exceptional examples of what a full career as an actor can look like and how to treat everyone with respect.

Being a person of color how important is it to you to see more diversity and representation on screen?
SO IMPORTANT, and that’s an understatement. Representation, equality, diversity and equity are the most important things to me as a woman of color in this business. I’ve been the only person of color in many rooms throughout my life, and I am so glad things are changing. I have a lot of hope for the future and yet there’s so much more work to be done. It’s important to me to see representation not only on screen, but also off screen. It’s not just have we checked the “diversity” box, it’s looking around the spaces you’re in and asking—was there equity in terms of getting into this room? Was the opportunity just in front of the camera or is there an effort to champion diversity of thought, experience, race, religion, ableism, and sexual orientation/identity behind the camera as well? I can’t wait until it’s not weird or seen as “other” for a half Black woman like myself to be the Chief of Staff in a show about the Mayor of LA. I can’t wait until it’s normal for me to be a human in the world and I don’t have to explain my presence. That day may not come anytime soon, but in the meantime I will champion for representation as much as I can, and I hope my presence on screen opens a door for someone else down the line.

When you were younger you wanted to be a classical pianist, what made you want to go into acting instead?
Piano was an instrument that my mother plopped me in front of when I was four years old. She told me “if you’re going to get lessons, then you have to go all the way. No quitting.” It became something that I was good at technically, I suppose, but it didn’t contain the joy and creative expression that acting gave me. Acting scared and thrilled me, and I would dream about it constantly. I also love to make people laugh. It’s the greatest feeling in the world. My senior year of high school, I had to confront myself and ask myself what I wanted, and the choice was clear. And I never looked back!

What are you excited for the audience to see in the rest of this season?
We really get to dive deeper into our characters and what makes them tick, plus the inter-dynamics of the Mayor’s staff. There’s some tension that arises later in the season and all of us get to bring out different sides of our characters than you’ve previously seen. Plus, the situations are just zanier, the guest stars are wackier, and Tina and Robert are building out the world of our show in the funniest ways. There’s also more physical comedy coming your way in Season 2, so get ready. Mostly, I just want the audience to fall in love with these great characters, be entertained, and laugh.

Are there any actors that you want to work with?
Maya Rudolph. She is my idol in so many ways. I am trying to manifest that we’ll work together in person at some point.

You have starred in a lot of comedies. In the future do you want to explore different genres in your acting career?
Definitely. I went to Juilliard for Acting and while I was there I explored so different roles and plays—from Chekhov to Shakespeare, Thornton Wilder to Brecht and Lynn Nottage. I feel so lucky that I’ve had the opportunity to play with the incredible comedians I’ve met—Rachel Bloom and all the UCB folks I met on “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” and now Tina Fey and Bobby Moynihan on “Mr. Mayor” have really opened my eyes to the incredible acrobatics of SNL alums. Getting to work with two of my idols, Rachel Dratch and Ana Gasteyer, on “A Clusterfunke Christmas” was a dream come true. I hope I get to keep learning from hilarious comedians and at the same time I am itching to do more drama and theatre. I want to keep people guessing and never be put in a box. I want to surprise people and keep being an artistic chameleon.

What are some of the essentials that you always have on set with you?
A blanket and pillow for your trailer are must haves for down times. A water bottle to keep hydrated, of course, and Ted Danson got all of us hooked on apples and almond butter as a set snack and now I can’t stop. The craft services people just see me heading towards the table now and they’re like “Is it apple time again?”

What are your socials?
Instagram: @vellalovell

Editor-In-Chief: Alison Hernon
Creative Director: Mike Ruiz
Photographer: Christopher Brown
Talent: Vella Lovell
Fashion Stylist: Joy Bridges at A-Frame Agency
Hair & Makeup: Annette Chaisson at Exclusive Artists
Tearsheets by Daniel López, Associate Art Director, PhotoBook Magazine
Interview by Sahar Kariem, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine

Shop The Look: Vella Lovell

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